AEW Fires Punk
Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling LLC
TAMPA — After an investigation and a difficult decision, AEW owner Tony Khan has terminated CM Punk with cause.
At AEW’s historic event All In, an altercation occurred between CM Punk and fellow wrestler Jack Perry. The altercation stems from an incident that took place on Collision, where Punk refused to have Perry use real glass for a spot on television.
During his match with Hook at All In, Perry references this, looking into the camera and saying, ‘It’s real glass, go cry me a river.’
When Perry came through the curtain, Punk and Perry exchanged words. What happened next is left up to speculation. Witnesses of the incident say that things got physical between the two.
During the altercation, it was said that monitors were thrown on Tony Khan as Punk began lunging at him. Punk’s opponent Samoa Joe restrained him as Punk was heard to have said, ‘I quit!’ Joe calmed him down before their match, and Punk went on to win the match against Joe.
On Saturday, September 2, All Elite Wrestling and Tony Khan made a statement: ‘All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has terminated the wrestler and employment agreements between Phillip Brooks (CM Punk) and AEW with cause, effective immediately.’
The termination was confirmed by Tony Khan, CEO, General Manager, and Head of Creative of AEW. The termination follows a weeklong internal investigation of an incident occurring backstage at AEW - All In London on Sunday, August 27. Following the investigation, the AEW Discipline Committee met and later convened with outside legal counsel before making a unanimous recommendation to Khan that CM Punk be terminated with cause.
Khan offered the following statement: ‘Phil played an important role within AEW, and I thank him for his contributions. The termination of his AEW contracts with cause is ultimately my decision and mine alone. Of course, I wish I didn’t have to share this news, which may come as a disappointment to many of our fans. Nevertheless, I am making the decision in the best interests of the many amazing people who make AEW possible every week - our talent, staff, venue operators, and many others whose efforts are unsung but essential to bringing our fans great shows on television and at arenas and stadiums throughout the world.’
Khan also made an announcement discussing the termination prior to the first episode of AEW Collision after All In: ‘Today I had to make one of the toughest decisions of my professional career. Today, I terminated Phil Brooks, “CM Punk,” for cause. This stems from a backstage incident at AEW All In last Sunday. The incident was regrettable and endangered people backstage. That includes the production staff, the people who help put this show on every week, innocent people who had nothing to do with it.
I’ve been going to wrestling shows for over 30 years. I’ve been producing them on this network for nearly four years. Never in all that time have I ever felt, until last Sunday, that my security, my safety, my life was in danger at a wrestling show. I don’t think anybody should ever feel that way at work. I don’t think the people I work with should feel that way, and I had to make a very difficult choice today.
It came at the recommendation of a discipline committee here in AEW as well as outside legal counsel who delivered a unanimous recommendation. And I have followed up on that recommendation.
I’m sorry to any fans who are upset by this, I’m sorry to anyone who’s upset by this. Despite that, we’re gonna have a great show tonight on Collision, and we’re gonna have a great AEW All Out pay-per-view tomorrow here in Chicago. Last weekend was the greatest weekend in AEW history. This is the greatest week in AEW history. We’re gonna continue the great momentum here tonight on Collision and tomorrow night on All Out pay-per-view.
Fans have already started some rumors saying that Punk is headed back to WWE, but after his last WWE run as well as recently being kicked off property where WWE was doing an event, it doesn’t appear that WWE wants him back.
After multiple incidents in WWE between Paul Levesque (Triple H) and Vince McMahon, and in AEW with the Elite and Jack Perry, pro wrestling doesn’t seem to be in the cards for the straight-edge superstar.
According to Justin Barrasso of SI.com, ‘Sources close to both sides expect a response from Punk, which holds the potential to be explosive.’
The only person who knows what Punk will do next is Punk.