Throwback: Three years ago today, AEW fired CM Punk with cause after ugly backstage altercation

Three years ago today, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) fired CM Punk with cause following a backstage incident involving Jack Perry at the All In pay-per-view at Wembley Stadium in London. The decision ended one of the most controversial runs in AEW history. Punk’s wrestling and employment contracts were terminated after an investigation into the altercation.The incident also involved AEW CEO Tony Khan. Reports said Punk confronted Khan and had to be restrained. Khan later said he felt his safety was in danger. The termination came after months of backstage tension and less than a year after Punk’s previous major confrontation with AEW executives and wrestlers.What happened when AEW fired CM Punk three years ago?The story goes back to August 27, 2023, when AEW presented All In at Wembley Stadium. It was one of the biggest shows in the company’s history. More than 80,000 fans were in attendance as AEW staged its first major event at the famous London venue.Punk was one of the central names on the card. He was also working in an environment that had already been affected by his previous backstage problems.The trouble reportedly began after Jack Perry’s match. Perry, the son of late actor Luke Perry, had been involved in a disagreement over the use of real glass during his match.Punk and Perry then got into a physical confrontation backstage. The incident quickly became more serious.Reports said Punk also confronted Tony Khan. The AEW boss later described the situation as frightening and said he believed his safety was at risk.To open AEW Collision several days later, Khan addressed the incident in a pretaped interview.“I’ve been going to wrestling shows for over 30 years. I’ve been producing them on this network for nearly four years. Never, in all that time, have I ever felt until last Sunday that my security, my safety, my life was in danger at a wrestling show. I don’t think anybody should feel that way at work”, Khan said on the show.AEW then investigated the incident. The company’s Discipline Committee met and later consulted outside legal counsel. The committee ultimately recommended that Punk be terminated with cause. Khan accepted the recommendation.“Following the investigation, the AEW Discipline Committee met and later convened with outside legal counsel before making a unanimous recommendation to [AEW owner Tony] Khan that CM Punk be terminated with cause,” AEW said in its statement.The firing was particularly significant because Punk had returned to AEW only months earlier. He had missed considerable time after suffering a torn biceps in a match in September 2022.That earlier period had also ended in controversy.Following the match, Punk delivered a heated news conference. He attacked several people connected to AEW and reportedly became involved in a physical confrontation with Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson and Kenny Omega.Punk’s history with AEW had already included tension with “Hangman” Adam Page and issues surrounding former friend Colt Cabana.By the time of the All In incident, the situation had reached another breaking point.Three years later, the firing remains one of the defining moments of AEW’s early history. Punk’s AEW run had begun with a huge reaction in Chicago in August 2021.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.