Dave Meltzer Reopens AEW Discussion About CM Punk & Colt Cabana
Though the discussion died down for some time, CM Punk's interview with Ariel Helwani earlier this month stirred up the hornet's nest which is the Punk-AEW relationship. In the days that followed, AEW CEO Tony Khan made the decision to air footage of Punk's altercation with Jack Perry at AEW All In 2024, leading to a segment on the most recent "AEW Dynamite" that saw Khan attacked by Perry and the Young Bucks, solidifying the transition from real-life situation into an onscreen storyline.
The root of the issues Punk ran into within AEW can seemingly be traced back to the personal disagreement between Punk and Colt Cabana, and the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter sees writer Dave Meltzer citing an anonymous source regarding that disagreement. According to the source, Khan previously lied when he said Punk did not ask for Cabana to be removed from the AEW roster.
This source stated that individuals within AEW won't feel "safe to defend themselves" until Khan admits that Punk asked for Cabana to be fired from the company. While it seems as though many are ready to move past the Punk situation, the source indicated that there's a feeling it won't get resolved until Khan owns up to his mistake.
CM Punk Anonymously Accused Of Lying In 2023 ESPN Interview
Meltzer's report also referred to a 2023 interview between Punk and ESPN, with the source claiming that the interview was heavily edited shortly before it was released, which rubbed some people the wrong way. The cut parts of the interview reportedly featured "transparent lies" by Punk, which would have disproved some of Khan's previous public statements on the matter. The interview was nonetheless controversial upon release, with Punk taking aim at "Hangman" Adam Page and others. Meltzer's source was unwilling to state what specific information was removed from the interview.
A second source, labeled by Meltzer as a "major star" within AEW, stated that they still don't feel they've been told the truth about the situation. According to Meltzer, after the previous times Khan publicly backed up Punk's statements about what occurred behind the scenes in AEW, Meltzer was approached by numerous prominent performers in the company and told that Khan's statements were not true.
Before their falling out, Punk and Cabana were on the same side of a lawsuit involving WWE, based on comments made by Punk on Cabana's podcast in 2014. However, the two found themselves in conflict over lawyer fees, which later resulted in another lawsuit — this time between Cabana and Punk — that was settled out of court. When Punk eventually arrived in AEW, Cabana was taken off the road before later being placed on the Ring of Honor brand with a reduced schedule.