AEW Releases Controversial Producer Attached to CM Punk
After initially getting fired following the "Brawl Out," AEW has once again cut ties with Ace Steel.
AEW released Ace Steel (real name Chris Guy) once again on Thursday according to PWInsider's Mike Johnson. Steel was initially hired to be a coach for the WWE back in late 2019 but was released in January 2022. He was then hired to work backstage in AEW, and on top of being a producer and coach he made a surprise on-camera appearance to help build the CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley AEW World Championship match at the All Out 2022 pay-per-view. Steel was then infamously involved in the backstage "Brawl Out" incident following the event with Punk, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks and allegedly bit Omega during the altercation.
Stee was initially released in October 2022 but was brought back the following May on Punk's insistence. He worked remotely upon his return, but then AEW announced last Saturday that Punk had been fired from the promotion following another backstage incident, this time at the All In 2023 pay-per-view.
Chris Jericho Reveals Conversation With CM Punk at All In
Chris Jericho confirmed on the latest Talk Is Jericho that he spoke with Punk backstage following the altercation with Jack Perry that resulted in Punk getting fired. Punk's final match saw him defend his "Real" AEW World Championship against Samoa Joe in the opening match of the pay-per-view.
"I don't want to dwell on this or talk about, but I should address it. CM Punk, no longer with AEW, Wembley (Stadium) was his last match," Jericho said. "Which, what a way to go out if you're going to go out. It's a regretful moment, what happened, but Tony Khan made his decision. CM Punk was a big part of AEW from the time he was here and if you're going to go out, he went out on top by having this big match with Samoa Joe in a sold out stadium."
"I did speak to him, briefly," Jericho added. "I was going to do a frankensteiner off the top, and I know that he does that sometimes, so I was curious if he was going to do it. I went and talked to him for a bit, asked if he was going to do it, he wasn't. I told him I was going to do the GTS, with a straight face, and I think for a second he thought that I was going to. I was joking, of course. I did see him that day."
AEW All Out 2023 Results
- (Zero Hour) Adam "Hangman Page Wins the Over Budget Battle Royale
- (Zero Hour) Hikaru Shida, Willow Nightingale & Skye Blue def. Athena, Mercedes Martinez & Diamante
- (Zero Hour) AEW World Trios Championships: The Acclaimed def. Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh & Jay Lethal
- ROH World Tag Team Championships: MJF & Adam Cole def. The Dark Order
- ROH World Television Championship: Samoa Joe def. Shane Taylor
- AEW TNT Championship: Luchasaurus def. Darby Allin
- Miro def. Powerhouse Hobbs
- AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander def. Ruby Soho
- Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks (Strap Match)
- Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta def. Eddie Kingston & Katsuyori Shibata
- Konosuke Takeshita def. Kenny Omega
- Bullet Club Gold def. The Young Bucks & FTR
- AEW International Championship: Jon Moxley def. Orange Cassidy
