Tony Khan Thanks CM Punk; Christian on WWE's Edge, AEW Contract; Jack Perry Suspended
September 4, 2023
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and All Elite Wrestling.
Tony Khan Addresses CM Punk Departure after All Out
AEW announced Saturday it terminated CM Punk's contract following a backstage incident during All In on Aug. 27. Tony Khan, the promotion's CEO, addressed the situation on the most recent edition of Collision and was asked again about Punk following All Out on Sunday.
In particular, Khan was pressed about whether the former world champion has any sort of non-compete clause tied to his departure.
"I don't want to discuss the terms of the separation, in that sense," he told reporters. "I think it's best to say—first of all, I very much want to thank CM Punk, Phil, for everything he did for AEW as a wrestler.
"But, I don't think it was an easy decision for anybody on the discipline committee or for the outside counsel or for me to do something like that. But I do think it was the right move, and as far as what's going to happen in the future, I can't speak to that. I'm not the attorneys who interpret all that language."
The comments will do little to cool the speculation of CM Punk's possible return to WWE—no matter how unlikely—now that the door is firmly closed on AEW.
Christian Cage Sidesteps Question about Edge in AEW; Reveals New Contract
Edge is another wrestling legend bound for free agency with his WWE contract due to expire. AEW would be a natural landing spot if the Rated-R Superstar wants to continue his career elsewhere.
Don't ask his former tag team partner about this possibility, though. Christian Cage had a succinct response after All Out when discussing the likelihood of Edge joining him in the company.
The 49-year-old did at least confirm he signed a "big fat contract" to extend his stay in AEW.
Edge and Christian have both been excellent individually in their current roles, and a reunion has the potential to deliver some magic should it come to fruition.
Jack Perry Serving an Indefinite Suspension
Punk isn't the only party who suffered consequences in connection to the All In incident. Khan confirmed Jack Perry received an indefinite suspension and has been absent backstage since the show in London.
There were reports that both Punk and Perry were suspended in the immediate aftermath of their physical altercation.
Based on Khan's comments, it's unclear when Perry will be back in an AEW ring, and that uncertainty is less than ideal for the 26-year-old when he has found his footing as a singles heel. Even in a losing effort to Hook at All In, he continued to impress.
All Elite Wrestling @AEWChanneling his inner <a href="https://twitter.com/TherealRVD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TherealRVD</a>, Jack Perry hits ROLLING THUNDER on a limo!<br><br>Order <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWAllIn?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWAllIn</a> LIVE on PPV right now!<br>🇺🇸: <a href="https://t.co/mUn4tim61a">https://t.co/mUn4tim61a</a><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/p1Cr3Sb7zg">https://t.co/p1Cr3Sb7zg</a><a href="https://twitter.com/boy_myth_legend?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@boy_myth_legend</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/730hook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@730Hook</a> <a href="https://t.co/mAakb5l8KU">pic.twitter.com/mAakb5l8KU</a>
In a way, though, all of this drama might work to Perry's benefit because he's bound to generate a massive reaction the first time he shows back up on AEW programming.
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