By: Chuck Miller
Pro Wrestling

CM Punk worked himself into a shoot.

Before this blog post gets underway, I need to explain a few wrestling terms. A “work” is when two wrestlers look like they want to beat the shit out of each other in the ring, but it’s all scripted action and both men are working together to achieve the result. A “shoot” is when one of the wrestlers goes completely off-script and decides to beat the shit out of his opponent for real.

CM Punk is one of the most talented and gifted professional wrestlers of his generation. His work 20 years ago in Ring of Honor helped build that company into a long-running viable wrestling alternative. He would later join the WWE and win several championships in that company. And after a seven-year self-enforced exile … he returned to the pro wrestling world as a featured member of WWE’s top rival company, All Elite Wrestling.

At the time, CM Punk’s return in 2021 to the pro wrestling circuit was the biggest news story in the squared circle. The man known as the “Second City Saint,” the “Voice of the Voiceless,” the man who could turn a microphone promo into eye-catching news, was coming back from exile.

And it was glorious.

But during CM Punk’s time back in the pro wrestling circuit, sadly there were cracks in the facade. His joy at returning to the sport were tempered by long-standing grudges and personal slights. Such was the case with Punk’s program with veteran wrestler Eddie Kingston, a man who also came up through the independent wrestling circuit and who spent 20 years fighting for a chance to appear on the big screen. During what seemed like a scripted promo between the two men, Kingston got off a few barbs that may have hit too close to Punk’s psyche.

And although Punk would later win his match against Kingston, and would soon face “Hangman” Adam Page for the chance to take the AEW Championship belt, Page let off a few barbs of his own during an in-ring promo.

What Page and Kingston both referenced is that Punk demands perfection in the ring and out of the ring from everyone he associates with … to the point where it becomes overbearing. And all it takes is one mistake, one error, one micro-aggression … and CM Punk has designated you as an enemy.

Such was the case last year at one of AEW’s biggest pay-per-view events, AEW All OUT. In the main event, CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley and secured the heavyweight championship for the second time. But in the post-media scrum … he went on a blistering tirade in front of dozens of journalists. As AEW owner and president Tony Khan sat next to Punk in the media scrum, Punk tore into various wrestlers, including his once lifelong friend Scott “Colt Cabana” Colton.

Now to explain the vitriol here for those not in the know … Punk appeared on Cabana’s podcast after Punk was released from the WWE, and Punk talked about various abuses he suffered from in WWE, including medical coverage that bordered on ludicrous. One of the medical practitioners associated with WWE at the time sued Punk and Cabana for defamation, Punk promised to cover Cabana’s legal fees, but it took a while for Punk to play off Cabana’s debts from the lawsuit.

So at the All Out media scrum … Punk ripped a new one into Cabana (using Cabana’s real name, Scott Colton), as well as chewing out some of AEW’s top talent, including the Young Bucks, who were both on-air talent and Executive Vice Presidents of the company. Oh, and Hangman Adam Page also caught a few stray bullets in the scrum.

And this wasn’t the worst moment at that event. After the media scrum, there was a legit backstage fight between CM Punk and his long-time friend Ace Steel, against the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega in the locker room, to the point where Steel bit Kenny Omega’s arm like Omega was a piece of steak. Punk, the Young Bucks and Omega were suspended for months, and Steel was fired.

After a long cooling-off period, Punk returned to AEW, and would feature highly in AEW’s new Saturday night wrestling show AEW Collision. The plan was that some talent would wrestle on Collision, while others who wanted to stay as far away from Punk as possible would stay on AEW’s Wednesday night program Dynamite. And this worked … for the most part.

But Punk still couldn’t keep his anger in check. He still had issues with Hangman Adam Page, as he voiced in a post-Collision broadcast interview that mocked Page’s souvenir sales.

Now Punk later apologized to Page for the tirade … but things got worse.

And “by worse,” I mean that Punk took out his frustration one of AEW’s long-time stars, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry.

Jack Perry (son of Beverly Hills, 90210 star Luke Perry) used to wrestle in a Tarzan-like gimmick, complete with flowing hair and loincloth. But in the past few weeks, he changed his gimmick from a beloved babyface to a sinister heel, and was involved in a program with another wrestler, a mixed martial artist fighter named Hook.

During their upcoming run towards one of the biggest shows in AEW history – All In at Wembley Stadium in England – Perry planned to use a stunt that involved him and Hook crashing through a car windshield. Punk, who by this time viewed himself as both on-air talent and coach, told Perry that the stunt should not involve real glass, but instead should be attempted with sugared glass so as to minimize injury. Tensions flared backstage between the two.

So at the All In pay-per-view, Perry and Hook fought on top of a limousine, and I’ve cued up their match to a very specific point. After Perry performs a “Rolling Thunder” move on Hook, he then motions to the video camera and comments that the limousine windshield was real glass. You know Perry’s message was directed to ONE individual in the back.

After the match ended, Perry went back to the dressing room, where he and Punk got into a physical altercation. And I don’t mean one of those pull-apart brawls to set up a new angle. This was a legit fight. To the point where Punk almost quit the company right then and there – prior to Punk’s upcoming highly-anticipated match against Samoa Joe.

It took everything AEW President Tony Khan could do to keep the show going, and eventually Joe and Punk went to the ring and had a four-star match in front of 81,000 excited fans. But after that match was complete … Punk had a massive argument with Tony Khan, to the point where Khan was hit with a backstage monitor screen.

Yesterday, Khan made it official. After AEW released a public statement on the matter, Tony Khan took the microphone and began AEW Collision by announcing that AEW had terminated CM Punk’s employment with the company WITH CAUSE.

Think about this. CM Punk was given everything possible at AEW – featured matches, the biggest feuds, main-event shows, heck Tony Khan gave him his own TV show – and the fact that Punk got fired WITH CAUSE speaks more about what Punk did to nuke his working relationship with AEW.

In other words … CM Punk worked himself into a shoot.

So what’s next for Punk? He doesn’t really have to wrestle to pay his bills; he received a multi-million dollar settlement from WWE when he was let go from that company years ago. He can still collect big bucks from souvenir sales and convention appearances.

But who’s really going to embrace him as a part of their wrestling company at this point in time? WWE would never take him back, and Punk has napalmed his bridges with AEW (and AEW currently owns the Ring of Honor promotion, so Punk won’t be welcome there). The only other promotions even available as an option might be Impact (which basically funds their shows on shoestring budgets) and maybe PWG in California, but that’s it.

I hate this. I actually was excited when CM Punk came back to the sport. Honestly, I was.

But it truly says something if you don’t feel safe with your co-workers AT A PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING COMPANY.

And maybe this was the final clue. After his match in Wembley Stadium against Samoa Joe, CM Punk waved to the fans, sign-languaged “I love you,” and mouthed the words “Goodbye”

So for CM Punk … the ride in AEW has ended.

And I don’t know if there’s another ride out there for him.

Or even if another cmpany would dare give him that ride.