AEW announced the firing of former WWE and UFC star CM Punk on Saturday ahead of its All Out show, which is being held in his hometown of Chicago.
Punk, 44, whose real name is Phillip Brooks, was involved in a backstage brawl with Jack Perry last week at All In at Wembley Stadium. Company president Tony Khan claimed that Punk put Perry and other members of the show in danger.
"Phil played an important role within AEW and I thank him for his contributions," Khan said in an official statement. "The termination of his AEW contracts with cause is ultimately my decision, and mine alone. Of course, I wish I didn't have to share this news, which may come as a disappointment to many of our fans.
"Nevertheless, I am making the decision in the best interests of the many amazing people who make AEW possible every week - our talent, staff, venue operators and many others whose efforts are unsung but essential to bringing our fans great shows on television and at arenas and stadiums throughout the world."
Khan also addressed the Chicago crowd at Saturday's AEW Collision. Khan was booed by the arena before AEW's show went live on air as the president tried to explain the situation. A pre-recording statement was released to AEW's social media channels.
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It's not the first time that CM Punk has found himself in hot water in the wrestling world. In September 2022, Punk suffered a tricep injury in a real-life brawl with The Elite at All Out.
He also bitterly left WWE in 2014 following a series of disagreements and didn't step inside a wrestling ring again to perform until he was signed by AEW in 2021. A return to WWE appears unlikely at this stage with Punk not popular among some of the company's top dogs.
CM Punk, a former WWE and UFC star, was involved in a backstage brawl with Jack Perry (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)WWE superstar Seth Rollins said of Punk in January 2023: "Philly Phil, stay away. Stay away, you cancer, get away from me forever. I don't like Phil. I don't like Phil, he's a jerk. Did we just figure that out?
"Everybody in the room is like, ‘Did he say that?' Yeah, he's a jerk. Come on. We figured it out over there, we knew it over here. I don't want him back. Go do something else. Bye bye. See you later.”
CM Punk is yet address his AEW sacking and hasn't posted on Instagram in close to a month.
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