Is CM Punk unhappy with Hangman Adam Page and with AEW in general? A new report hints that both of those things might be true.
The AEW World Champion has been out of action following a foot injury earlier this year, but returned on the Aug. 10 episode of Dynamite to help prevent the Jericho Appreciation Society from running amok at the end of the show. AEW heavily promoted Punk’s appearance on this week’s episode, and he came out to open the broadcast.
His overall promo, which included some sharp barbs at and an eventual physical confrontation with interim champ Jon Moxley, was well received. But prior to that, he singled out Page and called him a coward for not responding.
One problem: Page wasn’t there. It made for an awkward start to the segment, and Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported that it was completely unplanned.
Fightful Select has followed up by talking to locker room sources who speculated that Punk’s callout was payback from comments Page made during a promo leading up to their match at Double or Nothing.
The belief among several on the roster we spoke to was that Punk believed Hangman went into business for himself leading into their Double or Nothing match, and that Punk may have seen the August 17 promo as a “receipt.”
But Punk’s unhappiness may go beyond Page to AEW as a whole. Fightful Select’s report includes sources close to the wrestler saying they felt “he might end up quitting the company” because of his displeasure, and that “he might have almost decided to stay home instead of coming to the August 17 Dynamite.”
If Punk has been at the center of any ongoing discontent, it hasn’t been apparent from the person in charge of AEW. CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan has consistently spoken highly about what Punk has meant to the company’s success, particularly during a period of time when some of AEW’s original top stars, including Kenny Omega (who made his own return on this week’s Dynamite), were unavailable.
Another twist to this saga got added later in this week’s Dynamite, when AEW announced that the title unification bout between Punk and Moxley will take place next week, on the Aug. 24 edition of Dynamite. It was originally slated for All Out, the company’s next pay-per-view on Sept. 4, which will take place just outside Punk’s hometown of Chicago.
The apparently late pivot to hold that match so quickly could just be AEW using its most high profile program to give Dynamite a boost, but it could just as easily be a warning sign that there is uncertainty around Punk’s future with the company. If nothing else, it’s made the upcoming show a must-watch episode that will either answer some questions or raise new ones.
