Report: People In AEW Thought CM Punk Might Quit The Company

While CM Punk is currently locked in a programme with Jon Moxley in All Elite Wrestling, the AEW World Champion unexpectedly called out Hangman Page on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite, challenging him to an AEW World Title match right there and now. Hangman ultimately did not respond, which Punk called "coward sh*t" before The Second City Saviour moved on to talk about Jon Moxley ahead of their AEW World Title Unification Match. 

Reports today noted that Punk calling out Hangman Page was not planned and Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer likened it to Punk going into business for himself. 

In an update, Fightful Select have reported that CM Punk and Hangman Page "didn't see eye to eye on some promo material" from an episode of Dynamite during the build to their AEW World Championship match at May's Double Or Nothing pay-per-view. The Hangman Page promo in question alluded to CM Punk's real-life issues with Colt Cabana and The Second City Saviour was so dissatisfied that he met with AEW higher-ups to discuss the context of the then-AEW World Champion's comments. Voices of Wrestling have also noted they heard Punk told others following that meeting he would not lose to Hangman. 

Several on the AEW roster told Fightful they think that Punk believes Hangman went into business for himself during the build to Double Or Nothing and Punk may have viewed his Dynamite callout as a "receipt." 

Furthermore, several within AEW thought Punk's opening promo on August 17 was "unfair" to Hangman if The Anxious Millenial Cowboy did not know what was going to happen. One source noted that there was no way Hangman could have "won" in the situation Punk was putting him in. There is no word on how Hangman reacted beyond that he is not a confrontational person and is "generally well-liked among the roster."

On Punk, sources of Fightful's have claimed he often expressed his displeasure so blatantly recently that they believed he might quit the company. Those close to Punk also said "he might have almost decided to stay home instead of coming to the August 17 Dynamite" but they don't believe he would have quit. An AEW veteran noted they had heard of "threats being levied" by Punk. 

As it stands, Punk is the reigning AEW World Champion and he will go one-on-one with Jon Moxley on next week's Dynamite to crown an Undisputed AEW World Champion. The 43-year-old is two days away from celebrating the one-year anniversary of his AEW debut.