Let's turn back the clock a bit, and examine last year's version of All Elite Wrestling's "All Out".
The post-event "Press Conference From Hell" clearly proved that the show had been well named, as wrestler CM Punk made various off-color remarks concerning the creative direction of the promotion. These comments resulted in a backstage fight, the fallout from which threatened the long-term stability of AEW (1).
For instigating this melee, Punk was taken off all company programming for almost eight months. He also found himself stripped of the AEW World Championship, a title that he had claimed in the main event of the "All Out" show.
Not long ago, the wrestler came back to AEW television, making his return appearance on the June seventeenth debut edition of "AEW Collision".
However, it has become obvious that since Punk's return, devoted fans of the promotion haven't been too happy with the AEW product. Although the scheduled "All In" event in London has been selling like hot cakes, US-based sales have been sagging as of late. I point to CM Punk's personality and attitude as the primary reason for this (2).
A recent AEW-ROH show in Las Vegas (3).
Yes, the embattled Punk was once a revolutionary figure, and a man who changed "the game" in more ways than one. Nevertheless, somewhere along the line, the wrestler developed an ego. He started to not only hype himself up, but believe his own hype.
We have seen what happens when someone begins to think that they are bigger than the company which they work for. We have seen this in the fall of WCW (World Championship Wrestling), and the irrelevancy of Impact Wrestling.
In both cases, one or more wrestlers saw themselves as God's gift to the entire industry. That frame of mind is great for promos, but not so much in the public eye; fans don't necessarily appreciate it.
Yet this seems to be the attitude that Punk now espouses (see definition).
Speaking frankly, I have recently realized the meaning behind previous comments made about CM Punk by Kevin Nash and Eddie Kingston.
During an in-ring speech made in 2011, Nash referred to Punk as a "cancer". And as part of the run-up to 2021's "Full Gear", Kingston said this to his adversary (4, 5, 6):
"Nobody wants you here...do me a favor, quit again and leave for seven years, and don't come back".
Both comments were on the money. It's readily apparent to this observer that Punk has become a problem. His actions jeopardized not only the jobs and careers of other wrestlers, but the very existence of All Elite Wrestling. The fans obviously don't like this, but for a company that claims to listen to its fans, AEW has been quite tone-deaf.
That said, I think that CM Punk needs to put his ego aside for just a moment. He must look into the camera, and offer an in-ring public apology for his careless actions.
If the wrestler will not do this, then he clearly is a liability to the promotion. Accordingly, it would be wise for AEW management to fire Punk, telling him never to return.
On a final note to the staff of All Elite Wrestling, I say this; you have provided the best and most welcome competition to WWE in some time. Don't throw it away, or screw it up!
