Tony Khan Announces CM Punk’s Firing From AEW on Collision, Says He Feared For His Life

Tony Khan kicked off tonight’s episode of AEW Collision, where he made the announcement that CM Punk has been fired from AEW. Khan noted that he did not want to fire Punk, but did so on the unanimous recommendation of a disciplinary committee and legal counsel.

He said: “Today I had to make one the toughest decisions of my professional career. Today I terminated Phil Brooks, CM Punk, for cause. This stems from a backstage incident at AEW All In last Sunday. The incident was regrettable and it endangered people backstage. That includes the production staff, people who help put the show on every week, innocent people who had nothing to do with it. I’ve been going to wrestling shows for over thirty years. I’ve been producing them on this network for nearly four years. Never in all that time have I ever felt, until last Sunday, that my security, my safety, my life was in danger at a wrestling show. I don’t think anybody should feel that way at work. I don’t think the people I work with should feel that way and I had to make a very difficult choice today. It came at the recommendation of a discipline committee here in AEW as well as outside legal counsel who delivered a unanimous recommendation. And I have followed up on that recommendation. I’m sorry to any fans who are upset by this. I’m sorry to anyone who’s upset by this.”

AEW GM @TonyKhan opens #AEWCollision pic.twitter.com/1UeMHipSsu

— AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) September 3, 2023