The recent broadcast of backstage footage from All Elite Wrestling showed an altercation between CM Punk and Jack Perry at All In last summer. The video, which has no audio, shows Punk initiating physical contact with Perry after a verbal exchange. Punk shoved Perry and appeared to grab hold of him before Samoa Joe intervened to break up the altercation. Punk then moved toward AEW president Tony Khan, being held back by Jerry Lynn and Malakai Black while yelling at Khan, who felt physically threatened. As a result of this incident, Punk was fired by AEW on September 2, and he returned to WWE after nearly a decade away.
The altercation between Punk and Perry occurred backstage after Perry made a reference to Punk previously nixing him using “real glass” during a recent show. Punk’s match with Samoa Joe was set to kick off the main card shortly after the incident. The footage was aired as part of a storyline leading up to an upcoming tag team championship match between the Young Bucks and FTR at the Dynasty pay-per-view. Punk had previously had another backstage altercation with The Bucks and The Elite after All Out in 2021, leading to his firing from AEW.
Punk shared his side of what happened during an interview with Ariel Helwani, stating that he approached Perry and questioned him about his behavior on television. Despite the heated exchange, Punk claimed that he did not punch anybody but just choked someone a little bit before Joe intervened and told him to stop. Following the altercation, Punk turned to Tony Khan and expressed his frustration with the situation, eventually quitting AEW. Despite the incident, Punk went out and had his match with Joe as planned and won in his final bout with AEW before returning to WWE.
Following the release of the footage, Punk posted a photo of former President George W. Bush with the caption “Mission Accomplished” in response to the tape being aired. The release of the footage likely served to create a storyline angle to bring Perry back to AEW television for the first time since the incident. Perry was suspended after the All In altercation, and his return to the show could lead to further storyline developments within AEW. Ultimately, the backstage altercation between Punk and Perry has fueled speculation and interest among wrestling fans, adding a new layer of drama to the ongoing rivalry between the two stars.
