A new report has claimed that the backstage drama involving a number of the AEW’s top names shows no sign of slowing as the situation continues to get worse.
The opening segment of the August 17th episode of AEW Dynamite set the wrestling world on fire, but not altogether for the right reasons.
CM Punk kicked things off by cutting a promo addressing current rival and Interim World Champion Jon Moxley. While this portion of the segment, including the following confrontation with Moxley, was well received, it was Punk’s initial comments which left fans puzzled.
The AEW World Champion began by taking aim at Hangman Adam Page, before challenging him to come to the ring and calling him a coward. It was later reported that the comments were completely off script, and Punk had “gone into business for himself.”
A further report outlined Punk’s current unhappiness in AEW, revealing he refused to lose a match to Page and there was a belief that he may no-show Dynamite altogether.
Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer had now claimed that the situation with “many of the top guys” has gotten “much worse” in recent weeks. Meltzer points to the issues around the planned release and subsequent U-turn on Colt Cabana as the catalyst, although he adds that a number of stars are “close to their breaking point” if these issues are not resolved.
“Right now there is a ton of backstage drama involving many of the top guys that has gotten much worse in recent weeks. There’s a part of me where I just think Tony Khan needs to sit everyone down and air everything out before it gets worse. The big thing that started all this is that Colt Cabana is not in the Dark Order with no angle and stopped being brought to television.
He was going to be cut but Khan signed him for ROH. This is really the catalyst of everything although different people have different stories as to why it happened, including Page and Punk. But even if that didn’t happen, it was probably going to happen for something else just given the nature of the different personalities involved. It feels like a number of people are close to their breaking point if things don’t get settle.”
CM Punk will be in action on the upcoming edition of AEW Dynamite when he takes on Jon Moxley in a huge World Championship Unification Match.