Report: Many Within AEW Believe CM Punk Wanted To Leave As Soon As The Elite Re-Signed

There is another wrinkle to CM Punk's firing from All Elite Wrestling. 

CM Punk was fired by AEW on Saturday, September 2, with Tony Khan announcing that Punk was let go following a backstage altercation with Jack Perry at All In. Outside legal counsel and the disciplinary committee that headed up the investigation into the altercation both recommended that Punk be fired. Tony Khan has since stated that he feared for his life at All In, with it further being revealed that CM Punk went after Khan immediately after the altercation with Perry.

CM Punk had longstanding issues with The Elite stemming from the perception among many in AEW that Punk played a role in Tony Khan initially deciding not to renew Colt Cabana's contract in 2022. Issues only worsened from there and came to a head following All Out 2022 when there was a backstage fight between Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, CM Punk, and Ace Steel. 

The issues between the two sides have still never been resolved and The Elite ended up re-signing with AEW in August of this year after considering their futures.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, many within AEW believe CM Punk was trying to find a way out of AEW as soon as Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Hangman Page re-signed with the promotion. 

"I can't say because I can't get into his brain, but yes, there were a lot of people that thought that when the contract was signed with The Young Bucks, Omega, and Page that he wanted out and that something was going to happen," Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio.

"He thought that because the ratings for Collision were so much lower, I think the one that was the bad one was when Cole and MJF came, the ratings skyrocketed and when they weren't back they went back down. That was the one that established that Max and Adam Cole are the draws in the company. It's going to go down without him, he was the biggest draw on that show."

CM Punk's future within pro wrestling is up in the air at the moment, although rumours have suggested WWE are open to bringing in the former World Heavyweight Champion. Find out more here.

H/T to TJR Wrestling