CM Punk has responded to the airing of footage by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) depicting his altercation with Jack Perry, which ultimately led to his departure from the company.
In a recent Instagram post, CM Punk shared an image referencing George W. Bush’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech, drawing parallels to the situation. This comes after Punk’s interview with journalist Ariel Helwani, where he provided his account of the incident, contradicting elements seen in the footage.
During the altercation, which occurred at ‘All in: London’, Punk was seen confronting Perry, engaging in physical confrontation, including a shove and a chokehold. The footage aired on AEW’s ‘Dynamite’ show, prompting Punk’s dismissal from the company in September. He later signed with WWE in November.
Punk’s version of events, as shared in the interview, differs from what was captured on camera. He claimed that Perry initiated the confrontation and that he only intervened to address Perry’s actions. However, the footage shows Punk approaching Perry alone and initiating physical contact.
‘Jack came back from his match. I’m the next match, I’m sitting there. I got people with me,’ he began.
‘I walk up to him and I’m like, “Jack, why do you insist on doing this dumb internet s*** on TV?” He’s like, “if you have a problem, do something about it.”
‘I was like, ‘Come on man. I can f***ing kill you. What are we doing?
‘I thought I was doing the responsible thing. I didn’t punch anybody. I just choked somebody a little bit. Samoa Joe was there, told me to stop. I quit.
‘I thought I was doing the responsible thing. I didn’t punch anybody. I just choked somebody a little bit. Samoa Joe was there, told me to stop. I quit.
‘I turned to Tony and said, “This place is a f**king joke. You’re a clown. I quit.”
‘I went to my room, Joe and Jerry Lynn came and got me and we’re like, “Let’s go out there and kill it.” I was too fired up. I’m fired up now. I’m probably going to regret talking about all this s***, but that’s what happened.’
Despite Punk’s assertions that he did not throw any punches, the footage clearly depicts otherwise. Punk’s actions during the altercation led to concerns for safety within the company, with CEO Tony Khan reportedly fearing for his well-being.
Following the incident, both Punk and Perry were suspended, with Punk ultimately being fired. Perry went on to defeat HOOK on the pre-show, while Punk competed in his final AEW match against Samoa Joe.
The airing of the footage has reignited discussion surrounding the incident, shedding light on the events that transpired backstage at Wembley Stadium. Punk’s response to the footage and his subsequent departure from AEW continue to be topics of interest within the wrestling community.
As the narrative unfolds, the repercussions of the altercation and Punk’s subsequent actions serve as a reminder of the complexities within the world of professional wrestling.