Why AEW Is Showing The CM Punk/Jack Perry All In Footage
Here's why AEW will be showing the Punk/Perry incident on tonight's Dynamite.
With tonight's AEW Dynamite set to feature footage of CM Punk and Jack Perry's backstage altercation at All In 2023 - an altercation that got Punk fired and saw Perry removed from AEW programming - many have questioned how wise a move this is.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, AEW President Tony Khan has given somewhat of an explanation as to why he's decided to air this footage.
Reiterating that this footage is legitimate, Khan explained:
"AEW has a great track record on delivering what we advertise, and it is real footage. The Young Bucks will show backstage footage from All In, the most important event in AEW history–the world record-holder for the most tickets ever sold for any wrestling record, 81,035 total–and it was an important night backstage, as well.”
As for the reason this will be shown on Dynamite tonight, Tony added:
"The decision is based on putting on the best show for AEW, as well as driving interest for Dynamite and our Dynasty pay-per-view on April 21. This is real-life footage that affected many people, and it will air for the first time on TBS during Dynamite."
Khan also indicated that this will tie to the upcoming Young Bucks vs. FTR match at AEW Dynasty for the vacant AEW Tag Team Titles:
“The Young Bucks are wrestling for the world tag team championship at AEW Dynasty against longtime rivals FTR. Their rivalry is one of the most significant ever in AEW, and there is a good reason why the Young Bucks are showing this video.”
Of course, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler are close friends of CM Punk's, and so the footage of Punk and Jack Perry's backstage fight could certainly be one way to stir the pot in the rivalry between FTR and the Bucks. Then again, one has to think of the money, ratings, and buyrates AEW could've drawn if they'd actually maximised on CM Punk's fight with the Elite at All Out 2022 by spinning that into a storyline, rather than refusing to acknowledge those very real issues and refusing to do business with the Chicagoan, and now instead looking to pop a rating and bring interest by using Punk's latter All In fight instead...