Report: Update On Backstage Altercation Between CM Punk & Jack Perry At AEW All In
Latest on the backstage altercation between CM Punk and Jack Perry at AEW All In
Aug 28, 2023
The opening contest of the AEW All In pay-per-view was almost thrown into disarray on Sunday, August 27 following a backstage altercation between CM Punk and Jack Perry that took place following Perry's Zero Hour Match with HOOK and before Punk's PPV match with Samoa Joe.
The incident came about after Perry said, "It's real glass, cry me a river", referring to the confrontation between Perry and Punk that occurred at an AEW Collision taping earlier this summer, before HOOK put him through a limousine windscreen with a Fisherman's Buster.
There are different versions of what happened during the All In confrontation, with Punk's side claiming that Perry stepped in Punk's face backstage and "bumped" the former AEW World Champion. Punk then allegedly pushed Perry, at which point the former FTW Champion "came at Punk and got choked." Other recollections of what happened state that Punk approached Perry, threw the first punch and grabbed Perry in a front face lock.
In the latest update on what happened, Wade Keller of PWTorch has reported that Punk was the instigator of the altercation as Punk got in Jack Perry's face as he headed to Gorilla for his match with Samoa Joe. Punk then got in Perry's face and asked if they had a problem. After words were exchanged, Punk pie-faced the former Jungle Boy and put him in a face lock before he threw punches at Perry.
The altercation almost caused the opening match to be delayed and the production crew were forced to scramble and find a way to fill time in case Punk wasn't able to head to the ring on time.
It emerged immediately following the altercation that Jack Perry was ordered to leave Wembley Stadium. Bryan Alvarez has since reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that Punk was immediately escorted to his dressing room by security after his match with Joe and he was also removed from Wembley Stadium.
"He [Punk] goes to the backstage area. Immediately there is security there and security escorts CM Punk back to his dressing room. Jack Perry was then told to leave, he was removed from the building. CM Punk stayed in his dressing room with security for I'm not sure how long but security eventually then came and removed him from the building," Alvarez said.
PWInsider noted that Punk left the stadium about "an hour or so" after his match.
Tony Khan announced at the post-All In media scrum that AEW are investigating the incident.