AEW Suspends CM Punk and Jack Perry Following Backstage Altercation

August 28, 2023 | By Jeff Wolfe | @prowrestlingw8r

Following the many and varied reports of a physical altercation between CM Punk and Jack Perry prior to the start of the PPV portion of All In yesterday (Aug. 27), AEW owner, president & booker Tony Khan announced that the company would be investigating the incident.

A new report from Wrestling Observer’s Bryan Alvarez indicates that AEW is suspending both men until the investigation is complete. This means that neither Punk nor Perry may be available for the company’s second PPV in as many weeks, All Out, which is scheduled for September 3 in Punk’s hometown of Chicago.

Of course, the investigation could be wrapped up by this weekend, but past experiences with similar incidents have shown that the process can be slow, especially if legal action is threatened. In the case of Punk’s brawl with Ace Steel and The Elite trio of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks following last year’s All Out, legal action slowed down the investigation. While there is no word if either Perry or Punk has retained a lawyer in this case, it would not be surprising if that were to happen.

There are conflicting accounts of what happened when Punk and Perry ran into each other behind the scenes at London’s Wembley Stadium. The altercation reportedly took place after Perry’s pre-show match included a dig at Punk over an argument they allegedly had backstage at Collision recently.

The latest report from Nick Hausman of Haus of Wrestling, who has sources close to Punk, aligns with Punk’s account of the incident. According to Hausman’s sources, Punk viewed putting Perry in a chokehold as a way to neutralize the situation, as he is a trained fighter and did not want the situation to escalate any further.

Contrary to previous reports that both Punk and Perry were told to leave Wembley, Hausman’s version claims that Punk voluntarily left after his match with Samoa Joe because he thought it would make things easier. It is also noted that Punk ordered Nandos for some of the talent back at the hotel, whom he met up with after the show.

As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen what the final outcome will be. However, it is clear that this incident has caused a disruption in AEW’s plans for All Out and has generated significant attention within the wrestling community.

Stay tuned to ProWrestlingWars.com for updates on the CM Punk and Jack Perry suspension and the ongoing investigation.

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