Mark Henry On AEW All In Altercation – “There Has To Be Consequences For Your Mistakes”
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry weighed in on the drama surrounding AEW All In.
The incident between Jack Perry and CM Punk at AEW All In is already becoming the stuff of legend, similar to Punk’s altercation with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega at last year’s All Out.
After Perry made a mid-match comment directed toward Punk, the two reportedly got into a physical confrontation backstage.
While accounts differ on what exactly went down once Perry came backstage after losing the FTW Championship to HOOK, it’s been reported that an altercation took place between Perry and Punk and that Perry was sent home from the arena while Punk went on to defeat Samoa Joe in the opening bout of the main show. Punk reportedly met with security after his bout and left Wembley Stadium of his own accord as he believed it would be better for everyone involved.
AEW President Tony Khan alluded to the incident during a post-show media scrum and said that an investigation was being launched. He refused to comment further. It was later reported that both men have been suspended pending the investigation results.
“When Is The Kick In The Ass Coming?” – Mark Henry On CM Punk AEW Drama
Though he didn’t address CM Punk and Jack Perry by name, Mark Henry addressed the backstage drama in AEW on a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, indicating that Tony Khan needs to implement consequences for continued bad behavior lest this sort of thing be allowed to continue.
“Maturity comes with experience. Look what we’re talking about. We’re talking about a company that’s still young. My wife told me yesterday, she said, ‘Our kids are awesome, but they’re still kids, and they’re immature. They need grace and guidance and a kick in the ass every now and then.’
“I’ve given them grace. Tony’s given them grace. He’s given them guidance. When is the kick in the ass coming? Sometimes, you need it. I had it. Didn’t want it. Didn’t like it. I don’t know if it can be explained any better. Sometimes, you need forgiveness. You always need forgiveness, and you also need a second chance. You need grace. But ultimately, Dave, when you make mistakes, there has to be consequences for your mistakes. Otherwise, you’re gonna do it again because there’s no consequences.”
After Henry’s co-host Dave LaGreca pointed out that people will take advantage of a leader they perceive as “soft,” Mark Henry continued, saying that someone in Khan’s position needs to be willing to put business decisions ahead of personal loyalties and relationships in order to have peace in the company.
“They’ll manipulate you. You’re thinking, ‘You know what, I get along with this person. They co-sign for my philosophies, and my ideals, and they say, ‘Hey, man, I’m always here for you. Listen, whatever you need, brother, I’m here.’ Then they do all of that, and then they try to turn you against everybody else. That’s manipulation.
“Sometimes, you gotta be able to say, ‘You know what? This is a business decision. I love you like a brother, but I can’t co-sign for that, and this is what we’re gonna do from here on out.’ Once everybody is in alignment, and you know that, wow, even the number one friend can get disciplined, it’s an awesome thing. Then everybody can run with the understanding that we’re working for the company, we’re working for the business.”
Henry admits that Tony Khan is in a difficult position, pointing out that even Vince McMahon had a head start as his company was in existence for decades before he took over. Ultimately, Mark Henry believes Tony Khan to be a huge success.
“He’s done stuff that nobody’s ever done. I think the only person that probably has faced what Tony is facing is Vince. They may be the only two conglomerates, like big, big business that have faced those issues. Vince got a 50-something year jump. So you can’t compare the two because there were things that were ironed out already before Vince Jr. took it. Tony had to eat all of those mistakes. He’s gotta make all of those decisions on the fly, and he’s succeeding. Look at what he’s doing.”
h/t Fightful