CM Punk Fired

[Frankensteiner]

As a fan, it's just a really sad ending. Collision was such a great weekly wrestling show, the first time in almost 20 years I felt compelled to watch a wrestling show every week. Unfortunately, most of that was due to Punk as he was the only one that could still draw my interest to the modern product.

I find the Elite pretty much unwatchable and the antithesis of what I look for in my wrestling.

I also think it's strange that so many fans have gotten so worked up over Punk's backstage issues, as if they were his co-workers or had direct interaction with him personally. 

[sek69]

1 minute ago, Frankensteiner said:

I also think it's strange that so many fans have gotten so worked up over Punk's backstage issues, as if they were his co-workers or had direct interaction with him personally. 

Well he was actively fucking with a promotion they enjoy watching, so I understand. Also we all know how calm and level headed wrestling fans can be 

[Kadaveri]

Loss made a comment on Twitter about how the chosen framing of the various stories in this saga can significantly affect how they're perceived. Like what some people on here are describing as Punk "getting his own show" can also be framed as "AEW banned their top star from appearing on its flagship TV show."

[C.S.]

1 minute ago, Kadaveri said:

Loss made a comment on Twitter about how the chosen framing of the various stories in this saga can significantly affect how they're perceived. Like what some people on here are describing as Punk "getting his own show" can also be framed as "AEW banned their top star from appearing on its flagship TV show."

A great point, but Punk was on the Dynamite the week after Collision's premiere.

I don't think he's been on it since though, or at least not very often. 

[Frankensteiner]

5 minutes ago, sek69 said:

Well he was actively fucking with a promotion they enjoy watching, so I understand. Also we all know how calm and level headed wrestling fans can be 

Was he actively fucking with a promotion? Just from an on-screen standpoint, he was part of the creative direction for a show that many people really enjoyed. I thought Collision was much more interesting than Dynamite. 

[sek69]

9 minutes ago, Frankensteiner said:

Was he actively fucking with a promotion? Just from an on-screen standpoint, he was part of the creative direction for a show that many people really enjoyed. I thought Collision was much more interesting than Dynamite. 

Yes, yes he was. He was going on TV and being unprofessional towards his co workers. Regardless of "who started it" Punk kept it going by acting like an aggrieved teenager needing to get the last word. He got into backstage fights and caused booking plans to get upturned due to the fallout of them. 

[NintendoLogic]

32 minutes ago, Frankensteiner said:

I also think it's strange that so many fans have gotten so worked up over Punk's backstage issues, as if they were his co-workers or had direct interaction with him personally. 

I think a lot of it was due to the Elite's contact status being up in the air and people dreading the prospect of friction with Punk driving them out of the company and into the arms of the evil WWE. It seemed to die down a bit after Omega and the Bucks re-upped, but then...you know.

The SI piece on the firing said it best: "Punk was not at fault for every single issue in AEW, but he was the common denominator on too many occasions." Even the most pro-Punk accounts of what went down at All In have him instigating the altercation with Perry and physically escalating the situation. Say what you want about poking the bear, but if everyone has to walk on eggshells because you're liable to fly into a berserker rage at the slightest provocation, you're more trouble than you're worth unless you're a Hogan-level draw. And at least Hogan knew how to charm people and make them think he was on their side. Speaking of sides, Ace Steel's status in the company is currently unknown. If he does manage to keep his job, how long will be it be before he and Punk have a falling-out over failing to quit in protest?

[pmo]

Maybe but he also made attempts to bury the hatchet, the bucks cancelled on him. The bucks took a victory lap after collision last night.  Punk took the bait but this was Shawn Michaels sunny days crap by the Bucks.  Also considering that the cancellation might have forced him to travel late and lead to the travel disaster, what they've been doing while not fireable is also unprofessional.  What Tony did by not disciplining the Bucks is give them carte blanche to bully the lockeroom at will like a dime store Hall and Nash.

[strobogo]

4 minutes ago, Kadaveri said:

Loss made a comment on Twitter about how the chosen framing of the various stories in this saga can significantly affect how they're perceived. Like what some people on here are describing as Punk "getting his own show" can also be framed as "AEW banned their top star from appearing on its flagship TV show."

Which could also be framed as "AEW banned their EVP top talents, and head of talent relations, from their new secondary show". Not even sure what kind of devil's advocate argument you might be trying to make here.

The guy got his own show where he controlled the locker room and who was and was not allowed in (which somehow included office), and had the pull to nix angles that iddn't involve him that were previously approved.

[Embrodak]

Cannot wait for the video to leak. If anything in wrestling ever demand the Jim Garrison treatment, it’s this.

[Johnny Sorrow]

" And we can clearly see right here that Tony Khan shit himself after being near a fight and confronted. Back and to the left. Back. And to the left . Now that's one magic pants shitting."

This entire thing is a shit show. Khan's hostage video statement was clearly written by lawyers and was a joke, and allowing  the fucking Jacksons to go out on Collision and do a Victory lap just shows that Khan still has no control over his company. It's a fucking mess that I don't care about anymore. I really tried. For a couple of months Collision was actual good pro wrestling TV. Dynamite is currently coming to Broomfield this month for the third time and I'm probably not going for the first time because I don't care about anything AEW is doing on that show. 

[C.S.]

Weirdest Punk "newz" yet, courtesy of bodyslam.net, so I don't know what to make of it.

Multiple sources have confirmed to me details about an incident that took place between CM Punk and William Regal, which took place when Regal made his AEW debut. In the altercation between the two men, Punk refused to shake Regal’s hand, and would then get in the legends face, telling him that he did not like him, he did not trust him and that Regal was a “stooge for Triple H.”

This feels exaggerated at best and smells like bullshit at worst, but who knows...

[MoS]

13 hours ago, Big Pete said:

Wasn't Vince constantly looking to sneak attack Kurt and hit him with a double leg takedown? Also wasn't there a story about Kofi Kingston having to challenge Vince to a fight to gain respect?

I doubt this would have fazed him. He doesn't watch UFC, but he would have backed himself to kick Punk's ass.

Both those stories are significantly tamer than Punk running at TK swearing at him and trying to punch him. I doubt Vince would have been scared, and he would have definitely killed either himself or someone else before saying in front of the camera that he feared for his life, but I also think Vince would have also fired the wrestler in question, pretty much immediately 

[The Man in Blak]

1 hour ago, Johnny Sorrow said:

" And we can clearly see right here that Tony Khan shit himself after being near a fight and confronted. Back and to the left. Back. And to the left . Now that's one magic pants shitting."

This entire thing is a shit show. Khan's hostage video statement was clearly written by lawyers and was a joke, and allowing  the fucking Jacksons to go out on Collision and do a Victory lap just shows that Khan still has no control over his company. It's a fucking mess that I don't care about anymore. I really tried. For a couple of months Collision was actual good pro wrestling TV. Dynamite is currently coming to Broomfield this month for the third time and I'm probably not going for the first time because I don't care about anything AEW is doing on that show. 

I’m not going to say that the Bucks’ victory lap was the last straw, but it’s certainly makes things easier. Other than Collision, Forbidden Door II and a couple of stray Dynamites where the Collision crew were making appearances, I’ve basically been checked out of AEW since Brawl Out anyway. I’m happy to keep it on the same plane of existence as Impact or New Japan now, where I’ll pop my head in to see matches after the fact that people are raving about (like Danielson/Starks from tonight, apparently), but that’s it.

I have wanted more from AEW from the beginning and there have been so many moments where it looked like it could get there, especially early on when the promotion felt like it cracked the code of finding meaningful angles to bring life into athletically impressive -- but utterly synthetic -- modern ringwork. Maybe it’ll get there someday after all.

But this is a promotion that feels like it has been in a slow-motion tailspin ever since the ROH acquisition and (yes) the Cody departure. The reason why they could fill an entire roster for Collision is because they have almost an entire indie promotion’s roster full of talent that they’ve squandered, alienated, or just outright forgotten about. The return of CM Punk was just the sales pitch for the island of misfit toys and his firing, as justified as it looks like it may be, isn’t going to fix the culture of dysfunction that’s left behind.

Yes, everybody came out with something to prove for the PPV because that’s the only consistent thing that AEW has been able to do in the promotion’s entire history. The wrestlers always work hard; as the cranky grandpa on Christmas Vacation says, so do washing machines. Whenever any of it means a damn thing, just let me know.

[Big Pete]

3 hours ago, MoS said:

Both those stories are significantly tamer than Punk running at TK swearing at him and trying to punch him. I doubt Vince would have been scared, and he would have definitely killed either himself or someone else before saying in front of the camera that he feared for his life, but I also think Vince would have also fired the wrestler in question, pretty much immediately 

I'm sceptical that's actually what happened between Punk & Tony. I'm also sceptical at the 'lunging' story because I'm picturing a tope suicida in which case I'd be more scared for Punk than Tony. We'll see if there's any evidence but the plausible story is that after Punk & Jungle Boy's set to, Punk came over to Tony, shoved some monitors out of the way and gave him an earful.

Maybe I'm wrong and CM Punk fired up a Superman Punch for Tony Khan but based on everything I'm far more likely to believe TK and his team has over-exaggerated this to justify their decision.

This is not to say that Vince's method is 100% the right way, but this whole saga illustrates why he micro-manages and keeps a lot of his wrestlers in check. It would never have got to this point because if Vince was in charge, Punk would have been sent home after the 'Coward Shit' promo and Punk would have been scrubbed from every promotional material until it was resolved.

[sek69]

I've been thinking for a while now that what Tony needs is a bad cop like Johnny Ace or JR was for Vince. Someone to give the bad news/lay down the law so he doesn't end up facing the wrath of the talent directly. 

Also this whole drama makes me want to know how it went down when the Jags fired Urban Meyer. 

[strobogo]

Matt Jackson doing a victory lap to troll the Chicago fans chanting CM Punk at him after the show was probably ill-advised, but also funnier and a lot less wtf man than Punk randomly talking shit about Hangman not being able to sell merch after a show.

[Dav'oh]

Clearly, we live for this shit, so thank-you Phil. Long may you be a shitcunt.

(And really, he's just displaying all the personal characteristics that made him so popular in the first place...)

[Embrodak]

Eh, for funniness I give it to the “hangman” line, that was genuinely pretty scathing and clever. Totally uncalled for, but clever.

[Kadaveri]

The most significant different is the Young Bucks are EVPs. Company management gloating in front of fans that the company's biggest draw has been fired shows a very inappropriate sense of priorities. If AEW wants to come out of this relatively unscathed they need to retain those fans who're more into the CM Punk style of wrestling, Tony's solemn statement talking about how he didn't want to fire Punk but his actions just couldn't be tolerated any more was the correct tone for someone putting the company first even if they were happy Punk was gone. The Bucks however come across like they these fans as the enemy and want to drive them off.

[C.S.]

Jack(ass) Perry has been suspended indefinitely from AEW.

[Embrodak]

Tony has to be pissed at Jungle Boy for poking the bear, for sure. Tony is like a combination exotic animal owner/action figure collector, and Jungle Boy did the equivalent of taking the most expensive action figure out of the packaging and requiring the county to send in a guy to euthanize it.

[strobogo]

On the other hand, he's probably somewhat relieved it was a guy like Jungle Boy and not another top guy that Punk had an issue with.

[Embrodak]

Maybe he should have given Punk his own show at Wembley

[pmo]

39 minutes ago, Kadaveri said:

The most significant different is the Young Bucks are EVPs. Company management gloating in front of fans that the company's biggest draw has been fired shows a very inappropriate sense of priorities. If AEW wants to come out of this relatively unscathed they need to retain those fans who're more into the CM Punk style of wrestling, Tony's solemn statement talking about how he didn't want to fire Punk but his actions just couldn't be tolerated any more was the correct tone for someone putting the company first even if they were happy Punk was gone. The Bucks however come across like they these fans as the enemy and want to drive them off.

This, they're management.  They are supposed to be above the fray and impartial.  Instead they act like children.  Frankly at minimum Tony should strip them of their EVP titles.  They want to act like talent let them be talent.  I suspect though Perry is going to get the ax since he instigated it.  He will be the sacrifical lamb here.