Report: Top AEW Talents Concerned About Tony Khan's Relationship With CM Punk

Tony Khan's relationship with CM Punk is ultimately a cause for concern within All Elite Wrestling. 

CM Punk was at the centre of controversy once again this week after it emerged the 44-year-old had blocked multiple talents from AEW Collision tapings, including AEW Manager of Talent Relations Christopher Daniels, Ryan Nemeth, Matt Hardy, and Isiah Kassidy. Hangman Page was also sent away from the August 12 edition of AEW Collision after he was booked to cut a pre-tape interview, but Punk was reportedly not directly involved with that situation. 

Punk did reignite issues with The Elite, though, after he took shots at Hangman Page in a post-Collision promo. It later emerged that Punk was trying to make a joke that backfired and he apologised to Page via text message. 

Amidst all of this, a spotlight has been placed on Tony Khan's relationship with CM Punk, with Khan said to have chanted "CM Punk!" loudly while fist-bumping for the two-time AEW World Champion as Punk walked by on the June 21 edition of Dynamite. 

In an update, Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that after Khan's fist-bumping performance, "most of the top talent recognized that it was best to keep quiet about anything involving Punk because it was a fight that it served no purpose to get into." Several top talents are unhappy with Khan's handling of Punk, though, with the view that Punk's power has gone unchecked. The same talents fear the situation will only get worse. 

Despite this, Punk was described as a good leader on Collision and he is very instrumental in the booking of the Saturday night show. Collision internally is very much considered Punk's show but he has tried to elevate others on the show as opposed to just himself.