AEW: More on CM Punk's Backstage Drama, Punk's Regret Over Hangman Page Comments, Tony Khan Comments

CM Punk apparently wants to bury the hatchet with The Elite while Tony Khan refused to comment on the latest AEW drama

By Connor Casey

AEW found itself as the subject of a new wave of backstage drama this week as reports started popping up on Sunday night of CM Punk allegedly demanding certain wrestlers be sent home from recent AEW Collision tapings. That list of names includes Ryan Nemeth, who reportedly had a backstage face-to-face confrontation with Punk recently, Matt Hardy, Christopher Daniels and, most recently, "Hangman" Adam Page. The Wrestling Observer reported Monday morning that Page was originally booked to film a pre-tape at the Collision taping in Greensboro this past Saturday, only to be told he needed to do it away from the arena upon arrival. Punk then cut a post-show promo on Page. 

"Earlier today, I went to a local supermarket and I figured out why they call him Hangman. It's because the pegs in the toy aisle are full of Hangman action figures because nobody wants to buy them. He's a peg warmer, unlike me, who moves merchandise and pops ratings and sells toys. You got everybody in AEW saying, 'I'm the heart, I'm the soul, I'm the spirit.' Well, that's objective [subjective], what's a fact is the people who say that certainly aren't the chin of AEW because the lights go out faster than...what? GTS, Go To Sleep, I don't know what I'm trying to do," Punk said before losing his train of thought. "I got rocked too. I told the House of Black, 'no chops,' and they chopped me, so I'm very mad."

The latest report from Nick Hausman of Haus of Wrestling offered some perspective from Punk's side — "We have not heard anything in regard to Punk asking to have Page or Hardy not be present at the Greensboro Coliseum for the taping. However, we were told that Punk's post-Collision promo comments about Page did not come across how he would have liked them and that he felt bad about them afterward."

CM Punk Attempting to "Bury The Hatchet"

According to Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp, Pun is still trying to get the chance to speak with Page, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega but has been repeatedly turned down. Ever since the "Brawl Out" incident following the 2022 All Out pay-per-view last September, the only member of The Elite to be reportedly interested in working with Punk has been Omega.

"Those close with the Elite say that these situations make them want to distance themselves more," Sapp wrote. 

Tony Khan Comments on Latest AEW Drama

AEW President Tony Khan was given the opportunity to comment on the situation and Punk's recent comments in a new interview with the Battleground Podcast. He declined. 

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"No, not really. I thought it was a great show on Saturday night. I don't have any further comment to that, but I'm glad people are still very interested in our wrestlers and what's happening after the wrestling shows. We'll try to have a couple of great shows this week, and certainly, there has been a lot of interest in what's happening in AEW in it and out of the ring," Khan said (h/t Fightful).

What do you make of this whole situation? Will any of it lead to actual matches? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

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