Welcome to the weekly Rumor Look Back, where we look at the rumors from six months ago and see which played out as originally stated. Let’s jump right to it.
September 3, 2023 (Special CM Punk firing edition)
- Khan’s statement on Punk’s firing mention “contracts”, and Fightful Select says he had employee and performance (wrestling) deals and both were terminated. The site didn’t know if there are severance packages or non-compete agreements tied to either.
- I think CM Punk had to wait a couple months before showing up anywhere, but we never got anything concrete on that.
- While he also was unsure if there’s a waiting period before Punk could sign with another wrestling company, Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that this wasn’t the contract buyout Punk was hoping for and being fired for cause may have cost Punk “millions of dollars”.
- I think he very possible will end up making a lot of that back with his WWE deal and merch sales there, depending on how that all goes.
- On the investigation that led to the decision, Meltzer indicated it covered more than just Punk’s altercation with Jack Perry last Sunday at All In. Wrestlers who weren’t eye witnesses were interviewed to get background on the backstage environment, and how things had or hadn’t changed over the past year.
- It was a tumultuous time.
- That includes other incidents that haven’t become public. Meltzer says there’s “so much more to it that hasn’t come out”.
- The big thing that came out was Tony Khan feeling threatened.
- Meltzer says his account of the Punk/Perry incident in last week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter was “far too kind” to Punk, specifically the neutral witness’ version of the pre-All In skirmish which claimed Punk “lunged” at Tony Khan: “I was toning it down. It was more than lunging.”
- I’d be very curious to see that camera footage.
- Neither of the Observer guys knows who is on AEW’s disciplinary committee. Meltzer says the committee, lawyers & outside investigators all recommended Punk be fired. While they did gather a lot of additional information, the All In fight was the determining factor.
- Apparently Bryan Danielson was.
- Per Haus of Wrestling, there was a meeting between Punk, Khan, and “the relevant members of The Elite” scheduled to take place in Atlanta during the week leading up to All In, the goal of which would have been “to bury the hatchet” between the two sides. The Elite’s camp cancelled at the last minute, which contributed to Punk’s frustrations heading into the show at Wembley Stadium.
- What a shit show.
- Responding to that on Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez said no meeting was ever planned because The Elite said no to one as soon as they were approached about it.
- Well that splits those rumors. (1/2)
- Punk threatened to quit twice prior to his return earlier this year, per Meltzer, who described one of the threats as serious and another as “somewhat” serious. Both Alvarez and Meltzer have heard from multiple sources about a belief within AEW that Punk was trying to get out of the company, with Dave saying his contacts especially believed that to be the case after The Elite re-signed.
- That man had had it.
- The return of Bryan Danielson as Punk’s replacement for All Out was a closely guarded secret, according to Fightful.
- I think they should have put the belt on Danielson instead of Moxley when he was stripped of it after Brawl Out. I love Mox and he’s a big company guy, but it’s weird Bryan never got to hold that gold. (Or any gold in AEW.)
- He didn’t have many details, but Alvarez said Khan held a meeting with talent prior to Collision to tell them the Punk news.
- I wonder how that went.
- Jack Perry hasn’t been informed of any changes to his AEW status as a result of the investigation.
- Jack Perry has not been on AEW TV since, though it seems like he’s working an excursion in Japan. He recently joined a faction and wore a goat head.
- The Observer had no update on the status of Ace Steel, who was re-hired as a remote producer for Collision as part of the deal for Punk’s return earlier this year.
- Steel was fired. He was hired back after Brawl Out as part of a Punk bargaining chip and worked remotely because of how tenuous the situation was. So of course he was fired again.
- AEW and Warner Bros Discovery are in ongoing talks about the direction of Collision going forward, according to Fightful. It was noted on WOR that, as evidenced last night, the soft roster split between Dynamite and Collision is over with Punk gone.
- There are still folks who work Collision more than Dynamite but it was the end of any real brand split.
- Fightful says security was confiscating Punk signs before Collision last night.
- Let’s hope these rumors start dying down because I’m tired of Punk’s AEW bullshit being the vasty majority of the Look Back.
- Multiple sources told Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net about an incident between CM Punk and William Regal that occurred after Regal’s AEW debut in 2022. Punk allegedly refused to shake Regal’s hand, and got in his face to tell him he didn’t like or trust him & that he was a “stooge for Triple H.”
- I mean in one sense, Regal left AEW to go work with Triple H. But then again, Punk went and worked with Triple H as well. Probably a bit awkward running into Regal again.
- Regarding talk of CM Punk returning to WWE (where Regal again works), Fightful Select’s WWE sources say they didn’t expect AEW to fire Punk and therefore had no expectation he’d be available. That report also noted Punk still has heat with multiple high-level people at WWE. In a separate tweet, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp further specified that “a lot of top people on the roster in WWE that don’t want him [Punk] there.”
- I didn’t think he’d go back until they literally played his music.
- On the same topic, Dave Meltzer said on WOR that while WWE didn’t pursue Punk when he was pursuing an AEW buyout ten months ago, they might when he’s a true free agent: “You just don’t know. It’s different people in charge. It’s a different time.”
- It sounded like it was Punk who reached out first
- Sports Illustrated’s report on Punk’s firing mentions that Warner Bros Discovery CEO/president David Zaslav was made aware of the move before it became public, as “Punk was a major selling point” for Collision.
- I figured Zaslav would be too busy making movies and not airing them as tax breaks to really take note.
- Jim Ross might not think so, but last week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter said “those in WWE” expect Edge will end up on AEW.
- That’s where Edge ended up. (1/2)
- The Twitter/X account doesn’t specify a name, but BWE says “a big babyface turn is coming up soon for ‘one of the brightest talents’” in WWE.
- I don’t think we’ve had that yet. Jey Uso was already a babyface. The only other turns that I could think of is the Miz, which wouldn’t really satisfy the “big babyface turn” or the “one of the brightest talents,” which implies someone newer. Bayley’s turn is the other option but was much later and doesn’t seem to fit. This was around the time there was rumor of a Judgment Day split so I wonder if this was referring to Rhea or Priest. (0/1)
- People close to CM Punk told Fightful Select that in December of last year Punk was interested in leaving AEW so he could rejoin WWE, specifically to return for the 2023 Royal Rumble. The site has not heard that AEW was considering releasing Punk at that point, or that WWE had any interest in bringing him back.
- It’s still wild to me that CM Punk went back to WWE.
- A rumor that Fightful heard from WWE talent (not from Punk’s camp) was that Punk wanted to have a WrestleMania match against the person who eliminated him from the Rumble, and that Kevin Owens name was “thrown around” for that.
- Punk/Owens could be interesting, especially with KO good friends with the Young Bucks. Though I’m worried Punk can’t have more than three matches without getting hurt too.
- Also from Fightful: Gunther vs. Chad Gable happened on last night’s Raw instead of Payback to keep the PLE’s “runtime in order”, have the match closer to when Gunther will officially break Honky Tonk Man’s record for longest Intercontinental title reign, and to give the match a bigger spotlight than it would have had at Payback.
- This seems to be a running theme (and an appreciated one) for the Triple H creative. I hope this is the Mania match. We’ll find out who Gunther’s WrestleMania opponent is on Monday after the gauntlet, but Gable is the best choice in my opinion. The crowd seems behind him when he’s briefly showed up on screen for this. Sami Zayn needs a path too, and maybe it’s a multi-man affair, but I’d prefer Gable more (and I love Sami).
- WWE Crown Jewel is set for Sat., Nov. 4, per PW Insider. This is the same date Wrestlenomics reported back in July.
- Accurate. (1/1)
- Insider also says Bobby Roode and Nick Aldis worked last night’s Raw & Main Event taping as producers. Aldis’ work was still described as a “tryout”.
- Both men are working for WWE. I don’t know how much producing Aldis does alongside his on air role as SmackDown GM.
- One more from PW Insider: after reports of WWE re-signing AOP for an NXT run, the site says Paul Ellering was spotted in Orlando on Monday.
- It would be awhile longer before they’d show up.
- According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE’s discussed having Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo get involved with the LWO after their repackaging in NXT. The WON includes the caveat the idea is “one of those things down the line that could easily change”, however.
- They joined Legado instead, but feuding with the LWO so this still works. (1/1)
- PW Insider claims that immediately after AEW announced CM Punk was fired, there was talk within “top talents” at WWE. Some were “adamantly against” the idea of him coming back while others see it “as a chance to make big money.”
- We can guess some, but I wonder who sat where (and if any of those men are the ones who were most recently feuding with him).
- They also say Impact Wrestling is “super excited” about the idea of Punk maybe coming to wrestle there.
- That did not happen.
- Fightful Select says the deal between AEW and Lana came together only in the past week and they don’t know if she’s even gotten a name yet.
- She goes by her real name CJ Perry. We haven’t seen her on TV since her gnarly finger infection. Though given her story was deeply tied to her husband, who is hurt and likely a bit disgruntled, her absence makes sense.
- WrestleVotes notes that WWE’s internal roster was updated recently to reflect some changes post-Payback. Of note: LA Knight is listed as the top babyface on SmackDown while Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits are all listed as heels.
- Bob and the Profits kind of worked heel but it never stuck. And Knight was the top babyface on SmackDown until Orton came back.
- Piper Niven is “fine,” per Sean Ross Sapp. He says she’s out with an illness but is “expected back soon.”
- She returned a couple weeks later. (1/1)
- According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Mercedes Monè was likely to wrestle on AEW All In at Wembley Stadium before her injury. She was still in a full cast when she appeared in the stands for that show, and was wheeled around in a wheelchair at the airport in London.
- She should be showing up to AEW soon finally.
- The current estimates indicate 168,000 to 184,000 PPV Buys for AEW All In, says the Observer.
- It was an impressive showing.
- There’s some heat on AR Fox at AEW, per Fightful. That’s because the company doesn’t feel he was forthcoming about being unable to travel internationally, which resulted in a late change to All In’s Coffin Match.
- That’s understandable. He’s still being used occasionally in ROH.
- After Becky Lynch posted on X that she wouldn’t be at Superstar Spectacle because Qatar Airlines wouldn’t let her board her flight to India due to “a tiny tear” in her passport, Haus of Wrestling confirmed with a WWE rep that that’s actually what happened.
- That’s crummy.
- While NXT closing with a black screen was a pre-planned angle, sources told Bodyslam.net that Bron Breakker accidentally made more contact with Von Wagner’s head then planned with their steel steps spot. Wagner was busted open, and some backstage were “exceptionally worried”. The site could not confirm if Wagner was injured beyond being cut, or what his current status is.
- Looking at a fan video, it didn’t look that bad. Looked like clearly stairs hit stairs. I wonder if this was a case of those behind the scenes working the sheets.
- A report from Fightful Select says Zoey Stark’s gotten “great reviews from talent she’s worked with on the main roster”, and that people backstage are impressed with “how she’s handled the call-up and the duties associated with it.”
- She’s been solid, though has been a bit lost in the fray after the Trish program.
- Thunder Rosa’s AEW return could come at “any time”, per Fightful.
- It was still 3 month away. (0/1)
- Bandido should also be back in AEW soon, according to Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The pins have been removed from his wrist and his cast taken off, so he seems on target for his estimated September return.
- He still hasn’t been back and unfortunately needed another surgery on his wrist. (0/1)
- During an appearance on Developmentally Speaking, Ring of Honor’s Dutch said he didn’t know if the Wyatt 6 group he was rumored to be a part of was going to happen, but he & his tag partner Vincent were at the Performance Center in December of last year and things “definitely seemed like it was leading in that direction.” Dutch also credits the buzz Bray Wyatt created about the possibility online for The Righteous signing with AEW/ROH.
- I wonder what that full Wyatt vision would have been.
- BWE claims that LA Knight, Seth Rollins, Imperium, The Miz, Drew McIntyre, and “NXT talents” are all “up for new contracts.” However, “few are approved so far” by WWE.
- We don’t have word of any renewals yet.
- According to Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer, CM Punk’s altercation with William Regal in AEW had nothing to do with Regal’s decision to leave AEW and go back to WWE.
- Maybe I’m misremembering, but wasn’t that altercation prior? He just didn’t like him because he was a “Triple H stooge” or something like that.
- While discussing his plan to start a new wrestling promotion, Freddie Prinze Jr. mentioned on his podcast that “every single wrestler that I reached out to but one” said they would love to help him out as long as CM Punk isn’t part of the project. Prinze claims more than 10 wrestlers he spoke to felt that way about Punk.
- A lot of folks in WWE are just going to have to deal with it. I also wonder if the Freddie Prinze promotion is ever going to be a thing.
- It’s expected that Bryan Danielson will primarily work on AEW Collision going forward, rather than AEW Dynamite.
- That’s mainly the case. (1/1)
- Sports Illustrated says the Dudley Boyz “recently signed Legends contracts with WWE.”
- We haven’t seen them do anything with them, but often those Legends contracts are just to keep them away from AEW.
- It sounds like The Great Khali will make an appearance at WWE’s Superstar Spectacle event today in India, per PW Insider.
- Looks that way, which isn’t at all surprising. (1/1)
- After mentioning that Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, and Andrade were not happy with Tony Khan’s decision to fire CM Punk, this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter goes on to say that “At least three others” in AEW were “very upset by things.”
- I mean Punk had to go. TK should never had let it get to that point, but it did get to that point and Punk had to go. It should be noted that Andrade, who never seemed happy there, is back in WWE. FTR are both featured heavily on AEW. Miro, who is not mentioned in this rumor, is a guy I wonder about how quickly he’d jump back if he had the chance.
- On the flip side, it was noted that “Many others talked about the backstage atmosphere as if a dark cloud had been lifted over their heads and how much fun it was on the weekend shows.”
- I can imagine there was some egg shell walking.
- For what it’s worth, The Observer claims that Punk contacted WWE towards the end of 2022 expressing his desire to return there, because he was expecting AEW to buy out his contract after the backstage fight with The Elite. However, people in WWE “indicated that they weren’t interested.”
- It happened eventually.
- A source told PW Insider Elite that WWE added Drew McIntyre’s post-WrestleMania time off to his current contract. The company hasn’t rushed to get a new deal with McIntyre done because now he’s locked up until next year’s WrestleMania.
- They way they’re booking him, they’re very likely to get it done.
- On his Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, Hardy said Tony Khan sent a jet for AEW talents who attended Bray Wyatt’s memorial service earlier this week to get them to Indianapolis for Dynamite.
- That’s kind of him. TK often does things that make it seem like he’s a solid dude, whether you like his promotion or not.
- The WON says Gable Steveson has been “officially removed from the NXT roster.” It’s not clear what exactly that means, but he’s not in the brand’s current plans right now.
- Looks like he’s mainly worked NXT house shows and a few SmackDown dark matches this year.
- On The Ryback Show, The Ryback said adult film star Phoenix Marie recently referred him to some guy from Brazil named Yao Cabrera, who she said could help fix the ongoing issues with Ryback’s social media accounts. The Big Guy admitted that Yao then scammed him out of two thousand dollars. It wasn’t so bad, though, because the scammer actually asked Ryback to send seven thousand dollars.
- Oh, the Ryback
This week: 7/12 – 58%
Overall: 4,998/8,704 – 57.4%
Have a great week, everyone!
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