Tony Khan discussed the events surrounding the controversial departure of CM Punk while speaking with Ariel Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show. The discussion centered on the security footage of a backstage altercation involving CM Punk and Jack Perry at All In in September 2023. This footage was later aired on AEW Dynamite, following CM Punk’s previous appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show.
“I didn’t necessarily agree with the description of how it all happened,” Khan said, acknowledging Helwani’s coverage of the event. When referring to the controversial backstage footage being aired on Dynamite, Khan noted that the decision made sense for the product.
“I think the tape spoke for itself, and I think that I didn’t agree with how it happened, and obviously it was a major part of why things were no longer able to continue with us, even though I would have liked to have been able to… It was clear when we started doing Collision, I wanted to reconcile and find a way to still do those things. And I guess that wasn’t possible. I wanted to find a way for everybody to be able to work together, and that didn’t work, and that’s okay. It seems like everybody’s happier and doing better right now. I know in AEW right now, everybody’s really happy, and it feels like this is the best the locker room’s been since the Jacksonville lockdown days.”
CM Punk made his surprise return to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames in November 2023, two months after his termination from AEW. His time with AEW, which lasted from 2021 to 2023, included a celebrated debut, a successful two-time run as AEW World Champion, and several big feuds.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Ariel Helwani Show with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the full interview on Ariel Helwani’s YouTube channel.
