CM Punk made his last appearance for AEW at All In in London.
CM Punk and AEW are going their separate ways—finally.
AEW released a statement on X stating that Punk’s AEW contract was terminated “with cause” and that the decision was made solely by AEW President Tony Khan after receiving “outside legal counsel:”
The end of Punk’s roller coaster stint in AEW comes less than a week after the former AEW World Champion reportedly was involved in a backstage altercation with fellow wrestler Jack Perry at the All In event in Wembley Stadium in London. The record-setting pay-per-view attracted the largest paid crowd in pro wrestling history, but in the following days, it was badly overshadowed by the fracas between Perry and Punk.
The incident reportedly resulted in Punk threatening to quit AEW and confronting Khan, and it appears that this was the straw that finally broke the camel’s back.
One of the most polarizing stars to ever step foot inside the squared circle, Punk had been linked to controvery on multiple occasions during his up-and-down stint in AEW. After returning to the company in 2021 following a seven-year hiatus from pro wrestling, it wasn’t long before Punk’s AEW career was already on the ropes following the infamous “Brawl Out” scuffle with The Young Bucks at All Out in September 2022.
It was surprising that Punk even returned to AEW following All Out 2022, but when he did, AEW tried everything in its power to appease the former WWE star. That included the creation of a third weekly show, AEW Collision, with Punk as the star and an unofficial roster split. The Collision roster even was essentially handpicked by Punk and largely kept him away from The Young Buck and the rest of The Elite.
Other high-profile incidents involving Punk included a “five figure” fine for an unauthorized verbal jab at “Hangman” Adam Page and a public bashing of AEW main eventer Chris Jericho as well as the company’s creative process. Yet, through it all, Punk remained with AEW, in large part due to his unquestioned drawing power.
But Punk in AEW is officially no more.
Known for his controversial personality and reputation for being “unprofessional” during his time in WWE as well, Punk was expected to face Ricky Starks this Sunday at All Out in Chicago, which is Punk’s hometown, in what would have been the biggest match on the card. Instead, Punk was suspended following All In, and the All Out card had to be rearranged.
While Perry was expected to get “most of the blame” following the altercation with Punk, the incident that overshadowed the biggest show in AEW history ultimate became the biggest dagger in the heart of Punk’s career. With a widespread call for Khan to “fire” Punk following All In, he finally listened.
Punk is gone, and now, AEW will hope to start fresh with a new-look Collision and a unified roster—without perhaps its No. 1 star.