CM Punk's arrival at Tony Khan's All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2021 was nothing short of explosive. Despite his suspension and subsequent firing due to a backstage fight with Jack Perry, Punk stayed true to himself - unapologetically aggressive and uncompromising. Surprisingly, within just 2 months, Punk shocked the world by making a triumphant comeback to WWE, a company he swore he would never return to. Watch his return below:
According to the latest reports, Tony Khan is "really mad" at "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry for costing the company CM Punk. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer stated that Khan is angry at Perry, and the wrestler has not been used by the brand in any episodes since August 2023.
According to Meltzer, Khan believes that he lost to CM Punk because of Jack Perry. "Perry has not been fired by AEW, but there is still tension between him and Tony Khan. Essentially, Tony is really mad at him because he cost him CM Punk, so he's getting the blame."
Meltzer further stated that Perry probably should have been suspended for a month or two. He argued that a seven-month punishment is excessive. "Punishment doesn't fit the crime at this point. I mean, it's like it's his fault because the other guy lost his mind?" he said.
What went wrong between CM Punk and Jack Perry ?
The physical altercation took place at the pre-show of AEW's All In pay-per-view in August 2023. Perry was reportedly upset with Punk for not letting him use "real glass" during a match. There was a segment during Perry's match with Hook that involved a car window. While rehearsing that segment, Perry looked at the camera and said, "It's real glass, cry me a river."
The taunt was aimed at Punk, who became furious, and when Perry returned backstage, the two had a huge fight. Punk, taking the comment as an insult from a 26-year-old rookie, had his temper boiling. The AEW staff witnessed the entire incident, and it was also reported that the two had a physical altercation as well.
The management initially wanted to change the match cards at the pay-per-view, as Punk was not expected to show up. However, Samoa Joe, who had to face Punk in the opening match of the show, had a word with Punk, and the two did start the event as per initial plans.
However, both were suspended from AEW after the incident. While Punk was fired, Perry has been kept on suspension for a long time. Within 2 months, Punk had a discussion with WWE, which paved the way for his WWE return, something nobody had anticipated over the years.
The crowd in Chicago at Survivor Series 2023 welcomed Punk with open arms as he made a surprise entry towards the end of the show.
Meanwhile, Jack Perry hasn't appeared in AEW and has started an interesting career in Japan. He made his debut at New Japan Pro Wrestling in January during the Battle in The Valley show. In March, he was revealed as one of the participants in the New Japan Cup Tournament and joined the House of Torture faction.
Nevertheless, Tony Khan is still mad at Perry for costing him CM Punk in AEW.
