In what became his final act with the company, AEW fired CM Punk following a backstage incident with Jack Perry at All In. It triggered an eventual return to WWE for the 45-year-old, while AEW suspended Perry, who eventually went to New Japan Pro-Wrestling and has not appeared on AEW programming since (though he’s widely believed to still be under contract to AEW).
The altercation faded from the spotlight upon Punk’s return to WWE, but he revived the discourse on Monday with juicy details regarding that and the controversies that have defined his career.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Punk was asked about the incident with Perry at All In, and he did not hold back on details.
Jack came back from his match. I was the next match. I’m sitting there. I got people with me. I’m not going to say who they are because I got a lot of friends who work there. I wish them all well, and I don’t want them to be punished because they’re friends with me. I walk up to him and I’m just like, Jack, why do you insist on doing this dumb internet s–t on TV, you know? He’s just like, ‘If you got a problem about it, do something about it.’ I was just like, ‘Come on, man. I could f–king kill you. What are we doing?’
Punk also revealed that he told Tony Khan “I quit” after the incident, before his match with Samoa Joe happened.
Sometimes, it’s like, can’t let you get close. You know? I thought I was doing the responsible thing. I didn’t punch anybody. I just choked somebody a little bit. Samoa Joe was there, told me to stop, and then I quit. I turned to Tony, and I said, ‘This place is a f–king joke, man. You’re a clown, I quit.’ I went to my room, and then Joe and Jerry Lynn came and got me, and they’re like, ‘Let’s just go out there and kill it.’ I was just too fired up, and I’m fired up now, and I’m probably gonna regret talking about all this s–t, but that’s what happened.
This suggests that Punk knowingly competed at All In, fully aware that it would be his final match, yet was still allowed to step into the ring and wrestle.
This detail adds another layer to Punk’s tumultuous tenure, and given everything he disclosed to Helwani, there’s still plenty to unpack.
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