A backstage altercation has cast doubt on CM Punk’s future with AEW.

The pro wrestling genre’s surreality keeps breaking down barriers.

 

According to numerous accounts, during AEW’s “All Out” spectacle on Sunday night, CM Punk and his longtime mentor Ace Steel got into a fight with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson).

 

Punk and Steel’s involvement in the altercation will result in them being “suspended, or will no longer be with the company by the end of Wednesday,” according to Sports Illustrated. According to the source, other participants Christopher Daniels, Brandon Cutler, Pat Buck, and Michael Nakazawa will also be suspended in addition to The Young Bucks and Omega.

 

Here is where we add the mandatory pause and remind everyone that anything that occurs in professional wrestling should be viewed with a healthy dose of scepticism as to whether or not it is related to the overall plot. For instance, MJF, who had his infamous “pipe bomb” interview with Tony Khan several months prior, returned at “All Out” and was booked as a superstar and will soon be given a shot at the world championship. When Vince McMahon abruptly retired from the WWE, Brock Lesnar was rumoured to have “walked out,” but he later made a surprise appearance on “Smackdown” to stir up trouble.

 

An enquiry regarding the matter from The Post was not answered by an AEW spokesman. Punk’s world championship and the trio championship for Omega and the Young Bucks have both been vacated, according to Khan’s announcement on Wednesday’s “Dynamite.” A competition for the world championship will be held, with the “AEW Grand Slam” at Arthur Ashe Stadium on September 21 serving as its conclusion.

 

This specific problem surfaced following Punk’s press conference on Sunday. In the early 2000s, Ace Steel and Danny Dominion trained Punk and Colt Cabana in Chicago. In 2014, Punk granted Cabana his controversial first interview since leaving WWE, and the two were later sued for defamation by Dr. Christopher M. Amann, the ringside physician for WWE who Punk effectively accused of negligence in his podcast interview with Cabana.

 

Punk and Cabana had a dispute at some time during the litigation, and Cabana ultimately sued Punk for purported contract breach. Punk filed an answer.

 

Cabana was transferred from there to Ring of Honor, which Khan also owns, once Punk joined AEW. At the press conference, Punk strongly denied being involved in this decision and seemed to blame the Young Bucks and/or Omega, who have executive vice president positions with the company, for informing the media that he was.

 

Punk said, “The fact that I have to sit up here because we have irresponsible people who call themselves EVPs, and they spread lies and bulls-t and put in the media that I got someone fired when I have f-k all to do with him, and they couldn’t f-king manage a Target, and I have to f-k all to do with that. And it’s f-king embarrassing that I have to stand up here and perform this in 2022. If any of you are to blame, screw you. If you’re not, I’m sorry.

 

 

 

Following the altercation and battle behind the scenes, Punk and Steel were accused of overreacting aggressively.

 

If Punk is indeed leaving AEW, that would be a terrible setback for their preparations. They have been developing his story with MJF for over a year. Additionally, arranging future matchups between Punk and Omega, Bryan Danielson, Hangman Page, and the Young Bucks could greatly increase interest in the organisation.

 

Punk and Khan reportedly spoke on Tuesday to plan out their future, according to Sports Illustrated.

 

Nobody knows what will happen next in this whole situation.