All Elite Wrestling fires star CM Punk for cause

All Elite Wrestling announced on Saturday that they have fired star CM Punk for cause after AEW investigated an incident during their “All In” pay-per-view show last Sunday at Wembley Stadium in London.

Punk and fellow AEW wrestler Jack Perry, the son of the late actor Luke Perry, reportedly got into a physical altercation backstage at the pay-per-view event.

AEW’s statement, posted to X (formerly Twitter), states that Punk’s wrestling and work contracts have both been terminated.

“Following the investigation, AEW’s Disciplinary Committee met and subsequently convened outside legal counsel before making a unanimous recommendation to [AEW owner Tony] Khan that CM Punk be terminated for cause,” the AEW statement read.

Khan, CEO, Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer of AEW, said in a statement that he “would not like to have to share this news”, but that he made the decision “in the best interest of many people. extraordinary things that make AEW possible every day.” week.”

AEW is set to air a pay-per-view show, “All Out,” on Sunday at the United Center in Chicago, the day after its weekly Saturday “Collision” TV show at the same building.

Punk, real name Phil Brooks, is originally from Chicago and a major star in the city.

“Phil has played an important role within AEW and I thank him for his contributions,” Khan said in his statement. “The termination of his AEW contracts for cause is ultimately my decision, and mine alone.”

To open AEW’s “Collision” show on Saturday night, Khan appeared in a pre-recorded interview and said last weekend’s incident was “regrettable” and “endangers people behind the scenes.”

“I’ve been going to wrestling shows for over 30 years,” Khan said on the show. “I’ve been producing them on this network for nearly four years. Never in all that time did I feel until last Sunday that my safety, my safety, my life was in danger at a wrestling show. I don’t. I think everyone should feel that at work.”

Punk, 44, returned to AEW in June after suffering a torn bicep in a match last September. After last year’s match, Punk took part in a contentious press conference and then allegedly got into a physical altercation with AEW wrestlers Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson and Kenny Omega, who are also executive vice presidents of the AEW. ‘business.

Punk said in June that he apologized to Khan for what he said at the press conference.

The September 2022 incident came after AEW wrestler Adam “Hangman” Page deviated from the script in a TV interview with Punk, bringing up things the two disagreed about. would speak – and things Punk said weren’t true.

Punk said nothing was done to Page for this indiscretion.

“It poisoned everything for me, and it made everything really, really ugly, and that’s what started it all, and here we are over a year later and nothing has been done about it” , Punk told ESPN in June.

The belief among people in the locker room was that Punk got another wrestler, Colt Cabana, fired from AEW, or at least tried to. Punk and Cabana were close friends, but had a nasty falling out that included legal action. Punk denied trying to get Cabana fired. Cabana is still employed by AEW.

Punk has been one of the most popular stars in the professional wrestling business over the past two decades. He is a former two-time WWE Champion and three-time World Heavyweight Champion. Punk is also a former two-time AEW Champion. He fought twice in the UFC after leaving WWE in 2014.