Jim Cornette has claimed that Tony Khan has botched AEW’s Interim World Championship storyline by making a “f*cking garbage wrestler” in Jon Moxley champion.
On the June 3rd edition of AEW Rampage CM Punk announced that he would be stepping away from the ring as he required surgery. To make matters worse, the star had only been crowned AEW World Champion less than a week earlier.
Despite Punk being out for an extended period, it was announced that he would not be forced to relinquish the title. Instead a tournament would be held to decide an Interim Champion. That tournament was won by Jon Moxley.
However, the storyline hasn’t impressed everyone. Speaking on his Jim Cornette Experience podcast, the legendary manager explained how he believes the story should have played out.
Cornette said that ideally a heel would have been made Interim Champion so that the beloved babyface in Punk would have had someone to conquer when he returned.
“He’s got one of the biggest names in professional wrestling CM Punk as your AEW World Champion, he gets an injury. So instead of stripping him of the belt, you decide to create an Interim Champion with the thought that when Punk is ready to go, that they will reunite those titles. That’s a sure-fire story in any kind of combat sport, can’t miss f*cking angle, and they’ve missed it.”
Because to do that properly, once Tony had made that decision, to create an Interim Champion, and not to strip Punk, then obviously not only any genius, but anybody that just knows anything would have said okay, the Interim Champion needs to be the strongest heel I’ve got with a big mouth. Because that Interim Champion needs to win that Interim Title and he needs to crow about it and he needs to get some wins every week against the majority of my roster, we got to keep him strong.”
Cornette continued by laying out how the angle could have theoretically played out with the dastardly heel taunting Punk has he tries to recover, before finally going one step too far which brings the champion back.
“He’s claiming to be the real champion. He’s beaten more people in the past six weeks than Punk defended against entirely and he’s crowing. Meanwhile you all you have to do is show the original champion at his doctor’s office, speaking to the doctor, doing physical therapy, doing training, getting comments, is he behind or ahead of his recovery?
You know, what we’re going to ask a question, is he going to be ready? He might have to relinquish. Maybe he’ll never be the same again, is Tony Khan now debating the thought of stripping CM Punk of that championship if he doesn’t get back quick, and making the Interim Champion the real champion? And that whole time that heel is out there calling Punk a coward. And finally, he says something heinous, or does something heinous and personal.
That’s when Punk makes a surprise return and attacks the f*cking guy that has caused him problems and has been creating this reign of terror, and they have a big pull apart. And Punk demands to come back and face this guy but he’s not medically cleared. Well, God dammit will have a non-sanctioned match.
He doesn’t have to be medically cleared after the regular card is over, lights out, Punk versus whoever for all the marbles, the winner will be the Undisputed AEW Champion. And the returning conquering hero will slay a dragon right or wrong, regain his property in the main event of a pay-per-view oh I don’t know maybe like in his hometown of Chicago. There’s one coming up if he ain’t ready there, make it the pay-per-view in November or whatever.”
The former booker added that a potential babyface vs. babyface match between CM Punk and Jon Moxley doesn’t work as it splits the loyalty of the audience.
“But what have they done? They not only didn’t put the f*cking Interim Title on a heel so that there would be a dragon for the conquering hero to return and slay. But they put it on a f*cking garbage wrestler with an indie mindset…
A f*cking balding, physically unimpressive, lack of athletic ability f*cking goofball with some kind of brain damage that he likes garbage wrestling. He’ll be the champion but so you’re splitting the audience who they got to cheer for? Who’s in the right who’s being taken advantage of? The f*cking whole presentation is completely off…
This is pay per view buys, this is tickets and NBA arenas. That’s what’s wrapped up with Punk and the AEW title, and he’s botched this too.”
Jon Moxley will be back in action at Quake By The Lake when he defends his Interim AEW World Title against Chris Jericho.
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