C.M. Punk vs. AEW, explained

Photo by Irvin Rivera/Getty Images for IMDb

The beef that’s been brewing for two years has a new chapter.

C.M. Punk and AEW is the toxic relationship that just won’t end. They just can’t quit each other when it comes to taking shots. Now that’s escalated to one of the most surreal events in modern wrestling taking place on Wednesday night, when AEW plans to air publicly-unseen security footage of Punk getting into an altercation with another wrestler.

Is this a cheap attempt at getting ratings with Jerry Springer-esque drama? Absolutely. Is it also a calculated move to damage the public image of Punk? It sure is. Good storylines in wrestling are always about blending the scripted with elements of truth to create a heightened experience — but something like this is was beyond the pale.

Like a car crash, everyone is going to be tuning in to see what the heck this footage actually contains. However, how we reached this point is easily as wild as whatever was captured on camera.

A brief history of the first major piece of C.M. Punk x AEW drama

In September of 2022 AEW held one of its major yearly pay-per-views, All Out in Chicago. Following the event, which was largely hailed as one of the company’s best shows, C.M. Punk slammed the company’s leadership in his post-show press conference, specifically fellow wrestlers Kenny Omega, Matt and Nick Jackson (The Young Bucks) — all of whom are Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs) of AEW.

An incensed Punk took aim at the trio after he felt they had stuck their noses in YET MORE C.M. Punk drama, this time with yet another wrestler, Hangman Adam Page.

“Now, it’s 2022. I haven’t been friends with this guy since at least 2014, late 2013, and the fact that I have to sit up here because we have irresponsible people who call themselves EVPs yet they couldn’t fucking manage a Target and they spread lies and bullshit and put into the media that I got somebody fired when I have fuck all to do with him. I want nothing to do with him. I do not care where he works or where he doesn’t work, where he eats, where he sleeps. The fact that I have to get up here and do this in 2022 is fucking embarrassing.”

After this Omega and the Jacksons confronted Punk in his locker room about his comments. To this day we don’t know for sure what happened, other than the argument turned physical, punches were thrown, and Omega was hit with a chair — for real.

The four wrestlers were suspended as a result of what’s been dubbed “Brawl Out,” and Punk wasn’t seen on TV for almost a year.

The return of C.M. Punk

The nature of the brawl fueled rumors about what was happening in AEW. Was this really a leadership group crumbling? Was Punk tearing the company apart from within? Was this all an elaborate piece of storytelling with the plan always being for Punk to return? The mass suspension coincided with a significant real-life injury Punk sustained, so the door was always cracked open for the possibility this was part of a storyline.

On June 17, 2023 Punk returned on for the debut episode of AEW Collision, the launch of the company’s second live wrestling show. It seemed, at least initially, like the company was going to be able to maintain a tenuous balance. Omega and The Bucks would oversee AEW Dynamite on Wednesdays, while Punk and some hand-picked talent would handle AEW Collision on Saturday.

It was a comedically childish way to separate grown adults, but there was the belief that this could actually work. Until it didn’t.

The infamous “Brawl In”

Punk’s return to AEW was a two-pronged move: Firstly it would built up reasons for fans to watch the company’s second show, but perhaps more importantly it moved the needle for All In 2023. This show, set to take place in London’s Wembley Stadium, would be the largest in this history of AEW — and the company was desperate to set an attendance record. Punk would be a key part of this.

It’s here things went off the rails. In the lead up to All In a young wrestler and future cornerstone of the company, Jack Perry had asked to do a spot on AEW Collision with to build to his All In match that involved him sitting in a car and having the window smashed out by a pipe. Punk vetoed the spot, calling it stupid and reckless, with news of this leaking to wrestling outlets.

Then, in London during his match, Perry knocked on the windshield of a car on the set and said into the camera “You know what this is? Real glass! Go cry me a river.” It was a clear and obvious shot at Punk, though the intention is largely unknown.

The impetus behind Perry’s actions is still unknown. Some believe he genuinely had issues with Punk, while it’s also been suggested he simply intended the comments to be a way of blurring fiction and reality — without the intention of actually going after Punk.

Either way, C.M. Punk was incensed, feeling like he was disrespected by a much younger wrestler who didn’t have the right to make fun of him. A confrontation erupted between the two backstage, with rumors ranging from the MMA-trained Punk putting Perry in a chokehold, to punches being thrown. Still, not much is known of what happened in the incident.

Punk would then compete in his match, before immediately leaving the arena without speaking to AEW leadership. It was later announced that Punk’s contract was being terminated, while Perry would be put on indefinite suspension.

In late 2023 Punk returned to WWE with no mention of his time in AEW — even if fans knew.

Perry turns up in Japan

This is a small footnote, but needed because it’s likely one of the reasons for the incident this week. Jack Perry appeared in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) a few months after “Brawl In,” sporting a newly-grown scraggly beard and wearing an armband that read “SCAPEGOAT.”

A new, edgier Perry character centered on being an outcast from AEW and claimed he was being thrown under the bus by the company. Despite fan speculation to the contrary, it’s abundantly clear this was a planned and approved story element from AEW, and working with NJPW was a way to give him some time overseas to work on his new persona.

WrestleMania week

When it comes to WrestleMania the event isn’t a monolith. The entire week leading up to the show is an all-out blitz of talent doing media appearances, giving interviews, and generally serving as brand ambassadors for WWE.

As part of this C.M. Punk made an appearance on The MMA Hour with our own Ariel Helwani* for an almost two-hour interview about his time in WWE so far and the bad feeling with AEW.

Punk asserted that AEW “isn’t a real business,” insinuating that the people in charge don’t know how to run a company — and presents his own version of events from the run-in in London.

After hearing Perry’s comments Punk says he went to AEW owner Tony Khan and asked him to “handle this,” pleading him to “be a boss” in Punk’s words — asserting that if Khan didn’t handle it, he would, and people wouldn’t like he how handled it.

According to Punk nothing was done, so Perry approached him at which time he said “why do you insist on doing this internet shit?” to which Perry replied “do something about it.” From there Punk said he “didn’t punch anybody, I just choked somebody a little bit.” Punk then claims it was broken up by Samoa Joe, at which point he turned to Tony and quit on the spot.

After some more details of the night Punk characterized that AEW’s explanation of events was an attempt to slander him and ruin his character.

*MMA Fighting is a subsidiary of SB Nation, and Helwani is an employee of this company.

AEW goes on the attack

Just 24 hours after Punk’s interview on The MMA Hour, AEW rallied the troops and decided to respond. It began on AEW Dynamite with Adam Copeland (fka Edge), opening the show with an impassioned speech about the company and his appreciation of the leadership behind the scenes.

It was a clear, and pointed response to Punk — and then news dropped of something much bigger, much wilder, and absolutely unheard of.

The announcement was made that on Wednesday The Young Bucks would air the security camera footage of the incident between Punk and Perry in London, and discuss the decision making behind it. The knee-jerk reaction was to assume this would be fake, but it has been confirmed by numerous sources that this will indeed be footage of the backstage incident.

Why is AEW doing this?

The simple answer is that they want to pop the ratings. Wrestling is, after all, largely a carnival business designed around promoting moments — and this is a big one. However, there’s also a very big element of vindictiveness. Obviously AEW wouldn’t release this footage if they believe it confirms Punk’s version of events. There is something inside the video they believe will make Punk look bad, or at the very least present him as a liar.

Nobody knows what’s in that video, but this kind of real-life drama being aired on TV is unlike anything we’ve seen in wrestling in over 20 years since the self-destruction of WCW. Whether you think this is a good decision or not is immaterial, everyone is going to be watching.

That’s the goal of this.