Since returning from injury earlier this month, CM Punk has been in the headlines. It all started when he challenged Hangman Adam Page to a World Title bout during a Dynamite promo and Punk said Page was being cowardly instead of doing “cowboy sh**.”
Page wasn’t supposed to be part of the opening segment. The top AEW star reportedly had a meeting with Khan at the show. There was also a report based on a source who believed that Punk may not have shown up to last week’s Dynamite.
While speaking with DAZN to promote AEW All Out, FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) talked about the characterizations of their good friend from those in the AEW locker room.
Wheeler said, “I think it’s a lot of things from the past, mostly. I think there’s a lot of old grudges. I think there’s a lot of old biases. I think there’s a lot of unresolved issues that are tainting how people react to seeing him now sometimes because he’s been nothing but nice and helpful to anybody that wants it. I know there’s underlying animosity between… once you’re in wrestling for so long, and especially at the top of it, there’s gonna be guys who don’t get along because you’re all vying for the same thing. You all want the same title. Egos are going to hit. It’s inevitable. I know there’s going to be old tension. But as far as how he is as a person now, he couldn’t be more inviting. He couldn’t be more company-oriented as far as what he’s thinking and anything to the contrary; I really think it’s uneducated to go off of it because there’s only been one side (and) that’s all been the negative stuff.”
Wheeler noted that there are two sides to every story, and in the middle, there is the truth. He noted that Punk has been a great person and mentor to those in AEW as he wants the best for the company.
“Over time, you’ll see that he has been well-meaning, he has been doing some good stuff, and as I said, anything to the contrary is, in my opinion, just people being childish and behaving like middle-schoolers.”
Harwood pointed out that it’s a better headline if it’s negative than positive. Wheeler stated, “The old Punk, and it’s not the old Punk.”
Harwood continued by stating that Punk is one of their best friends in wrestling because of their passion, and “sometimes passion gets mistaken for being an asshole because you just want the best. He wants the best for AEW. He wants the best for himself as well. We all do. But he wants the best for AEW and puts AEW above himself.”
Harwood continued, “And I’ll close on CM Punk with this, and we’ll move on. I wish a lot of people, a lot of the guys, look at it instead of saying, ‘Oh my God, this guy from WWE is here in AEW, and he might be taking my spot’ to say, ‘Oh my God, this is a guy who has a legit Hall of Fame background guy who is drawn money, who’s made money for a big company, who doesn’t want to go back to the big company.’”
Wheeler pointed out that Punk came from nothing and made something of himself.
