The AEW Brawl & Its Fallout

[Dolfan in NYC]

This is going across 4 threads now, so I'm opening this in a hope to contain it.  

The short version, CM Punk got very... well, CM Punk during a backstage scrum, called out wrestlers.  The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega took exception, and there was a huge actual brawl.  

Everyone is pissed at everyone... and there will be severe discipline handed out.   

Anyway, the brawl talk all goes here now.  Show threads and the general discussion threads should stay to what's on those shows and whatever else is happening.    

(Note - if Punk, Omega, or the Bucks are fired/quit, I may rename the thread.)

Also, keep it civil.  I've got lots of Austin gifs to bust out if the need arises.  

ALSO... keep it non-meme.  If you go crazy with it, I will gag you for a couple of days.  There's enough of that shit on Twitter. 

[Niners Fan in CT]

To catch everyone up.  Sports illustrated reports that Omega, The Bucks and several other people have been suspended.  The thought going around is that Steel is gone and Punk will either be gone or suspended but that's not clear yet. 

[A_K]

I'm going to carry this quote over from the Dynamite thread then .. 

1 hour ago, Chaos said:

Sports Illustrated is reporting that Punk met with Khan to discuss how to handle an exit.

1 hour ago, Dog said:

https://www.si.com/wrestling/2022/09/07/aew-members-receive-suspensions-altercation-cm-punk-kenny-omega

From literally the same article:

Quote

Remarkably, there could still be a positive outcome if Punk and FTR engage in a heated feud with Omega and the Bucks. 

And Punk from an interview with SI in past weeks:

Quote

I’m much more driven by business metrics, whereas I think some people are driven by match quality and star ratings. I think a good match is one that sells tickets. ...You try not to put too much stock in internet rumors [but for AEW] I definitely think that’s part of our audience ... a lie makes its way around the world twice before the truth puts his boots on or gets out of bed.

 

This is the guy who had people thinking the 'Pipebomb' was real. The work and turn is glorious. Seminal moment seeing how many people he hooks.

[Log]

I don't think it can be said enough: Ace Steel bit someone in the fight.

[Dolfan in NYC]

 

[Dog]

1 minute ago, Log said:

I don't think it can be said enough: Ace Steel bit someone in the fight.

And threw a chair at someone's face.

[stuntmanc]

Out of all this, Ace Steel was the most credible badass in that moment in that locker room.

[Dog]

Well, that's now how I'd put it.

[Log]

5 minutes ago, A_K said:

This is the guy who had people thinking the 'Pipebomb' was real. The work and turn is glorious. Seminal moment seeing how many people he hooks.

I really don't think it started as a work. Now, they might very well turn it into one. That actually wouldn't be too terribly surprising.

My reason is simply that it doesn't make sense to start a program between Punk and the Bucks/Omega/Hangman right out of a show that ended on a big angle to position him against MJF. If they were trying to start some shooty insider angle, they'd have had Punk go off on MJF being an entitiled little prick or somthing like that. This whole thing has totally buried what I'm sure TK wanted people talking about on Monday, which was MJF's return.

The biggest evidence to this is that Kahn licensed a fucking Rolling Stones song for his entrance. That's super expensive. Way more than a Pixies or Jefferson Starship or Rancid song, for sure.

Edited September 7, 2022 by Log
Added thought on Stones song.

[Jiji]

Brutal, massive L if Punk is fired or quits. 

How do you even run a show in Chicago after that? 

How is it unclear who started the fight? In what world can you publicly say the things Punk said and there not be some confrontation? 

[A_K]

2 minutes ago, Log said:

I really don't think it started as a work. Now, they might very well turn it into one. That actually wouldn't be too terribly surprising.

My reason is simply that it doesn't make sense to start a program between Punk and the Bucks/Omega/Hangman right out of a show that ended on a big angle to position him against MJF. If they were trying to start some shooty insider angle, they'd have had Punk go off on MJF being an entitiled little prick or somthing like that. This whole thing has totally buried what I'm sure TK wanted people talking about on Monday, which was MJF's return.

It was always a work. Just as MJF "he is on a flight out of Las Vegas" was always a work. Punk will partner with MJF. When this all plays out remember to call me mystic A_K because I predict these things 

[Ryback Hates Bullies]

The problem is you do the angle, but at what risk and to what long-term benefit?

 

  

3 minutes ago, Jiji said:

How do you even run a show in Chicago after that? 

 

 

Matt Classic vs Garcia for the ROH Pure Title.

Edited September 7, 2022 by SprintingFromAmerica

[The Natural]

I was thinking how in just over a year, CM Punk returns to wrestling after 7 years away and might be sacked/walks. That's really something. Such a quick turnaround.

Edited September 7, 2022 by The Natural

[Zimbra]

4 minutes ago, Jiji said:

How do you even run a show in Chicago after that? 

The same way people have been running shows in Chicago the last 8 years: ignore the "we want Punk" chants and keep things moving.

5 minutes ago, Jiji said:

How is it unclear who started the fight? In what world can you publicly say the things Punk said and there not be some confrontation? 

I don't think the Elite were in the right here, but we do have a saying just for this situation and it ain't "Talk shit, everything works out great for you!"

[A_K]

5 minutes ago, SprintingFromAmerica said:

The problem is you do the angle, but at what risk and to what long-term benefit?

ratings $$$$

[Technico Support]

In the end, all this falls at Tony Khan's feet.  I once had a boss who told me the old proverb, "fish rots from the head."  Trying to be every wrestler's pal PLUS hiring a known thin-skinned shit stirrer was always a recipe for disaster. 

There's got to be a balance between being everyone's friend and party buddy and the Vince approach of treating these guys like chattel and I hope he can figure it out.

[AxB]

I don't think the suspensions are a punishment, exactly. I think it's more of a "Pending the result of our investigation, you're suspended" thing.

[Ryback Hates Bullies]

1 minute ago, A_K said:

ratings $$$$

If it's all a work, that'll play. Otherwise you have Punk continuously malding, and it rubbing everyone wrong. Is he going to do a job? To Omega? Lol no. Omega isn't jobbing back. Even FTR doing the job would probably upset the apple cart.

I'm just not seeing it.

[Matt D]

5 minutes ago, Jiji said:

How do you even run a show in Chicago after that? 

Obviously you build Skye Blue for a year to be the one to beat Jade.

[matt925]

My brain has been so wrapped up with all the crazy stuff I hadn’t even considered yet, what if aew gets stuck with the same “cm punk” chants that plagued wwe for years? This freakin guy. 

[Niners Fan in CT]

Put everyone in a room and say:

"Who the fuck wants to make money?  if not.. there's the door"  

[Raziel]

The Investigation:  You're all thin skinned shit disturbers of varying degrees.  Stop being cute on YouTube and in Promos.  Take the suspension Tony gave you and make money off it, and stop doing shooty shit in the first place.

 

 

There, solved, pay me $25,000 Tony.

[John from Cincinnati]

15 minutes ago, Jiji said:

Brutal, massive L if Punk is fired or quits. 

How do you even run a show in Chicago after that? 

Popular sentiment seems to be largely against Punk, so it might not be an issue in that way.

[Jiji]

The bright side of Punk leaving would be it opens up a gigantic hole for guys like Miro and company. 

[porksweats]

Petition to rename the thread AEW Brawl Out