Report: CM Punk's Side "Backs Off" On AEW All Out 2022 Claims
CM Punk's AEW future hangs in the balance, but his side's All Out 2022 story is shifting...
Confirmation that CM Punk and All Elite Wrestling have formally severed ties is yet to come through despite recent reporting suggesting the 43-year-old will never wrestle for the Tony Khan-helmed promotion again, but speculation on what really happened post-All Out 2022 persists.
A backstage fight with Punk and trainer Ace Steel on one side and The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega broke out following Punk's incendiary comments during the post-show media scrum. Reports on how the brawl started have varied from day one, though it was widely accepted that Punk punched Matt Jackson at least once, while Omega was bitten and had his hair pulled by Steel.
Now, Punk's side is reportedly "backing down" on their side of the story, which involved The Young Bucks kicking in the Chicagoan's locked room door after the scrum.
Bryan Alvarez reported on Wrestling Observer Live that "there really aren't two sides of the story anymore." That Punk threw the first punch is unanimously agreed, with his side backing away from the "kicking the door down thing." Now, the only real disagreement centres around the Bucks' perceived level of aggression.
Said Alvarez (h/t Wrestling News.co):-
"The thing about the brawl is there really aren't two sides of the story anymore. There were two sides of the story for a while but now pretty much both sides agree that CM Punk threw the first punch. The Punk side has backed off the kicking the door down thing. They have admitted [The Bucks] didn't kick the door down. The Young Bucks did go into the room. They didn't just go into the room with the head of legal. They went into the room with the head of legal (Megha Parekh) and the head of talent relations (Christopher Daniels). So they ain't kicking down the door and like I said, both sides agree they didn't kick down the door. Really the only disagreement at this point is were the Bucks aggressive? Punk's side admitted he threw the first punch. The only disagreement is was he actually in fear for his safety or did he just start punching?"
Kenny Omega and both Young Bucks remain suspended for their role in the post-All Out brawl. Michael Nakazawa, Brandon Cutler, Pat Buck, and Christopher Daniels have had theirs lifted after an investigation into the matter revealed they had tried to break the fight up, rather than participate in it.
Punk suffered a suspected torn triceps while wrestling Jon Moxley at All Out, sidelining him for six to nine months. He was stripped of his AEW World Championship as a consequence of this. The Elite, meanwhile, found their newly-won Trios Titles vacated following their suspensions.