SUMMARY
- CM Punk was fired from AEW after his nasty backstage confrontation with Jack Perry.
- AEW has finally decided to release the footage to generate excitement for their product.
AEW often grabs the headlines because of its controversies. One of its most controversial incidents was the termination of CM Punk’s AEW contract. In that regard, it is worth mentioning that ‘The Best in the World’ was a part of the Tony Khan-led promotion from 2021 to 2023. However, he was terminated from the promotion after a backstage altercation with Jack Perry after the 2023 AEW All-In.
Meanwhile, recently, during an episode of AEW Collision, it was announced that AEW would be airing the footage of a backstage altercation between CM Punk and Jack Perry that resulted in the former’s termination. With that, on the April 10, 2024, episode of AEW Dynamite, the Tony Khan-led promotion aired the footage.
The video, which was soundless, showcased Punk approaching Perry. Thereafter, the two were seen talking to each other, and then suddenly, ‘The Second City Saint’ grabbed Jack in a chokehold. With that, Samoa Joe, Jerry Lynn, Paul Turner, and Chris Hero rushed in to separate them.
AEW reveals footage of backstage altercation between CM Punk and Jack Perry at All In pic.twitter.com/a6tG4eoIFH
— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) April 11, 2024
Later, Malakai Black was seen accompanying Punk as he walked away. Meanwhile many in the pro wrestling world didn’t think that AEW would air the real footage of the fight. With that, the revelation has brought several reactions from fans as well as pro wrestling stars.
Tony Khan’s decision to air the CM Punk-Jack Perry altercation makes no sense at all
The latest episode of AEW Dynamite revealed the backstage altercation between CM Punk and Jack Perry. With that, many fans have been wondering why Tony Khan decided to air the footage on AEW television. In that regard, it is worth mentioning that the AEW President previously opened up about his decision to air the backstage altercation.
During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Khan revealed that he decided to air the footage to drive interest in the Dynamite episode and make fans interested in watching the upcoming pay-per-view event, ‘Dynasty’. However, it seems Khan’s decision makes no sense at all.
Tony Khan stated yesterday that the aim of airing the backstage footage from AEW All In 2023 [between Punk & Perry] was to drive interest for Dynamite & their Dynasty PPV on April 21st.
Was that achieved? pic.twitter.com/d0cyXmI5Mq
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) April 11, 2024
This is because Khan wants to make an upcoming pay-per-view event relevant by bringing up the past. It was an incident that took place way back in 2023, and everyone has moved on since then. In fact, Punk is now a part of the WWE roster. Thus, Tony’s decision to air the controversial footage just to pique the interest of the fans was not justified at all.
The revelation might result in grave consequences for Tony Khan and his promotion
Now that Tony Khan has aired the backstage altercation between Punk and Perry, it might result in grave consequences for Khan and his promotion. Firstly, by showing the backstage incident, Tony has highlighted the lack of management in the promotion. On top of that, the footage raises several questions about Khan’s leadership qualities.
Lastly, while Tony might have aired the footage to take down CM Punk, it has instead backfired on him. This is because fans have been rallying behind The Best in the World since the video came into the spotlight. Previously, Punk had talked about the backstage incident during a conversation with Ariel Helwani, and now it seems the video matches his narrative.
This clip further proves CM Punk was right and he told the truth.
pic.twitter.com/M9oDF0pbBw— Ghost of Madness (@AmbrLeila) April 11, 2024
Thus, instead of turning on the WWE star, fans began supporting him because of his honesty. On the other hand, fans have heavily criticised Tony Khan for his attention-seeking behaviour. With that, it remains to be seen what lies ahead for the Tony Khan-led promotion as we proceed forward.