Tag: CM Punk

Why the pro wrestling world is buzzing about CM Punk backstage AEW footage, explained

Not even everyone in AEW knows what kind of footage from All In is being shown or what it will reveal.

CM Punk hasn’t been part of AEW for a while, having been fired last fall and made his return to WWE a few months later. But his time there is still very much lingering in ways that will come to a head on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

While the attention of pretty much every pro wrestling fan was on WrestleMania 40 this weekend, AEW announced during AEW Collision — which aired after the men’s college basketball tournament games Saturday, and thus was broadcast late at night — that it would air backstage footage from last year’s All In pay-per-view, and the Young Bucks (who are also AEW EVPs) would discuss it for the first time.

It’s a move that has both fascinated and divided the pro wrestling world, and if you’re wondering how we got here and why this is happening, here’s an overview.

What exactly happened at All In?

All In London was the biggest event in AEW history, in front of one of the largest crowds ever to watch a wrestling show. It was held in London’s Wembley Stadium and should have been the kind of victory lap that few No. 2 wrestling promotions have ever been able to take.

And while it was a success by many measures, it was somewhat marred by an altercation between Punk and Jack Perry. The causes behind it would take too long to go through here, but the short version is that Perry said something live on the PPV that was a shot at Punk, who confronted him about it backstage. Their argument turned physical and both men were suspended.

A few days later, Punk was fired, with AEW CEO, GM and head of creative Tony Khan claiming that he feared for his safety and the safety of other AEW employees.

Why is an incident from August 2023 relevant again now?

It’s mostly because Punk made it that way. On the Monday of WrestleMania week, Punk appeared as a guest on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani and talked extensively about his side of the All In situation for the first time.

He claims he did indeed confront Perry, who challenged him to do something about it. Punk says he did put Perry in a chokehold but didn’t threaten or endanger Khan. In addition, he claimed he told Khan he was quitting AEW and had to be convinced by Jerry Lynn and Samoa Joe to come out of his dressing room to wrestle Joe, which he did end up doing.

What kind of footage does AEW have from All In?

That’s uncertain, and it’s possible only a limited number of people know (including Khan and the Bucks). It could be security camera footage, other performers might have captured the fracas with cellphones, or some combination of the two.

AEW announcer and senior producer Tony Schiavone has stated even he doesn’t know what kind of footage it is, saying “I have no idea where we’re going.”

Is there a chance that this is all part of an angle?

This is a logical question any time something like this happens in pro wrestling, but every indication is that it’s legit. Well-connected wrestling news outlets like Fightful have reported that the footage will be real, and Khan and the Bucks have insisted the same. The expectation is that viewers will see behind the curtain at All In during Dynamite tonight.

An even better question is whether the video will be turned into part of an angle, and while that remains to be seen, it feels very possible. A popular theory is that it will be used to help Perry return as a high profile villain; he hasn’t appeared on AEW TV since All In and has been appearing most recently in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The Bucks are also heels right now and their involvement in this, as opposed to Khan just presenting the footage himself, has raised some eyebrows.

What is AEW hoping to gain from showing the CM Punk-Jack Perry footage?

In the short term, it’s hoping that this will pump up the ratings for Dynamite, which have been soft, and promote interest in its upcoming Dynasty pay-per-view on April 21. Khan spoke with SI’s Justin Barrasso this week and was very transparent on that front.

The longer term benefit is harder to parse. It’s possible that the footage will make Punk look like he lied on Helwani’s show, especially if it appears he was the instigator and/or did threaten Khan or others.

Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t seem like it would really hurt Punk or WWE. Wrestling fans in general are mostly settled into pro- or anti-Punk camps by this point, and it’s unclear how many hearts and minds could be changed even if Punk comes off looking like a raving assailant. WWE is also so hot at the moment that dinging the image of one of its stars (and Punk has been out with injury for months now anyway) isn’t going to slow it down.

There’s certainly a benefit in the sphere of public opinion if AEW is proven that its side of events was what really went down, a matter of trust that could potentially pay off even if it doesn’t have a large effect on the bottom line. And maybe some people who are curious about the footage enjoy the rest of Dynamite and decide to watch more AEW going forward.

Expect to see a lot of discussion and debate about what was shown and whether AEW was smart to show it after tonight’s Dynamite, which airs at 8 p.m. ET on TBS.

Raw After WrestleMania results 04/08/24: New era includes Rock mystery, Cena cameo, same CM Punk

The Raw After Mania didn’t disappoint, though Drew McIntyre might have his head explode thanks to CM Punk.

When WWE Raw rolls into the Wells Fargo Center tonight, it’s going to help turn the page from whatever we just came out of to what Cody Rhodes has dubbed the Renaissance Era. That’s a fine name for it since professional wrestling is back and sports entertainment seems to be fading away like a bad dream once you’ve been awake for 15 minutes.

Also, now that Rhodes is the new champion, he can call it any damn thing he wants.

Last year’s Raw After WrestleMania was famously a big letdown, feeling like any other Raw in mid-June rather than a show that would chart the course for exciting new things ahead. The blame was laid squarely at the feet of Vince McMahon, who apparently did the opposite of saying “perfect, no notes” and concocted a whole new show on the fly. And not a great one.

In contrast, even with Triple H already very much putting his stamp on WWE with WrestleMania 40, you can imagine he’ll want to keep the excitement going with a compelling show tonight in Philly. We already know the first hour is commercial-free, which WWE can no doubt afford to do after the massive WrestleMania gate and the extra sponsorships it showed off compared to years past.

There have been some more hints put out about surprises and such for tonight, but we can’t tell you what they are because Adam Pearce has us blocked on X. We’re not even sure what we did, but we’re all of a sudden big Nick Aldis fans now.

(Just kidding, Scrap Daddy, we still love you even if you don’t feel the same.)

In any case, we’re looking forward to this new era kicking off, so let’s do exactly that.

WWE Raw After Mania results from Philadelphia:

(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)

  • Triple H and Cody Rhodes kick off the new era, but The Rock says he’ll come for Cody eventually
  • Newly crowned champs Damian Priest and Sami Zayn are shown entering the arena
  • Ilja Dragunov def Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall
  • A video package shows how Drew McIntyre won, then quickly lost the World Heavyweight Championship, and McIntyre is shown heading into the arena earlier today
  • The Judgment Day has more singles gold but no tag team titles … and still has an R-Truth problem
  • The Awesome Truth and John Cena def. The Judgment Day by pinfall
  • Bronson Reed cuts a promo before he’s part of a four-way No. 1 contenders match, and there’s an unusual test pattern in the background on a monitor …
  • Rhea Ripley tells Dominik Mysterio he needs to handle Andrade betraying him but gets attacked out of nowhere by Liv Morgan
  • Roxanne Perez def. Indi Hartwell by pinfall
  • Sami Zayn and Jey Uso still remember their special handshake, apparently
  • Natalya and Perez bump into each other backstage and say they’ll see each other on NXT
  • Sami Zayn is now a champion but Imperium isn’t quite done with him
  • A promo video airs for the impending return of Sheamus

  • Sami Zayn and Chad Gable def. Imperium as Gable pins Vinci
  • Jey Uso cuts his own promo before the main event
  • The three general managers discuss putting their differences aside for the sake of the product, but they get a visit from Chelsea Green, upset about being left out of WrestleMania; she’s happy when she learns she has a match, but the laughs by the GMs suggest she may not be thrilled about her opponent
  • Jade Cargill def. Chelsea Green by pinfall in a matter of seconds
  • Zayn finds Gable and says he knows what Chad wants as a favor: a shot at the Intercontinental Championship; next week in Montreal, it’s on, and Gable says he can’t wait
  • Drew McIntyre says “what happened last night was complete and utter BS,” noting his moment lasted only five minutes and 46 seconds; he thanks Seth Rollins but “that bondage Undertaker” screwed it all up and also says it’s on sight with CM Punk
  • Jey Uso wins a Fatal Four-Way No. 1 Contenders Match, earning a World Heavyweight Championship shot after CM Punk prevents McIntyre from winning

Cody Rhodes finished one story, but The Rock makes it clear another one is just starting

Both “Triple H” and “thank you Hunter” chants greet the CCO as he takes the ring. “Here’s the thing, I came out here to thank you,” he says, noting that by every metric it was the biggest WrestleMania ever.

He had the privilege of welcoming everyone to Mania and now has the privilege of welcoming everyone to Raw. It’s time to welcome the man who will lead us into a new era, which of course is Cody Rhodes. The new Undisputed WWE Champion shakes hands with Triple H before holding his title aloft to multiple sides of the ring.

A big “you deserve it” chant greets Rhodes, after which Triple H congratulates him while also giving Roman Reigns some props for his title reign.

The CCO mentions it’s a gate record for an arena show tonight, and he also shows off a video tribute to Cody set to “Rise Up” (albeit on smaller monitors since the large Tron isn’t in the Wells Fargo Center to squeeze more people in). It brings Rhodes to tears, and he hugs Triple H, who departs afterward.

Cody kneels down and kisses his title belt before getting to his “What do you want to talk about?” catchphrase. Rhodes turns to Samantha Irvin, asking her to announce him again as the new Undisputed WWE Champion, and she happily obliges.

He tells the fans that together, they are standing on top of the mountain, and he acknowledges the 1,316-day run for Reigns, wondering if he’s the most important superstar of our generation. The fans start a “thank you Roman” chant in response.

Rhodes discusses the “why” and shows a clip of his daughter imploring him to finish the story. He says he wants her to know that when he goes to work, he does so in the main event and as champion. Cody ponders the new experience of having the line be for him, but as he gets to the undisputed bit, he’s interrupted by The Rock.

There are some boos for the Final Boss but a “Rocky” chant as well. Ah, but then the trolling arrives in the form of an “Undertaker” chant, and it’s hard for The Rock to start talking as he gets booed when he tries.

The Rock finally says he came out to give flowers but also to insult Philadelphia for breaking the record for the largest gathering of trailer park trash. Both men then take turns holding up their titles for the crowd. Oh yeah, The Rock as The People’s Championship, remember?

Ignoring the fans, The Rock congratulates Rhodes for beating Reigns and says his mom and late dad were proud of him. He talks about the two belts and then asks if there’s any way The Rock can hold “that title.”

Rhodes says yes, if they can swap. Rock says it feels right and thanks Cody for allowing him to do it. The fans start a “this is awkward” chant while they hold each other’s championships.

The Rock confirms that “he has to go away for a little while now,” which he doesn’t want to do since he and Cody made it cool again. When he comes back, though, The Rock is coming for Rhodes whether he’s champion or not.

“I’m looking forward to it,” replies Cody. The Rock reminds Rhodes that while Cody beat Roman, but the previous night, Rock beat Cody. Rhodes’ story with Reigns might be over, but their story has just begun.

Rhodes says that while The Rock is the Final Boss, he’s the champion, the champion of the fans, and that means he’s The Rock’s champion. The Rock says he has something to give Cody before he rides off into the sunset, and he insists Rhodes doesn’t even have to open his hand to know what it is.

“Don’t you ever break my heart again,” The Rock says before departing. And Rhodes suddenly looks shook.

New gold in The Judgment Day hasn’t solved their R-Truth problem

Finn Balor taunts the doubters, and Rhea Ripley says they have some business to attend to. First, though, they bring out the new World Heavyweight Champion, Damian Priest.

The celebration doesn’t last long before it’s crashed by R-Truth, who says he’s brought the tag team titles back to The Judgment Day. It sounds like he’s about to advocate for The Miz joining, but The A-Lister instead joins them in the ring to try to explain to his partner that neither of them are in the group.

Balor is unamused, vowing that the Awesome Truth is going to have the shortest title reign ever. Finn challenges them to put the titles on the line right here, right now, but R-Truth says they can’t because there are only three of us.

He’s not talking about Little Jimmy, but rather “the guy you can’t see.” JD McDonagh happily accepts, then The Judgment Day starts beating Truth down before he can reveal their partner.

“The man you can’t see” helps Awesome Truth defeat The Judgment Day

Well this is a handicap match to start, but we’ll see if it stays that way. Does R-Truth have a real live person to partner with them? They might not need one the way they’re performing early on.

The momentum for the new Rag Tag Team Champions seems to be fading during a picture-in-picture segment, but reinforcements arrive in the form of John Cena. He quickly tags in and hits some offense, and all three men pull off the “15 Knuckle Shuffle” and simultaneous Attitude Adjustments to get the win.

Sami Zayn hasn’t quite freed himself from Imperium

Yet another new champ and another “you deserve it” chant. Zayn says he really wanted to do something historic this year at WrestleMania, and he did it by defeating the best Intercontinental Champion of all time.

With the fans singing again, Sami says they all helped him with their belief. Same with his wife and kid, and his friend Kevin Owens. One other person helped him too, but before he can get to that, he’s interrupted by Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.

Kaiser says Gunther spent two years putting all his hard work into elevating the IC title, and it breaks his heart to see “somebody like you” holding that championship right now. Imperium heads toward the ring but thinks better of it when Chad Gable joins Sami in the ring.

CM Punk screws Drew McIntyre, Jey Uso wins a title shot

A strong case could be made for any of these four gentlemen, though you’d assume either Jey to keep the face-heel dynamic intact or Drew to seek revenge for the MITB cash-in.

Oh yeah, no DQs in a match like this, so sure, table in the corner, why not? It’s unfortunate for Jey as Reed powerslams him through it.

One thing the fans enjoy is Reed and McIntyre exchanging chops in the finest big meaty men tradition. Reed ends up eating a bunch of superkicks until he’s speared by Uso, and McIntyre hustles to break up the pin.

Reed recovers quickly and nearly pins Ricochet, then McIntyre prevents him from launching into a Tsunami. Reed clears off the Spanish announce table (even though they aren’t there), but he’s the one who ends up on it, and Ricochet hits him with a springboard 450 splash to put him through it.

With McIntyre looking for a win, he’s suddenly grabbed by CM Punk, and Uso takes advantage with a spear and an Uso Splash to win it.

Damian Priest cashes in MITB after Drew McIntyre def. Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40: Best photos

Check out these photos from Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins, which saw Damian Priest cash in his Money In the Bank briefcase.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Damian Priest[/autotag]’s successful Money In The Bank cash-in after [autotag]Drew McIntyre[/autotag] def. [autotag]Seth Rollins[/autotag] for the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. (Photos by Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports, Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

WWE Money in the Bank winners — Every briefcase winner and how they fared when cashing in

Check out the complete history of WWE Money in the Bank winners, including every briefcase winner and how they fared when cashing in.

Originally the brainchild of Chris Jericho, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match has gone from being an entertaining gimmick match to one of the most anticipated subplots of any WWE calendar year. It’s changed and expanded to multiple brands and the women’s division, and become the focus of its own event, joining the likes of WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam as one of the most important that WWE puts on.

At its core, however, is a simple and compelling idea: Whoever outfights and outwits a group of hungry competitors and grabs the namesake briefcase has a guaranteed title shot they can use any time, any place, for one year. It’s the WWE’s equivalent of a golden ticket, and the anticipation for when a briefcase might get cashed in has become drama in its own right.

As Money in the Bank has risen in prominence, its history has grown as well. Let’s take a look at a complete history of WWE Money in the Bank winners, including how the winners fared when they eventually cashed in their contracts.

Last updated on April 7, 2024.

WrestleMania 40 Night 2 results: Cody Rhodes gets the help he needs to defeat Roman Reigns

See how WrestleMania 40 came to its conclusion with all the results from Night 2.

When last we saw Cody Rhodes, he was looking glum. And why not? He and Seth Rollins had just lost the most significant tag team match in WrestleMania history, one that made the likelihood of Rhodes never hearing the phrase “finish the story” again that much more unlikely.

But that was Saturday and this is Sunday, and there’s still hope that Rhodes can regain control of his narrative in the main event of WrestleMania Night 2 in Philadelphia. He’ll have to overcome Roman Reigns despite the match being contested under Bloodline Rules, which means The Rock, fresh off scoring the pinfall on Night 1, is virtually guaranteed to get involved.

Fighting back will probably mean getting some help, whether it’s from the likes of Jey Uso and Sami Zayn or WWE legends who have a bone to pick with Reigns and The Rock. There’s also a chance Reigns may have an ace up his sleeve, but however it plays out, it should be wild and entertaining.

It might not be as enjoyable for Rollins, seeing as he has to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against a very locked in Drew McIntyre. Will the Scottish Warrior win the title he craves and be able to let the world know his way was the right way?

Another emotional high point should be the WWE Women’s Championship match between IYO SKY and Bayley. While fans are heavily invested in Cody’s journey, they’ve become quite attached to Bayley’s narrative as well. It’s hard to not relate to people you thought you could trust stabbing you in the back, and while that’s standard pro wrestling fare at this point, it’s become especially poignant in the case of Damage CTRL.

We’re ready with people in the press box at the Linc, in the crowd and watching at home, so let’s do this.

WrestleMania 40 Night 2 results from Philadelphia:

(please tap or click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Damage CTRL and Bayley are shown entering the stadium earlier today
  • The War and Treaty sing “America the Beautiful” to kick things off
  • Stephanie McMahon is introduced, putting over the specialness of WrestleMania, touting the work of Triple H and generally getting the fans excited
  • Drew McIntyre def. Seth Rollins by pinfall to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, but …
  • … while McIntyre is mocking CM Punk on commentary, Punk removes his arm brace and smashes him with it; Damian Priest runs down, hits McIntyre with his briefcase and cashes in his MITB briefcase, then hits the South of Heaven and pins McIntyre to become the new World Heavyweight Champion
  • Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits def. The Final Testament by pinfall in a Six-Man Tag Team Philadelphia Street Fight, with Snoop Dogg on commentary and Bubba Ray Dudley as special guest referee
  • Logan Paul is shown doing push-ups in his locker room; we then see a highlight package of the Night 1 main event
  • Paul Heyman tells Kayla Braxton that Bloodline Rules means no DQ, no count-outs and there has to be a definitive finish, but also suggests it’s really whatever Roman Reigns, The Rock and Heyman decide they are
  • LA Knight is shown pulling up to the ring in the Slim Jim car; he then hands the keys to the car to the sweepstakes winner by ringside
  • LA Knight def. AJ Styles by pinfall
  • Logan Paul def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton by pinning Orton to retain the WWE United States Championship
  • Bayley def. IYO SKY by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Champion
  • Snoop Dogg and the Philadelphia Eagles reveal the announced attendance: 72,755 for Night 2 and 145,298 total for the two nights
  • Cody Rhodes def. Roman Reigns by pinfall in a Bloodline Rules match to become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, in a match that also involved both Usos, Solo Sikoa, John Cena, The Rock, “Shield era” Seth Rollins and The Undertaker
  • Rhodes celebrates in the ring after his victory with Brandi, his mom and many of the faces, including Cena, Zayn, Owens, Orton, Knight, Jey Uso and more …
  • … Cody gets on the mic and says he’s surrounded by greatness but wants to thank both Bruce Prichard and Triple H

Cody Rhodes responds to CM Punk’s AEW criticism

Cody Rhodes said he didn’t share CM Punk’s “assessment” of AEW and repeated how proud he was to help build it.

While not on the WrestleMania 40 card, CM Punk became the talk of pro wrestling this week after making a variety of comments on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani about his time in AEW. Nothing was off limits except for the “Brawl Out” NDA he signed. The discussion dove into various topics, including what happened with Jack Perry at All In, Adam Page’s unscripted promo about Punk in 2022, and his desire to depart AEW before his return in June 2023.

Perhaps the harshest comments took aim at Tony Khan and AEW’s management. Punk described AEW as “not a real business” and criticized Khan, stating he’s a nice guy but “not a boss.”

On Wednesday, Cody Rhodes became the next WWE superstar to appear on The MMA Hour and promote WrestleMania. Naturally, Punk’s comments about AEW were brought up. Rhodes didn’t address the Straight Edge Superstar’s opinion of the company directly, but he discussed the pride in what he accomplished there.

That’s his assessment. It is not my assessment. It’s always important for me to remind people that I am so proud of what me, Matt, Nick, Kenny, Tony, Bernie, Brandi, Dana, and Chris, and I name all these people because I was in those meetings. As much as the internet will spin a narrative one way, if one of those people had not been at that startup level, the company would not have happened.

It’s not my assessment. In my time there, the infrastructure was just being built up. We were trying new things, and doing things. It was a startup company, a big-time startup company but a startup company and I wish them nothing but the best.

Helwani also asked Rhodes about Punk’s beef with The Elite, which he attributed to “a ton of misunderstanding, a ton of miscommunication.”

I just think what happened there was a ton of misunderstanding, a ton of miscommunication.

I love Matt, Nick, and Kenny and I love CM Punk. I don’t know how, but I do. I’m just happy for everyone involved. I just think it was a ships in the night thing. I wasn’t there, though.

Rhodes offered the most diplomatic responses possible when tackling these situations. While not non-answers, he addressed these topics and gave some semblance of substance. This story has enough fuel, especially after Adam Copeland’s reference to it on Dynamite, so Rhodes not igniting the fire further is for the best.

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CM Punk recalls Hangman Adam Page’s off-script promo: ‘Why would you do this?’

CM Punk discussed Hangman Adam Page’s infamous off-script promo on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.

Before CM Punk‘s conflict at All In, which ultimately led to his departure from AEW, there was his beef with The Elite from All Out 2022, where the infamous “Brawl Out” altercation occurred backstage. Tensions had been brewing before that between Punk and Hangman Adam Page, highlighted by Page’s infamous “workers’ rights” promo on Dynamite.

Punk has been hesitant to discuss his time with AEW or any of the controversial subjects associated with him. However, during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, one of the topics discussed was the events between Punk and Page during the summer of 2022. And just like the rest of the interview, the Straight Edge Superstar did not hold back.

When asked about Page allegedly going off script and upsetting Punk — and whether that was the first time he felt his reputation was being slandered — Punk explained exactly why he took offense to what went down. Most of it, he says, was due to Page agreeing to do things a certain way when they interacted, then deviating from that plan without warning.

“But I sat down with [Page], and I was very gracious,” Punk said. “We hammered out this promo. He goes on live TV and does not say any of the s–t we talked about. I can’t hear him because the crowd’s so loud. I’m looking at him and I have to really pay attention to what he’s saying because my responses matter. I can’t just say what I have planned because it won’t match what he’s saying to me. And he’s saying some s–t. I don’t know what he’s talking about. And I’m just like, man, why would you do this? TV is very expensive. Every minute is hundreds of thousands of dollars between production, etc. And you’re just s–ting on me and the business. Why would you do this? I knew the promo ended with him punching me and I had to double-leg him.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I was professional,” Punk added. “Afterward, I spoke to him and asked why he did that. He thinks I got one of his friends, who hasn’t been fired, fired. I went to Tony [Khan] and the lawyer and said you need to fix that, because if I do, you won’t like how I fix it.”

It’s safe to say the situation was never resolved, considering the altercation, the NDA that locked details of what happened, and the subsequent separation of everyone involved when Punk returned to AEW in June 2023. And though this incident is long in the distance, it’s still interesting to see the curtain pulled back on a notorious time in the company’s short history.

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CM Punk gives blunt criticism of Tony Khan: ‘He’s not a boss’

CM Punk critiqued how AEW operates itself and Tony Khan’s role as a boss in an interview with The MMA Hour.

Whenever CM Punk steps in front of a microphone, whether it’s inside the ring or out for AEW or WWE, it tends to grab attention. He’s managed to make waves despite limited media appearances, giving fans a glimpse into the mind of this controversial talent.

On Monday, Punk gave a rare interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, which lasted nearly two hours and touched on sensitive topics regarding his time in AEW. From Jack Perry to subtle nods at “Brawl Out,” nothing was off-limits, including a candid conversation about AEW CEO, GM and head of creative Tony Khan.

Following the discussion about Khan’s involvement in the All In 2023 incident with Perry, Helwani asked Punk to share his thoughts on working for AEW’s boss, leading to a blunt assessment from the 45-year-old.

“He’s not a boss, he’s a nice guy,” Punk said. “Ultimately, that’s a detriment to the company, but it’s not my company. I’m an outsider. I thought I was brought in to sell merchandise and tickets and draw numbers for pay-per-view and stuff, and I clearly did that. But that’s not what the place was about and some people didn’t like that.”

Expanding further, Punk said he thought he joined AEW to help their business, but felt it was for other reasons. He then labeled AEW as “not a real business,” attributing this to their focus on “having good matches.”

“I thought I was coming in to help business,” Punk said. “If I could teach something, great, and I think I was just brought in for other reasons, you know? Their business, and I know a lot of people are going to be upset, is just not predicated … it’s not a real business. It’s not about selling tickets. It’s not about drawing money. It’s not about making money. It’s just not. I don’t know. I think having good matches, maybe? And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Punk’s two harsh assessments of AEW are bound to fuel discussions among fans, marking yet another mic drop moment from the outspoken wrestler. And while AEW has faced its fair share of criticism in recent years, these latest remarks only intensify the scrutiny on how they operate behind the scenes.

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CM Punk has ‘no regrets’ competing in UFC but admits, ‘What the f*ck was I thinking?’

CM Punk reflects on the surreal moment of fighting in the UFC.

When [autotag]CM Punk[/autotag] reflects on the surreal moment of fighting in the UFC, he feels a mix of satisfaction and bewilderment.

The former WWE champion and pro wrestling star made his octagon debut with no MMA experience in 2016. Punk started training in early 2015 with Duke Roufus, who coached the likes of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and top welterweight contender Belal Muhammad.

Although Punk’s short stint in the UFC didn’t go well – a quick submission loss to Mickey Gall followed by a lackluster unanimous decision loss to Mike Jackson that was later overturned when Jackson tested positive for marijuana – he’s happy to have taken the chance.

“I asked my wife the other day, because I said something, I was just like, ‘Yeah, what was I, like, 35 when I fought?’ And she was just like, ‘Oh no, you were like 36 or 37,'” Punk said on “The MMA Hour.” “And I just went, ‘What the f*ck was I thinking?’ I’m glad I did it. Zero regrets. I shouldn’t have fought in Chicago, because they were like the worst two weeks of my life. Easily the worst two weeks of my life. I couldn’t cut weight properly, you know, but I still made weight.

“I’m proud of myself for that. But, yeah, I’m an ambitious guy. …But I get it, like it’s easy to ‘LOL,’ make fun of me. You know what I mean? And some people look at that and be like, ‘Oh, that’s embarrassing.’ Like I suck. I made the weight, I made the walk, I’m 100 percent proud of myself, and I would do it again because that was me at my absolute worst, and I did it. I’m tenacious. I’m tough if I’m not. If you want to call me a loser, that’s cool. But I was stoked I got that opportunity, and I was stoked I did it.”

Punk was 37 when he fought Gall and 39 when he fought Jackson at UFC 225 in his hometown of Chicago. Heading into his fight with Jackson, Punk was in the midst of a defamation lawsuit filed by a WWE doctor against him and pro wrestler Colt Cabana, in which he found himself in the courtroom. He pleaded not guilty just days before he made the walk against Jackson and won the case.

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CM Punk says wrestlers reveal too much on social media: ‘It hurts us as performers’

CM Punk thinks wrestlers who tell too much on social media hurts other performers.

Over the past decade, social media has become deeply intertwined with the world of professional wrestling, occasionally serving as a tool to advance storylines. But wrestling talent and companies mostly use it to promote shows and match highlights.

Many wrestlers use social media platforms, connecting with fans and promoting their work. This accessibility also fosters a range of interactions, from positive engagements to toxic exchanges, between fans and talent. Social media can also blur the lines between real life and kayfabe, an uncertainty that can bleed into the pro wrestling programming.

This has irked CM Punk, formally an active member of Twitter. He told Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour that excessive sharing on these platforms can be detrimental to performers, as it potentially reveals too much about themselves.

“We give away so much and a lot of the times it hurts us as performers, as pro wrestlers,” Punk said. “Like, we are giving away too much. It is almost like I wanted everyone to believe all of the bulls–t and the lies about me. It helps me make more money. It helps me draw more money. I just want all those people, like if you are going to believe all of that wild, crazy, bulls–t. believe it, and then just leave me the f–k alone. But that is the thing, they can never just leave me alone.”

Not acknowledging anything lets the social media speculation swirl, but also risks false narratives developing. Punk seems fine with letting this run wild, only posting cryptic Instagram stories to sometimes acknowledge talk about him.

Days like today, however, leave no room for speculation among fans. Punk’s words were definitive and explicit, sparing no detail. While he may still not be left alone, he has undoubtedly answered lingering questions about the last 10 months of his career.

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