As we’ve noted, AEW “Real” World Champion CM Punk is once again at the center of backstage controversy that stems from what has happened at recent AEW Collision tapings. You can click here and here for recent reports.
In an update, a new report from SEScoops notes that the blow-up after Saturday’s AEW Collision taping in Greensboro was not new or something that was building up for a long time as this has been the standard working environment since Collision launched and Punk returned to the company.
It was reported that “Hangman” Adam Page and Ryan Nemeth were both blocked from appearing at Saturday’s Collision show, by Punk, and despite both wrestlers having business at the arena. Page, who lives in Greensboro, was scheduled to do pre-tapes, while Nemeth was scheduled to work a match but was sent home. As reported on Saturday, Punk’s post-show jabs at Page came after he saw a fan sign that declared “Carolina Is Hangman Country.” The promo included Punk mentioning how he saw Hangman’s action figures filling a shelf at a local store, which was a knock at Page’s merchandise sales. This all makes more sense when you realize Page lives in Greensboro. It’s been reported that Punk felt bad about how his post-show comments came off, and that he sent a text message to Page to apologize, which was confirmed by multiple sources.
While there was some talk of Page being “removed” from Saturday’s taping, PWInsider reports that there is no truth to this claim. Their report noted that Page’s absence was simply a case of the location of the pre-tape promo being moved to a different place, which had nothing to do with Punk. There was a belief that Punk’s post-show promo bled into Page’s pre-tape promo being moved by those looking to cause issues for Punk. It was reiterated that Page lives in Greensboro, which is why his promo was going to be filmed that day, and this was not a case of AEW sending Page on the road and then sending him home. Page did do his pre-tapes at a different location, which AEW has done in the past. Word is that this practice of Punk blocking talents from Collision is not new, and has been happening since the Collision premiere in Chicago. Punk has reportedly stated that he has blocked several wrestlers from working the show, but denied Page was blocked by him. However, despite Punk saying he did not block Page and despite the above note from PWInsider, sources have re-stated that Page was blocked from the show by Punk.
The new report from SEScoops notes that a fifth un-named wrestler has also been blocked, by Punk, from appearing at Collision events and coinciding tapings. Page, Nemeth, Matt Hardy and AEW Director of Talent Relations Christopher Daniels have been reported, but there’s no confirmation on who the fifth is. It was revealed this week that Punk also had an incident with FTW Champion Jack Perry, but there’s no word yet on if Perry is the un-named fifth wrestler. This wrestler has been blocked from working “numerous” shows.
There is also internal heat on the boss, AEW President Tony Khan. This new report from SEScoops notes that AEW talents and staff have said Khan is lacking leadership, and is straining under the weight of the massive All In show planned for Wembley Stadium in London later this month, along with the weight of two prime-time TV shows and fallout from a real-life backstage brawl that was the biggest pro wrestling locker room debacle since WWE’s 1997 Survivor Series.
“A lot ….. are upset about Wembley,” said one un-named wrestler. “Maybe if it were just Wembley, it would be different. But with everything that’s happened over the last year, it’s becoming the one major issue. People want to know if they’re going to London, what the card is going to be … it’s a show everyone wants to be on. It’s like our WrestleMania 3, or maybe our WrestleMania 1, but there isn’t any urgency. People are scared we aren’t going to live up to this moment.”
The top matches for All In were just announced in recent weeks, but this was somewhat expected as Khan stated in June, during the Forbidden Door II post-show scrum, that the All In card would unfold late due to injuries and other issues.
“He said (in the presser just after) Forbidden Door that (Wembley) would be a card that would take time to build,” said another AEW employee. “He said this was going to be the case, so I’m not sure why everyone is disgruntled about it. I get the fans, but Bryan Danielson would have likely been in the main event or in the top of the card somewhere, then he breaks his arm the same night Tony said this, so it was already a factor before anyone knew how bad he was hurt. That caused a huge change in plans. Tony even said, injuries are going to make this like the first Forbidden Door show when things developed and were scheduled late, and that’s been the case.”
It was noted that wrestlers and staff have shied away from discussing Punk since he returned for the Collision premiere. While company officials and other wrestlers have portrayed everything being fine, that is not the case according to other wrestlers and staff that are talking.
“People have accepted it as a reality, even though it’s driving everyone nuts,” one wrestler said. “People don’t understand Tony at first, then kind of gave up and realized this is who he’s going with. This company was growing before (Punk) ever came here. But after everything that’s happened, for Tony to give him his own show and free reign over everything, including people who can get in or not, then that’s the end of it.”
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