Back in September CM Punk was fired from AEW following his backstage scuffle with Jack Perry at All In, the second scuffle he had gotten into in one calendar year with the promotion. Several reports had surfaced around that time stating that AEW brought together a disciplinary committee to make the ultimate decision of what to do with Punk after his actions. Now, a new report reveals that a top superstar headed said committee.
According to Fightful Select, Bryan Danielson was selected as the face of the committee as many in AEW see him as “an appropriate moral compass who exemplifies objectivity.” Danielson was joined by Chris Peck (AEW General Counsel) and an outside attorney. One person who had nothing to do with it was Megha Parekh, who has since stepped back from her duties as Chief Legal Officer.
Regarding Danielson, Fightful spoke to AEW talents who said that Danielson knew it was a particularly hard decision to fire Punk, especially due to their longstanding friendship, and even cited the positives he brought to the company since his arrival in 2021. Yesterday, Danielson released a tweet that read, “My dad always told me, ‘The right thing is often the hardest thing to do.’ It won’t always make the most money. It won’t always be the most popular. But it’s still the right thing.’ This was actually something Danielson said to the AEW locker room shortly after the decision to let Punk go. Punk is aware that Danielson was on the committee as many of his friends were there when Danielson addressed the locker room.
Finally, it is noted that Danielson will continue this responsibility going forward, which will include handing out fines when necessary. Punk has since moved on and is now back with WWE.