The Self-Destruction Of CM Punk In AEW | Wrestling Timelines
August 31, 2022 - The Mood Plummets
The brief programme between CM Punk and Jon Moxley can be described as an exhilarating, obvious political compromise. They each share a win.
Moxley squashes Punk on the August 24 Dynamite. The idea, which seems to contradict the events of Quake By The Lake, is that Punk’s foot is still bothering him. That, or he’s in his own head, which would explain things.
On the August 31 Dynamite, Ace Steel tries to snap Punk out of his funk, imploring his mate to sign the contract for the PPV rematch. One rah-rah speech follows another, as Punk calls upon his home city crowd to get behind him. This is cheap and corny, and likely much more appealing if you’re in the building, but as ever with CM Punk, the delivery is world class.
What’s noticeable here, though, is that this is meant to be Punk’s grand hometown babyface gesture - and he takes the time to fat-shame a heckler midway through it. This all feels oddly phony. The reaction is broadly very positive, but the building doesn’t crackle with that First Dance electricity. Punk, again, feels moody and off.
The building matches his energy a few days later.
September 2, 2022 - Denial
Everybody now knows, or everybody thinks they know, what’s going on. Tony Khan must address this, and he is asked about it when Blake Oestriecher of Forbes interviews him for the All Out publicity run. Blake asks whether Cabana was moved to ROH to placate Punk, or if Punk was involved in any way.
Khan’s response is less than unequivocal.
He says “There is certainly a perception out there that I don’t think is accurate”. Khan seems to firm up his response by saying “there was a misconception that was perpetuated unfairly that CM Punk had anything to do with me wanting to move Colt Cabana to the Ring Of Honor roster when his contract came up”.
Then, Khan is once more not forthright: “I don’t know if it was fair that that got perpetuated”.
This is considerably different to “Absolutely, categorically not”, isn't it?
Khan will say, two days later, that he should have been “perfectly clear” - but it’s too late. AEW has been set ablaze.