Details On How AEW Roster Feels About Ongoing Backstage Drama, CM Punk Situation

As previously reported, there have been several incidents involving CM Punk in recent weeks in AEW. Punk cut an off-camera promo about Hangman Page that ruffled feathers. Then there were rumors that Nic Nemeth, Matt Hardy and Christopher Daniels were all sent home from AEW Collision. Those close to Punk have at least denied he had anything to do with Hardy.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the vibe backstage in AEW as a result of the drama is said to be ‘very similar’ to the circumstances that led to the brawl at All Out last year.

People backstage are said to be “harmonious” for the most part and work together fine. But there are a lot of people who are tired of the drama and the various cliques. Veterans who aren’t part of the conflict believe that unless the issues are addressed directly and not how Tony Khan is handling it (keep wresters separate), then things will get worse. The decision was made to keep people away from Punk to keep things peaceful and avoid legal action.

It was noted that Punk and his supporters have shown interest in talking with the Elite and others, but The Elite haven’t actually been told about it. The stories about potential meetings are likely something that management is blocking. It was noted the issues are really only with Punk, as FTR, the Young Bucks, Hangman Page and Kenny Omega resolved whatever problems they had a while ago. When Tony Khan suggested the Bucks vs. FTR III, both sides agreed quickly.

There are some who believe issues from the past could eventually be resolved, but instead more issues keep popping up. Several people were said to be unhappy with what wasn’t included in the Punk-ESPN story from earlier this year. Many people were upset with it, because he idea that everyone was supposed to put the story behind them and keep quiet, but the Punk interview brought it all up again, as did his return promo. Punk has had to agree not to say anything about the Bucks or Omega for legal reasons but Page was not included in that. Outside of thinly-veiled references, he hasn’t said much so he could have plausible deniability.

Another smaller incident that got missed is when Punk posted a photo on Instagram of the ROH Death Before Dishonor t-shirt, which had the date as a Saturday, not a Friday. The mistake was found quickly and changed before shirts were even sold. Some backstage saw this as a shot at Dana Massie, the wife of Matt Jackson, who handles AEW merchandise.

Many have been quiet about the issues “for their best interest” and to put AEW first. This is partially due to what happened to Ryan Nemeth. A recent PWTorch story noted that when Punk came back and appeared on the June 21 Dynamite, Tony Khan was in Gorilla pumping his fists and chanting his name. At that point, top talent realized it was best to keep quiet because it wouldn’t matter. However, several people are unhappy with how things are going and worry they’ll get worse.

In spite of all of this, Punk has been described as a “good leader” on Collision and is “very instrumental” in that show’s booking.