CM Punk Details Heat With Hangman Page, Feared Their AEW Match Would Turn Into A Shoot

Ahead of his return to All Elite Wrestling on the debut episode of Collision on June 17, CM Punk has sat down with ESPN and detailed his past year.

Punk addressed many topics, including his heat with Hangman Page. Punk stated that issues began in Spring 2022 and he believed he initially had a "solid relationship" with Hangman Page and the rest of The Elite. As has been mentioned in reports over the past year, relations worsened following a promo from Page that Punk believed was in reference to Colt Cabana. Punk told ESPN that he and Page discussed the promo segment backstage beforehand and "Page strayed from what they had agreed on" when they got in the ring.

Punk claimed that Page told him after a confrontation backstage that he cut the promo because Punk tried to have Colt Cabana fired by All Elite Wrestling. Punk denied that was the case and told ESPN that he "never" asked Tony Khan to fire Cabana.

Punk and Cabana, of course, had a very public falling out in the aftermath of Punk's appearance on Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast in November 2014. Punk's comments on the podcast led to both him and Cabana being sued by then-WWE doctor Chris Amann in a lawsuit that didn't go anywhere. Cabana later sued Punk over a claim that Punk promised to cover his legal bills, which Punk did not do. Punk then countersued Cabana before they eventually agreed to dismiss both lawsuits. 

Cabana joined AEW in 2020 but it emerged in the Spring of 2022 that AEW were not going to renew Cabana's deal until talents in the locker room went to bat for him. Cabana was then re-signed by AEW but banished to Ring of Honor. The former ROH World Tag Team Champion has since returned to working behind-the-scenes in AEW and on-screen in Ring of Honor during Punk's absence. 

Page's promo infuriated Punk to the point that he considered not working their planned AEW World Title match at Double or Nothing as he was concerned that Hangman would intentionally try and hurt him in their match. Punk ultimately would wrestle and he ended up winning the AEW World Championship in the main event of the pay-per-view. 

"And I proceed to have what I think is a garbage match because I'm trying to protect myself on stuff instead of actually just working and trying to put on the best performance I can. I'm keeping an eye out. He chopped me in the mouth one time, and I'm just like, 'OK, did you do that on purpose?' You chip my tooth, and I'm like, 'All right, should I give him a receipt?' It changes the dynamic. It poisoned everything for me, and it made it all really, really ugly, and that was what set all of this off, and here we are over a year later and ain't s**t been done about it," Punk said.

Tony Khan and Hangman Page were unavailable for comment, according to ESPN, while Cabana told ESPN they should go through AEW "for everything." Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks also declined to comment. 

Punk would later call out Hangman Page on the August 17, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite in an unplanned moment. Punk then took shots at Page during his infamous post-All Out rant, calling the former AEW World Champion a "dumb f**k" who went into business for himself. 

As of a March 2023 report from Fightful Select, Page "makes an effort to remove himself from this situation and has tried to move past it." 

If that is the full extent of what Punk had to say about Hangman Page is currently unknown. Reports ahead of the ESPN interview's release noted that second-hand recountings of Punk's comments caused a stir in the AEW locker room at the June 14 taping of Dynamite. AEW were said to be in 'damage control' mode over Punk's comments about Hangman and the promotion hoped his remarks about Page wouldn't be published, primarily because AEW are currently trying to sign Page to a new long-term deal.