Tony Khan has elaborated further on the decision to air the camera footage of CM Punk and Jack Perry getting into a physical altercation at the first AEW All In back in August 2023.
During AEW’s first show in the UK, news broke via several outlets that a backstage fight had occurred between Punk and Perry following Perry making the “real glass, go cry me a river” comment during the pre-show, which was in reference to a previous disagreement between the two. Ultimately, this led to Punk being terminated from AEW, and Perry being suspended for months. Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series later that year, while Perry had a run in NJPW before making his eventual AEW return.
For months, speculation ran wild as to what had occurred backstage at Wembley Stadium, with fans also aware that there were CCTV cameras at the venue, meaning that footage from the infamous part of the show did exist. Although it appeared that the fight would remain a wrestling folklore tale, a segment aired the following April that saw The Young Bucks air the footage in question, a decision that was widely panned by the fans over the move and the content itself.
The Tape Speaks For Itself”: Tony Khan On CM Punk Footage
While speaking with Ariel Helwani, Khan admitted that he did not agree with how the incident was covered, he did acknowledge that he did want to find a way for the two sides to get along, which was not ultimately possible Khan also added that AEW is in a very positive place right now:
“I think the tape spoke for itself, and I think that I didn’t agree with how it happened, and obviously it was a major part of why things were no longer able to continue with us, even though I would have liked to have been able to… It was clear when we started doing Collision, I wanted to reconcile and find a way to still do those things. And I guess that wasn’t possible. I wanted to find a way for everybody to be able to work together, and that didn’t work, and that’s okay. It seems like everybody’s happier and doing better right now. I know in AEW right now, everybody’s really happy, and it feels like this is the best the locker room’s been since the Jacksonville lockdown days.”
H/t to Wrestling News.co for the use of transcription.
Featured image: AEW
