“AEW locker room is SAD & EMBARRASSED over CM Punk situation.” | UPDATE: “CM PUNK PUT MY SAFETY, SECURITY & LIFE IN DANGER! HE’S FIRED!” - TONY KHAN

[Slic Ric]

One of the bucks did not get cracked with a chair

 

[Flex Luger]

I keep seeing Ace Steel was involved. Why though

 

[KFBF]

CM Punk garnered an incredible amount of heat for his comments at the AEW All Out post-show scrum. For the record, Fightful originally reported the Punk-Cabana news this year, and we've never spoken to Kenny Omega or the Young Bucks outside of interviews. The story emerged from talent frustrated, and under the impression that Punk and Cabana's ill will towards one another cost the well-liked Cabana a job he was enjoying. Tony Khan denied that was the reason this past week. Cabana eventually got put on ROH duty. We're told that Cabana had indicated to Khan before Punk's original return that he'd likely not be happy working there if Punk was in the company. CM Punk garnered an incredible amount of heat for his comments at the AEW All Out post-show scrum. Punk ran down his history with Colt Cabana, and targeted Hangman Page and EVPs (Kenny Omega and Young Bucks). Punk said Hangman Page went into business for himself and almost compromised a huge AEW gate, and said the EVPs leaked info. Immediately after the scrum rant, talent had informed Fightful that Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks were extremely pissed off, and one claimed that they were threatening to walk over the comments. Fightful Select but had heard prior that at least one of the Young Bucks had been in contact with talent outside of AEW indicating that many of the rumors heard about Punk and the frustration around him were true. Some media believed The Elite were scheduled for the scrum, but an adjustment was made after Punk's scrum, but that isn't confirmed. Around then, security went around the scrum area in a hurry. We haven't learned if that was related to this situation, but all of this information filtered in at the same time. We're obviously cognizant of a work in this type of situation, but talent that were contacted were under the impression the situation was that of a real one. One way or another, we'll work to learn details and try to confirm. The heat between Punk and Cabana, as well as Punk towards Hangman Page have long been real. Regardless of the situation, Fightful Select has already heard of several talent that are very upset with his comments. We will also work to gain some stances from those who side with him on the matters. We've also been told that some media that wasn't planning on attending the scrum were told that they really should attend it, before all of the drama unfolded. We've since been told that was actually Saturday night. Tony Khan was at the AEW media scrum throughout the entirety of this situation.
By the time the wee hours of the morning happened, there were unconfirmed rumors that CM Punk and Ace Steele and members of the Elite were involved in some sort of confrontation. We've heard varying accounts of how "involved" it was. By the end of the press conference, several talent and media had learned that the incident had happened

 

[KFBF]

A lot of rumors and details about the AEW post-scrum skirmish have emerged.

After CM Punk's AEW scrum where he buried Colt Cabana, Young Bucks, Hangman Page and others, he returned backstage where we're told an altercation occurred. The EVPs (Kenny Omega, Young Bucks) were still in the building and we're told that there were numerous people that had to intervene. That's where the details of the situation get foggy. Wrestling Observer has noted that CM Punk started the issues by swinging at Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks.

Punk's trainer Ace Steel was said to have been involved from most everyone we spoke with. Others noted that Nick Jackson ended up getting "rocked" or knocked out, and leaving him marked up after the fight. That ended up happening as a result of Ace Steel throwing a chair, according to numerous sources. Kenny Omega and Ace Steel were also have said to have "tussled," with Steel allegedly biting Omega and grabbing him by the hair.

"A lot of cursing, a lot of mayhem, and a lot of people not being willing to hash it out," said one person who was familiar with the situation.

We're told at least one of the coaches was "very torn up" about what happened. Right after Punk's scrum ended, a security guard ended up darting backstage. There are several that we've spoken to that think there could be legal ramifications to the situation. There have been reports that Christopher Daniels and Pat Buck were involved in trying to diffuse the situation. There were several people trying to de-escalate the situation.

Eddie Kingston was suspended for two weeks recently for a lightly physical altercation with Sammy Guevara. We've heard of several other physical altercations in AEW that have come to light since these, as well. The first that we had heard about was one between Sadie Gibbs and Bea Priestly at All Out 2019, that Matt Jackson actually helped smooth over. Since then, there have been several more that are being learned about.

Tony Khan was not present for the fight, and was out at the media scrum, not far away. We're told the talent that immediately followed Punk had no idea of what he said or what was going on, either.
EDIT: Typo fixed. Steel was said to have bitten Omega

 

[KFBF]

CM Punk's media scrum caught the attention of EVPs in AEW, but also wrestlers around the industry.

There were numerous WWE talent that reached out to Fightful to get the notes of what all went down, as well as details behind the skirmish at AEW All Out. A top WWE star said that they believe that the CM Punk that they knew years ago is being highlighted.

Another WWE talent said that if it was a work, it was one of the most elaborate works they've ever seen. A third talent said much of the same -- "If this Punk press scrum thing is a work.. bravo." Both had contacted Fightful before Raw and said that they learned individually it wasn't a work, and expressed surprise that it even happened. There was confusion from both of those as to why Tony Khan would not comment in the follow up about Punk bashing the EVPs and not providing clarity regarding the people who launched the company with him.
"You can't expect a lot of people here to have a lot of positive things to say about Punk, and I think he's aware of that and has probably come to peace with it," one talent who worked with Punk in the past said. "I feel like he's trying to run things there, and it looks like he's doing it."

Another longtime main eventer told us that they considered Punk's actions unprofessional, and don't believe he's the company man or leader that he made himself out to be. That same person would call Punk "selfish and arrogant." This sentiment was echoed by several we spoke to, including some talent that worked on set with Punk at FOX.

A WWE official said that they agreed with Tony Khan that wrestlers not liking each other wasn't bad for wrestling, but said that in situations like Punk and the Elite's, that power had to be asserted in order to let everyone know that wasn't tolerable. The same official said that kind of thing didn't happen as often recently in WWE -- except for the likes of Chris Jericho and Brock Lesnar -- because talent knew that if they did that while Vince McMahon was there, they probably weren't going to be welcomed back. With situations where it did happen, like Alberto Del Rio, they were fired.

Another top WWE name told us that if the parties involved don't put their issues aside and make money with it that "none of them have business talking about drawing houses or losing fans or interest. They have a good show but this is still the biggest piece of business they've done and they have to capitalize." The same source pointed to Matt Hardy, Edge, MJF, and Kurt Angle as people who have been willing to do that and accelerated their careers.
We'll have more on this story as we get more info.

 

[Flex Luger]

Grown man out here biting another grown man

 

[KFBF]

We've learned more about the AEW brawl after All Out.
PWInsider has reported that after the scrum, he returned to his locker room, where Young Bucks and Kenny Omega confronted him. We can confirm that Punk and Young Bucks had a physical altercation, but haven't heard the same for Omega. Instead, Omega and Ace Steel were said to have had one, as mentioned earlier.

We're told that "Ace Steel shoot cracked Nick Jackson with a chair," with another person saying they think he's lucky to not be in jail. Several sources in AEW that we spoke with said that they believe Ace Steel will not be back in the company after this incident. PWinsider had also noted Steel's wife was said to have been around, caring for Punk's dog. The story of Nick Jackson having a black eye came from Steel throwing a chair at him.

Security was called and there were "many people" trying to break everything up. One person outright said it was a situation of "them trying to save lives." There was an incredible amount of heat on Ace Steel after this situation, with one person saying they weren't sure what happened, but that "it couldn't have possibly escalated to hitting someone with a chair."

The argument continued with a lot of cursing and shouting until The Elite left the area. We've heard from people who are siding with both, saying that Punk's comments prompted the situation, and others saying the Elite shouldn't have approached Punk while he was clearly pissed off. However, the large majority seem to think that Punk should have expected to have been approached about it.

PWInsider noted how FTR had left the building by then. They posted on Twitter that they were bonding with others in the locker room over a bottle of Woodford Reserve (gifted by Strong Style's Cher Delaware). It would seem like they, as well as many others in the locker room who had long left, would have likely not been in any condition to have a gang warz situation unfold.

Chris Jericho was credited by several that we spoke to for stepping up even more so in a leadership role over the past couple of weeks. Multiple sources cited his calm demeanor at the scrum in the middle of all of the wildness that was going on, and him speaking at the AEW talent meeting recently.
For those asking, we've not heard of any cameras catching things.

 

[KFBF]

Grown man out here biting another grown man

Bunch of losers the whole lot of them.

 

[Toe Jay Simpson]

Breh



One of them got cracked with a steel chair in a real fight?

 

[KFBF]

Breh



One of them got cracked with a steel chair in a real fight?

 

[DoubleJ13]

shyt like this makes me wonder how AJ & Punk are still a thing. For a dude that will drop long time friends at the drop of a hat if he just thinks they've crossed him in some way, him managing to be married is impressive.

 

[Brad Piff]

Breh



One of them got cracked with a steel chair in a real fight?

 

[reserved_one]

If making it to the top of AEW and drawing ratings and PPV buys doesnt mean anything, and only making it to the top of WWE counts, then what the fukk is someone like Punk doing in AEW? Go back to HHH and see how that fares. Hangman Adam Page is probably the very last person on the AEW roster id let walk to WWE given all of the facts at play.

Punk doesn’t want to go back to the WWE though. Punk wants to help build AEW up as a powerhouse and a successful promotion. His ideologies are different than The Elite’s and that’s what it comes down to.

Credit to The Elite for being the building blocks to AEW and help putting it on the map but they’re style & vision is very niche appealing to wrestling snobs and hipsters while Punk’s style & vision is more universal and appealing to casuals.

Punk has the highest rated segments, Bucks & Omega have the lowest.

I guess if your trying to alienate and turn away new fans by only catering to die hard fans then its cool but AEW will be forever stuck in neutral and never reach new heights with them leading the way.

And After watching Hangman for a long period time now…I think he’s overrated. Yeah the booking of his title reign was bad and I put blame on Kahn for that also but he had ample opportunities to turn it around and he couldn’t.

 

[Pull Up the Roots]

 

[KFBF]

then what the fukk is someone like Punk doing in AEW?

Well, I think they're paying him. Probably more than he ever got paid in WWE to do much less.