The AEW Brawl & Its Fallout

[Technico Support]

58 minutes ago, The Natural said:

I wondered if a part of parting with Punk is that, possibly paying his medical bills as well?

In a just world, TK would verbally agree to pay his bills, and then refuse after they've piled up a bit. 

[(BP)]

Auto Generated Response in Case Thread Reopens:

That certainly is a new development. One or more of the participants in this story is like Thanos.

[John from Cincinnati]

2 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

Wade Keller is reporting that CM Punk is 'probably done' in AEW. 

It's funny people are picking up on this because it's supported by some really weak inferences from Wade, such as:

Quote

While speaking about the ROH World Title match between Chris Jericho and Claudio Castagnoli, Keller noted how Punk's name was excluded when Ian Riccaboni talked about the big names that have held the title.

---

"I think this is noteworthy but not surprising [that] he excluded CM Punk's name as he talked about some of the biggest names who have held the title," Keller said. "That's a bit of a tell."

https://wrestlingnews.co/aew-news/cm-punk-reportedly-not-expected-to-return-to-aew-contract-buyout-likely

Ian only mentioning Joe and Bryan (guys who are on Grand Slam and are not currently suspended) when running down former ROH champs during Claudio's entrance is a reason to speculate? If so, some intrepid journalist should be out there wondering aloud if Adam Cole has serious heat or something.

Keller may or may not have heard something, but the things aggregators pick up on and run with are ridiculous. 

Edited September 22, 2022 by John from Cincinnati
Used spoiler instead of quote box

[StretchMediatedHypertrophy]

When I heard the list was two people, I was like wtf - but clearly Keller with the 'all signs' is being given other info. Certain people here (Phil, you were more fun when you were FatSpanishWaiter) would probably suggest that is The Bucks leaking again, but at this stage I'd be surprised if Keller would just run on their word but we'll see.

What might be more substantial is that the Bucks have their 'AEW x Diadora' sneaker release coming up, AEW have retweeted a Young Bucks tweet about it....but end of the day, dollars to donuts it was the Bucks who did the legwork. Not promoting them next Dynamite would be a horrible decision imo, the idea that they wouldn't to a BTE next week.....yeah, not good. So will be interesting to see what happens.

[TheVileOne]

7 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

ARGH...  This story keeps coming back to life like Michael fuckin Myers.

Wade Keller is reporting that CM Punk is 'probably done' in AEW.   Unclear if it's a buyout situation or not, but he's probably out. 

Did he actually report this, or was he offering an opinion?

[Gordi the former AEW fan]

His site also, angrily, reported that Brodie Lee died of COVID and AEW covered it up. Motherfucker has ZERO credibility remaining. Speculationn from Keller has no actual value. It's safe to re-lock this thread (for now).

[Guest Stefanie Without Stefanie]

54 minutes ago, Gordlow said:

His site also, angrily, reported that Brodie Lee died of COVID and AEW covered it up. Motherfucker has ZERO credibility remaining. Speculationn from Keller has no actual value. It's safe to re-lock this thread (for now).

Bruce Mitchell was the one who made that accusation, and Wade Keller was the one who 1) pulled the article down, as he wasn't notified that Mitchell was posting it, and 2) fired Mitchell a couple of days later when Mitchell doubled down.

Maybe dial it back just a bit.

[nate]

10 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

ARGH...  This story keeps coming back to life like Michael fuckin Myers.

Wade Keller is reporting that CM Punk is 'probably done' in AEW.   Unclear if it's a buyout situation or not, but he's probably out. 

But but, what podcast is he going to go to and have a moan now?

[Kevin Wilson]

While I don't take much stock in Wade's opinion, the report that Punk only signed a two year deal with an optional third I think is more important. Assuming he is out 6 to 8 months due to injury, it wouldn't make a lot of sense if they were still angry at each other for him to come back and wrestle for just three or four months just to leave again when his contract expired. So unless they mutually 'make up' (which is always possible), I don't think Punk will return either.

[Matt D]

Come back. Put over Starks. Leave.

[Elsalvajeloco]

3 minutes ago, Kevin Wilson said:

While I don't take much stock in Wade's opinion, the report that Punk only signed a two year deal with an optional third I think is more important. Assuming he is out 6 to 8 months due to injury, it wouldn't make a lot of sense if they were still angry at each other for him to come back and wrestle for just three or four months just to leave again when his contract expired. So unless they mutually 'make up' (which is always possible), I don't think Punk will return either.

Does the contract freeze if you're out for injury? I mean he would have basically spent an entire year almost of that two years on the shelf.

[Kevin Wilson]

3 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

Does the contract freeze if you're out for injury? I mean he would have basically spent an entire year almost of that two years on the shelf.

Fair question and of course the report didn't mention that. But if both sides are unhappy with each other there wouldn't be much advantage to freezing it even if they could. Probably why the buyout rumors started, if it was a two year deal and after talks they can't get on the same page, it would be the easiest path.

[Jiji]

6 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

Does the contract freeze if you're out for injury? I mean he would have basically spent an entire year almost of that two years on the shelf.

I've been reading that Khan could extend Omega's contract until October '23 due to injuries but I forget from whom. 

[odessasteps]

7 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

Does the contract freeze if you're out for injury? I mean he would have basically spent an entire year almost of that two years on the shelf.

I thought that was just a Vince thing. 

[Kevin Wilson]

Since TK could have used the option year(s) for Cody and didn't, I don't think he would extend someone's contract if they didn't want to stay. So if Punk wants to go, I don't see TK extending it even if he 'can'.

[Matt D]

2 minutes ago, Kevin Wilson said:

Since TK could have used the option year(s) for Cody and didn't, I don't think he would extend someone's contract if they didn't want to stay. So if Punk wants to go, I don't see TK extending it even if he 'can'.

He can alternatively make him play for the Jags.

[Elsalvajeloco]

10 minutes ago, odessasteps said:

I thought that was just a Vince thing. 

Wasn't the issue rather they would freeze your contract even if it wasn't injury issue? Like you're had a disagreement with them much like the Sasha and Naomi thing, you get suspended or not used, and they freeze your contract.

8 minutes ago, Kevin Wilson said:

Since TK could have used the option year(s) for Cody and didn't, I don't think he would extend someone's contract if they didn't want to stay. So if Punk wants to go, I don't see TK extending it even if he 'can'.

Then a buyout wouldn't make sense unless Punk wanted to stay. Also, buyouts aren't cheap. If you're going to lame duck period whether the contract gets extended or not, you might as well squeeze out 1 or 2 more buyrates out of him or a few good TV ratings.

I think the Cody situation is a bit different in that he started out with company as an exec as well. 

[Kevin Wilson]

4 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

Wasn't the issue rather they would freeze your contract even if it wasn't injury issue? Like you're had a disagreement with them much like the Sasha and Naomi thing, you get suspended or not used, and they freeze your contract.

Then a buyout wouldn't make sense unless Punk wanted to stay. Also, buyouts aren't cheap. If you're going to lame duck period whether the contract gets extended or not, you might as well squeeze out 1 or 2 more buyrates out of him or a few good TV ratings.

I think the Cody situation is a bit different in that he started out with company as an exec as well. 

The buyout would be if you just didn't want him on your TV anymore, he didn't want to be on TV anymore, and you wanted the story to be over now so the locker room/the fans can move on from talking about it. If Punk is open to wrestling again, and AEW wants him to wrestle again, they'd just do the mutual extension. I'm just going off the theory that they aren't on the same page and won't be again, I can see the advantage to doing a buyout and cutting ties immediately instead of the story lingering for eight months.

[odessasteps]

17 minutes ago, Matt D said:

He can alternatively make him play for the Jags.

More likely, Fulham. 

[Elsalvajeloco]

22 minutes ago, Kevin Wilson said:

The buyout would be if you just didn't want him on your TV anymore, he didn't want to be on TV anymore, and you wanted the story to be over now so the locker room/the fans can move on from talking about it. If Punk is open to wrestling again, and AEW wants him to wrestle again, they'd just do the mutual extension. I'm just going off the theory that they aren't on the same page and won't be again, I can see the advantage to doing a buyout and cutting ties immediately instead of the story lingering for eight months.

It's CM Punk. It's going to linger regardless, and you know he will show up on a podcast at some point and start that fire all over again. 

With Punk being on the shelf, it's probably going to be all quiet on western front until the period he should be healthy. Plus, something is going to come up in the news cycle that grabs all the attention by then. That's a perfect time to evaluate whether he should stay or go. Less than 3 weeks after the fact when the guy just got seriously injured doesn't make any sense. In addition, with all the moving parts, it's not like this situation isn't complex. There is a possibility of that maybe the Bucks and/or Omega are gone soon after Punk is. If I'm TK, I am not losing multiple stars based on one incident like that. In a star driven business and on the cusp of a new TV deal, I am keeping one or more of those people until the ink is dry on that new deal. That's why you don't make hasty decisions until everything can be properly evaluated. Maybe it's because I am so used to Vince, Dana, and Bob Arum doing this in three separate entities. However, in star driven endeavors, you just don't let stars walk away. Punk can be a dick, a jerk, a terrible friend, and pompous dweeb, but he will be all that under my auspices. 

[Kevin Wilson]

5 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

It's CM Punk. It's going to linger regardless, and you know he will show up on a podcast at some point and start that fire all over again. 

With Punk being on the shelf, it's probably going to be all quiet on western front until the period he should be healthy. Plus, something is going to come up in the news cycle that grabs all the attention by then. That's a perfect time to evaluate whether he should stay or go. Less than 3 weeks after the fact when the guy just got seriously injured doesn't make any sense. In addition, with all the moving parts, it's not like this situation isn't complex. There is a possibility of that maybe the Bucks and/or Omega are gone soon after Punk is. If I'm TK, I am not losing multiple stars based on one incident like that. In a star driven business and on the cusp of a new TV deal, I am keeping one or more of those people until the ink is dry on that new deal. That's why you don't make hasty decisions until everything can be properly evaluated. Maybe it's because I am so used to Vince, Dana, and Bob Arum doing this in three separate entities. However, in star driven endeavors, you just don't let stars walk away. Punk can be a dick, a jerk, a terrible friend, and pompous dweeb, but he will be all that under my auspices. 

Vince would have had a "Backstage Brawl" match between them at the next PPV. But Vince also never had a legal department investigate a backstage incident between wrestlers and suspend everyone either, TK is a unique butterfly in the wrasslin world. I think he'll probably handle it closer to how they do in sports, where you don't want a malcontent in the locker room spreading their malcontentness, even if they do give a .1 boost in ratings.

But I do agree that we may be waiting awhile. Once they finish their internal investigation and the results immediately leak we'll have a better idea of where it may be going.

[Raziel]

1 hour ago, Kevin Wilson said:

Since TK could have used the option year(s) for Cody and didn't, I don't think he would extend someone's contract if they didn't want to stay. So if Punk wants to go, I don't see TK extending it even if he 'can'.

No but he did extend someone who was sure he was out, then has only used him 3 times.

[Kevin Wilson]

4 minutes ago, Raziel said:

No but he did extend someone who was sure he was out, then has only used him 3 times.

Well that was kinda a weird thing, I think he was overly optimistic about ROH getting a TV deal that uh never happened. Cage didn't seem mad about it though. Interested to see how he handles the Black situation.

[The Natural]

If indeed CM Punk is done with AEW, there was two ***** matches vs. MJF. The best was on AEW Dynamite, 2nd February 2022 in Chicago then the Dog Collar match at AEW Revolution, 6th March 2022 on my birthday. That brought one of my favourite moments this year:

I didn't think we'd ever see CM Punk wear the 2002-2004 shorts look again or hear AFI’s Miseria Cantare again. I looked forward to the CM Punk/MJF rubber match this year having given ***** to the first and second bouts. Amazing that Punk's time in AEW might have lasted just over one year - returns after seven years at AEW Rampage The First Dance (20th August 2021) and his last event, AEW All Out 2022 (4th September 2022). Some going that.

Edited September 23, 2022 by The Natural

[The Natural]

2 hours ago, Matt D said:

He can alternatively make him play for the Jags.

Fulham Football Club.