Yesterday CM Punk was fired by All Elite Wrestling after a second backstage rampage, this time one that included his boss Tony Khan. Punk, who reportedly knocked down equipment during an attack on wrestler Jack Perry at AEW’s recent All In pay-per-view, then screamed and lunged at Khan himself, was fired “for cause”, an appellation that typically means his contract won’t be paid off and the company will cut ties with him completely.
It’s just sad, I was a huge mark for punk in his wwe days but his refusal to have any humility will always be his downfall. Hopefully his exit can bring back the magic that was pre covid AEW. Who knows what’s next for Punk, maybe a one night return at 40? The WWE locker room might revolt if anything more than that. Great article!
Excellent article! I wanted Punk fired since last year and I was floored (and disgusted) that he was basically the centerpiece of Collision. He kept botching the GTS that it was comical. I felt bad for Satoshi Kojima who jobbed to him at the Forbidden Door and Satoshi is far more talented, moves better, and is older than Punk. Kenta was not about to jobbed to Punk while Punk did the botched GTS, so I'm not surprised the match did not happen.
Other than that, Jack Perry should be given his flowers after his suspension.
As you know, I've messaged you off line to say that, indeed, I shook wrestling once and for all. And I credit Punk in large part to this. His comeback is the single most disastrous thing that happened to my fandom of the sport. The promise I bought into with AEW completely and totally dissolved over the last 15-18 months in large part through his demands, actions, and fragility. At best they were contributing factors, at worst obvious direct causes. But there was a moment a few months ago when YouTube recommended a Wrestling With Wregret review of Wrestlemania 9, and it was at that moment as I watched it that I was not amused by the camp, but actually disgusted and embarrassed with myself for having ever considered it entertaining in any fashion. That day almost certainly never arrives without Phil's endless temper tantrums and the ways in which his feckless boss Tony Khan (tragically, indeed, "one of us" in a very DVDVR poster sense) tried his hardest to placate him from day 1. This week brings me back to look (The Bloodline is still going on? LMAOOOOO) because once again the "artform" has managed to deliver me exponentially more tragedy and conflict than it has joy. I'm just glad that I need not care, but only offer condolences and empathy to others who aren't me for a change.
Great stuff! I think Punk has always been overrated. Still, I have been really underwhelmed by AEW, mostly. They can’t seem to make any new stars except MJF. Moxley is ruining his WWE legacy every single time he is out there. So is Jericho. There are pockets of good like Samoa Joe, FTR, Darby Allin, a few other things. Overall, his heart is in the right place but I think TK is way in over his head. AEW has squandered a lot of new guys and girls, and they keep making big debuts that don’t seem to go anywhere. Releasing Punk was probably the the right move but AEW feels like TNA or maybe even WCW 2000 to me. I hope I am wrong and I am rooting for the company.
As I said on the bird app, neither Punk nor I..both middle aged men who were never quite the groundbreakers they pretended to be (in our respective vocations)..could go home again. In our cases, the Summer of Punk.
The difference is that I’m totally okay admitting I was wrong and eating my well deserved platter of crow.
I should’ve listened to Kristina from the jump.
You live, you learn. Great breakdown and wrap up on this Punk thing 👍
Great article (and it's not just because you repeated a few points I've been making to friends of the sport!) All of Punk's backstage shenanigans wouldn't fly in the 'normal' world. If you kick off with the founders of your company, you don't get rewarded by running your own project. If I fronted up to my boss the way he supposedly did with TK then I would expect to be fired. TK had to put his foot down if only to show he can control his own locker room. One of the repeated lines which was said after the collapse of WCW was 'the inmates were running the asylum'. You can't allow prima donnas to do whatever they want in an organisation regardless of how much of a draw they are.
This is probably the best analysis of the situation I've read anywhere thus far. Level-headed, entertaining and really on point. Kudos!
It’s just sad, I was a huge mark for punk in his wwe days but his refusal to have any humility will always be his downfall. Hopefully his exit can bring back the magic that was pre covid AEW. Who knows what’s next for Punk, maybe a one night return at 40? The WWE locker room might revolt if anything more than that. Great article!
Excellent article! I wanted Punk fired since last year and I was floored (and disgusted) that he was basically the centerpiece of Collision. He kept botching the GTS that it was comical. I felt bad for Satoshi Kojima who jobbed to him at the Forbidden Door and Satoshi is far more talented, moves better, and is older than Punk. Kenta was not about to jobbed to Punk while Punk did the botched GTS, so I'm not surprised the match did not happen.
Other than that, Jack Perry should be given his flowers after his suspension.
As you know, I've messaged you off line to say that, indeed, I shook wrestling once and for all. And I credit Punk in large part to this. His comeback is the single most disastrous thing that happened to my fandom of the sport. The promise I bought into with AEW completely and totally dissolved over the last 15-18 months in large part through his demands, actions, and fragility. At best they were contributing factors, at worst obvious direct causes. But there was a moment a few months ago when YouTube recommended a Wrestling With Wregret review of Wrestlemania 9, and it was at that moment as I watched it that I was not amused by the camp, but actually disgusted and embarrassed with myself for having ever considered it entertaining in any fashion. That day almost certainly never arrives without Phil's endless temper tantrums and the ways in which his feckless boss Tony Khan (tragically, indeed, "one of us" in a very DVDVR poster sense) tried his hardest to placate him from day 1. This week brings me back to look (The Bloodline is still going on? LMAOOOOO) because once again the "artform" has managed to deliver me exponentially more tragedy and conflict than it has joy. I'm just glad that I need not care, but only offer condolences and empathy to others who aren't me for a change.
Great stuff! I think Punk has always been overrated. Still, I have been really underwhelmed by AEW, mostly. They can’t seem to make any new stars except MJF. Moxley is ruining his WWE legacy every single time he is out there. So is Jericho. There are pockets of good like Samoa Joe, FTR, Darby Allin, a few other things. Overall, his heart is in the right place but I think TK is way in over his head. AEW has squandered a lot of new guys and girls, and they keep making big debuts that don’t seem to go anywhere. Releasing Punk was probably the the right move but AEW feels like TNA or maybe even WCW 2000 to me. I hope I am wrong and I am rooting for the company.
As I said on the bird app, neither Punk nor I..both middle aged men who were never quite the groundbreakers they pretended to be (in our respective vocations)..could go home again. In our cases, the Summer of Punk.
The difference is that I’m totally okay admitting I was wrong and eating my well deserved platter of crow.
I should’ve listened to Kristina from the jump.
You live, you learn. Great breakdown and wrap up on this Punk thing 👍
Well said. The man needs therapy (not that he’s ever going to admit it).
Great article (and it's not just because you repeated a few points I've been making to friends of the sport!) All of Punk's backstage shenanigans wouldn't fly in the 'normal' world. If you kick off with the founders of your company, you don't get rewarded by running your own project. If I fronted up to my boss the way he supposedly did with TK then I would expect to be fired. TK had to put his foot down if only to show he can control his own locker room. One of the repeated lines which was said after the collapse of WCW was 'the inmates were running the asylum'. You can't allow prima donnas to do whatever they want in an organisation regardless of how much of a draw they are.
It's worked out well for AEW, they get shot of Punk and don't have to pay his contract up. Perhaps he'll go and fight Jake Paul next 😬