The Termination of CM Punk by The Coward Tony Khan

[Godfrey]

Last thing I’ll say on Punk before moving on (possibly from AEW unfortunately): It doesn’t matter if you’re right about something if you can’t convince anyone of that fact. In my business you have to work with people you hate because the work matters and if you don’t shit doesn’t happen. As much as you need to have strong opinions and might want to punch a coworker you can only keep working if you handle things well, even if that means taking an L in the short-term to position yourself better down the road. That’s part of the job, it’s called diplomacy.

And on a selfish note, I’m bummed Punk is gone. I got back into AEW because of him, twice. He became my partner’s favourite wrestler because she doesn’t know anything about the backstage stuff and enjoys how he works the crowd. I got excited to watch Collision on a weekly basis with her because she could follow the angles. It was nice while it lasted

[Octopus]

Punk ma be gone, BUT @Belgian_Waffle IS BACK!!!

[Belgian_Waffle]

3 minutes ago, Octopus said:

Punk ma be gone, BUT @Belgian_Waffle IS BACK!!!

[EVA]

1 hour ago, just drew said:

 

Also, I’m amused by who Punk chose the smoke with and who he didn’t. Young Bucks privately seek him out? Hands. Mox publicly (both on and off AEW tv) implies that Phil is a mark ass bitch? Crickets. Tells me a lot.

 

It should not be lost on anyone that he never tried to pick a fight with anybody over 175 pounds.

[Log]

Finding out this morning that it’s really difficult to explain to a 6-year-old who still believes wrestling is real that a wrestler got fired for fighting with another wrestler backstage when he sees that happen every week. 

[Matt D]

2 minutes ago, Log said:

Finding out this morning that it’s really difficult to explain to a 6-year-old who still believes wrestling is real that a wrestler got fired for fighting with another wrestler backstage when he sees that happen every week. 

Lots of 6 year olds on the internet apparently.

[matt925]

5 minutes ago, Log said:

Finding out this morning that it’s really difficult to explain to a 6-year-old who still believes wrestling is real that a wrestler got fired for fighting with another wrestler backstage when he sees that happen every week. 

You have to do the Lionel Hutz thing: “there’s fighting” *big smile and nod your head* “and there’s fighting” *sternly shake your head no*

[The Natural]

13 minutes ago, Log said:

Finding out this morning that it’s really difficult to explain to a 6-year-old who still believes wrestling is real that a wrestler got fired for fighting with another wrestler backstage when he sees that happen every week. 

Smart kid. Still real to him damnit!

.

Edited September 3, 2023 by The Natural

[Just Dave]

1 hour ago, Belgian_Waffle said:

I am also returning from self-imposed social media exile to comment on Punk. 

I think it's mostly sad. He was one of the few guys who I thought always delivered on TV and wrestled in a less bombastic style that I wish were more the norm in AEW rather than rapidly becoming more and more of a fringe thing (and will no doubt be even further marginalized once Ospreay signs and as Nick Wayne comes of age). I can't fault TK for it since the audience is clearly on board, and whenever I hear the crowd getting jazzed for obnoxious "Too sweet woot woot" or "Aussie Aussie Aussie" chants -- in support of repulsive dorks like Juice and Kyle Fletcher -- I can't help but think we're entering the Woodstock 99 era of AEW where the entertainment sucks but the real heels are the fans. Maybe Mox/OC will blow the roof off the place tonight and set a corrective vibe in motion. 

That said, I'm also glad they finally canned Punk. I think just about everyone who has followed this story from the beginning can relate to having a toxic coworker, particularly one with seniority/clout, and the people who can't relate to that situation are the dimbulbs portraying Punk as a victim. Older talent, regardless of where they've been, who they were there with, and how much they (theoretically) drew should be grateful to be working in such a physically demanding business at their age, not tapping people on the shoulder and barking advice in their ear, and certainly not micromanaging the locker room. Why anyone needed a fresh example of why this never works in a post-Hogan world, post-Nash world, post-Mutoh burying everyone in All Japan for years until Suwama debuted and he completely changed his approach and pushed new talent world, is completely beyond me. His firing sets a great precedent, and to me part of the tragedy is that it's taken so many decades to get to the point where a guy of his name value actually gets canned for shitty behaviour. Hopefully people start talking about what went down with Punk in the context of past eras where Shawn, the Steiners, Bradshaw, etc etc etc did whatever they wanted for years and years with impunity (and in Shawn's case have had their whole history rewritten as some kind of long redemption story as if he's any less of an moron now).

I was probably always going to order the PPV tonight at the last minute but like a lot of folks here I'm much more intrigued now after watching Collison, both because of Danielson as the last minute replacement and to see the potential chaos/crowd revolts/if the vibe in 8 man tag is gonna be off. I know some people liked it and admittedly I can't stand Jay White but Dax seemed to be sleepwalking a bit through the main event last night (which isn't a dig if he was--his friend did just get fired). As a huge FTR fan, and even moreso as someone who envisions a future golden age of AEW where Brody King is the top heel and holds the world title for years and years, I'm hoping the few vocal members of the Punk camp can reintegrate and join everyone else in turning the oil tanker around. 

In all of AEW-Dom, the guy you thought most represented the term “repulsive dork” is Juice Robinson? For shame…

[Belgian_Waffle]

14 minutes ago, just drew said:

In all of AEW-Dom, the guy you thought most represented the term “repulsive dork” is Juice Robinson? For shame…

For setting a new low on the "ability to get over by being as cringey and distracting as possible" bar? He's this generation's Road Dogg. 

Edited September 3, 2023 by Belgian_Waffle

[(BP)]

Having a fanciful Sunday morning imagining Heel Authority TK pulling a Norman Smiley dressed in Jaguars protective gear and antagonizing his foes into attacking him.

“He’s gonna…he’s gonna…he’s gonna LUNGE!”

[Gorman]

1 hour ago, EVA said:

It should not be lost on anyone that he never tried to pick a fight with anybody over 175 pounds.

Well, he's fought MMA, so you've gotta stay in your weight class.

[Octopus]

@Casey, I know you were a Punk fan. I’m sorry to you and all the others that have been bummed out by all of this. Not fun at all.

[Super Ape]

Having taken some time away from the initial shock, I can clearly say that this sucks, because Punk was the reason I got into AEW despite not watching most of his WWE run because of my refusal to watch WWE, and there still being no way I’d watch WWE with him on it again (but that’s a discussion for another thread).

All I know is, I’ll probably still watch AEW with him gone, but with the detachment I had when he was hurt/suspended last year. They had months to prove they didn’t need him, and failed. And I am trying to avoid hyperbole, but I do think this is going to be the point where AEW crumbles and either becomes another Impact AT BEST, or closes down.

[Technico Support]

15 hours ago, Greggulator said:

I don’t know if there was anything that showed Punk’s true character than when he took a shot at “EVPs not able to manage a Target.”

What a piece of garbage, dismissive thing to say about retail work, especially from someone who openly compares himself to Joe Strummer. 

Also - managing a Target is hard as hell. There is absolutely no way Phil Brooks could manage a Target. Can you imagine how he’d act regarding a customer return issue? Let alone some of the very complicated and hard things that come up in managing an incredibly busy store that is a 24-hour operation? He would last one day and probably put the company in litigation.

Punk is all for the working man, but only one working man.  The voice of the voiceless, but only when that “voiceless” person in question is CM Punk.  I said it before…all that pipe bomb bullshit about standing up against the system wasn’t about giving younger guys chances.  It was about Punk himself not being booked as highly as he thought he should.  Roman was young, but Punk was salty about being asked to make him look good.  Dude’s a phony.  He’s not Joe Strummer.  He’s mass-produced Hot Topic mall punk.  

15 hours ago, sabremike said:

Colt's refusal to get involved in public poo flinging contests is something lots of people could learn from. 

I keep thinking about Colt, Page, the Bucks, and Omega staying out of this thing the whole time.  No real statements or anything since the original blowup.  No getting in the mud with Punk and saying dumb shit.  They come out of this looking like pros.  

Edited September 3, 2023 by Technico Support

[Jenalysis]

14 hours ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

BILLY CORGAN IS RIGHT THERE!

I mean next year is the 30th anniversary of Todd Gordon fucking over Dennis Coralluzzo and Shane throwing down the NWA title. If folks thought Tyrus holding the belt was divisive, OH BABY.

CM Punk may be a lot of things, but a right-wing transphobe isn't one of them.  I can't see him ever working there unless he bought it and fired Corgan on the spot.

To me, the sad thing about all of this is I think Punk wanted to be good, do the right thing.  He probably still sees himself as the hero, but his demons caused him to lose his way.  I hope he gets therapy, or whatever it takes, to get back on the right path in life.  While I agree with the decision to let him go, I still consider it really sad.

 

[Elsalvajeloco]

42 minutes ago, Jenalysis said:

CM Punk may be a lot of things, but a right-wing transphobe isn't one of them. 

 

Yeah, it's not like he ever worked for one of those before.

https://www.sportbible.com/australia/mma-dana-white-gives-his-thoughts-on-transgender-fighters-competing-in-ufc-20220317

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2040999-dana-white-justino-looks-like-wanderlei-silva-in-a-dress-and-heels

[Peck]

Before anyone asks, I just want it on the record that I am NOT AEW attorney Christopher Peck.

 

 

[username]

I think there is a larger question here re: Collision, as we never figured out the exact chicken and egg situation with regards to "hey we want to bring Punk back" and "hey, let's put a second main show on Saturdays". Short-term it'll keep chugging along (sadly against college football for the next few months) but with Punk gone and TV contract talks coming up I don't take it as a 100% certainty that it's gonna continue on indefinitely.

[Super Ape]

https://twitter.com/fightful/status/1698374851004616920?s=46

A Young Bucks victory lap in a 30% full United Center is one of the reasons why right or wrong, I stand with Punk.

If this ends up being the death blow to AEW, at least I can take cold comfort in these assholes putting over the 2025 equivalent to Rybaxel on Main Event someday (probably under the names Jason and Jeremy Buckwalter or something similarly stupid).

Edited September 3, 2023 by Super Ape

[JohnnyJ]

2 hours ago, (BP) said:

I don’t think it’s that dire, but a little more than a year ago there was a possibility of them being real competition for WWE and now it looks like they’re going to perpetually be the number two promotion. Which is fine, there isn’t any reason there should only be one major national promotion. There’s room for them, at least for the foreseeable future. 

I think it’s a question of what AEW learned from All In. What really separates WWE from AEW is the spectacle of their big shows. Packing that many people into a building with celebrities, media, etc. makes everything else look bush league. If I were them I would relax on the weekly touring as I’m sure it costs a fortune and they have trouble drawing big. Instead focus on stadium shows. 

[NoFistsJustFlips]

52 minutes ago, JohnnyJ said:

If I were them I would relax on the weekly touring as I’m sure it costs a fortune and they have trouble drawing big. Instead focus on stadium shows. 

Do you mean scale back to weekly studio tapings and do stadium shows for every PPV?

Taped vs live is a gigantic difference in drawing in viewers. Not running weekly towns would kill them dead in their tracks and turn them into current day Impact. Which YMMV on if you are entertained by them, but they make nooo money. Studio tapings are a thing that died on the vine 20 years ago. 3000 paying customers in new towns every week surely makes more money than 800-1000 of the same people over and over. And new towns = loud and excited. The same town over and over dont react as passionately.

If they could fill stadiums on the regular, yeah that's a great plan. But I don't think they could sell out 4 stadiums in the US per year. I'd happily eat my hat if they tried that and it worked. 1 a year in the US I think they could pull off at this point. But they aren't there yet to try that for every PPV show.

[Coletti]

1 hour ago, Super Ape said:

https://twitter.com/fightful/status/1698374851004616920?s=46

A Young Bucks victory lap in a 30% full United Center is one of the reasons why right or wrong, I stand with Punk.

If this ends up being the death blow to AEW, at least I can take cold comfort in these assholes putting over the 2025 equivalent to Rybaxel on Main Event someday (probably under the names Jason and Jeremy Buckwalter or something similarly stupid).

So what you're saying is annoying douchebaggery is worse than assaulting coworkers? Personally I usually FF through the Bucks' matches but... come ON. 

[Craig H]

I just assume Super Ape doesn’t have a fucking clue about what they’re saying. It’s almost as obnoxious as Vile One. Death blow? Give me a break.

[zendragon]

29 minutes ago, NoFistsJustFlips said:

Do you mean scale back to weekly studio tapings and do stadium shows for every PPV?

Taped vs live is a gigantic difference in drawing in viewers. Not running weekly towns would kill them dead in their tracks and turn them into current day Impact. Which YMMV on if you are entertained by them, but they make nooo money. Studio tapings are a thing that died on the vine 20 years ago. 3000 paying customers in new towns every week surely makes more money than 800-1000 of the same people over and over. And new towns = loud and excited. The same town over and over dont react as passionately.

If they could fill stadiums on the regular, yeah that's a great plan. But I don't think they could sell out 4 stadiums in the US per year. I'd happily eat my hat if they tried that and it worked. 1 a year in the US I think they could pull off at this point. But they aren't there yet to try that for every PPV show.

Plus one problem Impact always had was you would get the same Yahoo going nut for Lance Hoyt and you never really got a chance to figure out what was working for the larger audience

 

1 hour ago, Super Ape said:

https://twitter.com/fightful/status/1698374851004616920?s=46

A Young Bucks victory lap in a 30% full United Center is one of the reasons why right or wrong, I stand with Punk.

If this ends up being the death blow to AEW, at least I can take cold comfort in these assholes putting over the 2025 equivalent to Rybaxel on Main Event someday (probably under the names Jason and Jeremy Buckwalter or something similarly stupid).

Like I said some months ago nobody's right if everybody's wrong. Bucks/Elite have really made it seem like they didn't want him there, I don't know if they really leaked rumors about him getting Cabana fired but I can understand Punk being upset about hearing that. Certainly not blameless from this whole thing not working out