AEW Held Talent Meeting Prior to Collision
Tony Khan arranged a talent meeting ahead of Saturday night’s Collision to explain exactly why CM Punk had been fired.
Following on the success of selling 81,000 tickets last weekend as AEW rocked Wembley Stadium, this week should have offered Tony Khan and AEW huge momentum going into Chicago for All Out.
Instead, a backstage altercation between “Real World Champion” CM Punk and Jack Perry led to the dismissal of Punk ahead of what would have been two nights of homecoming events.
Ahead of Saturday’s Collision event, AEW boss Khan pulled together the roster so that they could be informed of everything that had happened at Wembley and why the decision had been made to terminate CM Punk’s contract. AEW released a statement across social media informing fans of a decision that brings to end a turbulent relationship between the former WWE Champion and AEW executives.
Punk’s last match in AEW was a victory over long term rival Samoa Joe in the opening bout at All In to retain the “Real World Championship”, which was created following Punk’s claims he never lost the AEW World Championship and on the debut edition of Collision made it clear he viewed himself as still the companies main Champion.
Bryan Alvarez discussed the pre-Collision production meeting during the latest Wrestling Observer Radio. Alvarez also shared how Tony Khan addressed the crowd to inform them of Punk’s release.
“So before the show about what happened. But there was a meeting before the show, and everybody was told what happened. This was before Collision tonight. And Tony also went out before the crowd and told them.
And the interesting thing is, if you watch the Dynamite show on Wednesday if you watch the TV version, I did not hear any chants for CM Punk. People who were there said there were a couple that started that got booed down on Wednesday.”
Young Bucks Booed During Collision Between Fans And AEW
Following news of CM Punk’s release from AEW, some fans in attendance at Collision chose to boo AEW Executive Vice Presidents The Young Bucks for their part in a previous altercation with Punk.
Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer discussed crowd reactions to the news as part of their Wrestling Observer Radio, including how they felt Tony Khan had won over most fans by the end of his appearance.
Meltzer: “There were a couple of chants that got booed down before the show started. Yeah.”
Alvarez: “And there were a couple on Collision as well. But in general, it was not like the fans hijacked the show or, you know, anything of that nature. It was largely the same deal.”
Meltzer: “They booed the Young Bucks. They popped originally for them that emotional pop to save FTR, but then they booed them and everything like that and that was actually the one CM punk chant when they came out that was not booed down.
Tony was booed in his live appearance. By the end, he kind of got the crowd with him.”
AEW Talent are now preparing to silence any criticism from the Chicago crowd as they put on a 13-match card All Out headlined by Orange Cassidy and Jon Moxley.
Cassidy is putting the AEW International Championship at risk as he steps into the ring with the one active member of Blackpool Combat Club he is yet to pin in 2023.
Better Than You BayBay members MJF and Adam Cole are set to put their newly won ROH Tag Team Championships on the line against The Dark Order, whilst Bryan Danielson is set to return to action in a strap match against Ricky Starks.
H/t to WrestlingNews