CM Punk is gone from AEW but it seems as if more backstage stories about his tenure with the company are coming out.
When William Regal signed with AEW last year, it was well received by the fans and the wrestlers in the company because of his wealth of knowledge from his decades in the wrestling business. Regal was also valued in front of the camera and was an integral part of the Blackpool Combat Club stable.
However, his run ended less than a year later and he’s now back in WWE working behind the scenes on the main roster. There have been questions about Regal’s quick exit from the company and now word is coming out via Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net that there was a backstage incident between Regal and CM Punk last year.
Haynes cites multiple sources telling him that the incident happened when Regal made his AEW debut and it was Punk who refused to shake Regal’s hand. Punk reportedly got in Regal’s face and told him that he didn’t like him because he was a “stooge for Triple H” and he didn’t trust him. Regal and Triple H’s friendship dates back to the 1990s when they both wrestled in WCW.
There’s been plenty of speculation about Punk’s future in pro wrestling. Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that people in WWE were cold on the idea of Punk ever returning to work for them again. But the old saying in wrestling is “never say never” and anything’s possible. However, the situation with Regal could be a factor on how WWE feels about Punk coming back.
UPDATE: Earlier this evening on the F4W Board, Bryan Alvarez wrote the following about the Punk-Regal incident:
“Something happened on Regal’s first night in. I don’t know the details. But I know Regal didn’t tell his friends about it for months and when he did he said it wasn’t a big deal.”
