CM Punk‘s tenure in AEW was sometimes wildly successful, sometimes tumultuous, but it’s now come to an end after two years.
AEW released a statement Saturday announcing that it had “terminated the wrestler and employment agreements between Phillip Brooks (CM Punk) and AEW with cause, effective immediately.” The statement explained that the decision was made following an internal investigation into the backstage altercation between Punk and Jack Perry at AEW All In, after which both men were suspended.
While the AEW Discipline Committee made a unanimous recommendation in favor of Punk’s termination, Khan said the choice to part ways rested ultimately with him in the end.
“Phil played an important role within AEW and I thank him for his contributions,” Khan said in the statement. “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.”
The timing of the announcement is notable because AEW is preparing to hold All Out in Punk’s hometown of Chicago on Sunday night. Considering that the it’s the one place that has treated Punk like a babyface during his current run, it’s likely to be a much more hostile environment for the show in the wake of this news.
Part of the reason crowds in other places had turned on Punk is that this wasn’t his first offense. After a now infamous post-event press conference rant last year at All Out, Punk was part of a brawl with The Elite that led to suspensions for him and others.
He was also injured while performing at that show, taking him our of action for the remainder of 2022 anyway. Punk only made his return on June 17 for the premiere episode of Collision, and now, two and a half months later, he’s done for good.
Though Khan had often spoke in glowing terms of Punk’s contributions to AEW both creatively and to the company’s bottom line, there was always some curiosity about where the line was that would force him to stop supporting Punk. It’s finally been crossed, and a chapter of AEW history that is sure to be dissected repeatedly in the months and years to come has come to a close.