Report: CM Punk's ESPN Interview Considered 'Needlessly Inflammatory', Punk Doesn't Think His Comments Should Be Causing Drama

CM Punk is scheduled to make his return to All Elite Wrestling during the debut episode of Collision on Saturday, June 17 and the Second City Saint has been a hot topic backstage within the promotion. 

Punk reportedly taped an interview with ESPN recently that is set to air "sometime soon." Punk answered questions in such a way, though, that viewers might wonder if the two-time AEW World Champion is working or shooting. One element of the interview that was not considered confusing from a work-shoot perspective was Punk's comments about Hangman Page, with the 44-year-old having reportedly stated that he doesn't like Hangman before he suggested Page was "shooting" on him during their Double or Nothing 2022 match. 

The interview has not been well-received by AEW talents based on second-hand recountings of what was said but All Elite Wrestling did set up the interview and Tony Khan is aware of what CM Punk said during the chat with ESPN.

In a further update on the backstage reaction to the interview, Wade Keller of PWTorch has reported that Punk's comments are being viewed as "needlessly inflammatory" but the man himself just believes he was promoting Collision and not in an inflammatory way that should cause any drama. 

"Punk didn't say anything he's legally not allowed to say but he said other things that are being interpreted as needlessly inflammatory and it sounds like...Punk is thinking he was promoting the show and speaking honestly but not in an inflammatory way that should be causing drama. My interpretation of the framing of what I've heard is Punk's reaction is if people react to this negatively that they're overreacting. So we'll see. I do not know what was said. I just know [that I] was told to brace for some drama leading into Saturday and depending on whose side you're on, either Punk is at it again or the Elite group really needs to grow up and grow a thick skin. Different people looking at it through different lenses," Keller said.

H/T to WrestlingNews.co