Tony Khan Finally Speaks Out on CM Punk’s Exit From AEW
AEW president Tony Khan has finally broken his silence on CM Punk, shedding light on one of the most talked-about departures in recent wrestling history.
For a long time, many believed AEW would be the final stop in CM Punk’s career. After his disappointing run in MMA, Punk accepted Tony Khan’s offer and made his long-awaited return to wrestling. But things inside AEW never fully clicked for the Chicago veteran. Tensions grew, and everything reached a boiling point after the infamous backstage fight at AEW All In 2023 — an incident that became global news and put AEW under heavy scrutiny.
With the situation spiraling, Punk’s status in the company was left hanging. Eventually, Khan made the difficult decision to release him, opening the door for Punk’s shocking WWE return at the end of 2023.
Tony Khan Addresses the CM Punk Situation
Speaking on the latest episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, Tony Khan addressed Punk’s exit publicly for the first time.
“It’s interesting,” Khan said. “I don’t fully agree with the way everything has been described. You’re a great interviewer, and I appreciate the conversation — I’ve tried to be as open as possible so far.”
Khan continued, explaining that while he didn’t see eye-to-eye with everything Punk had said in past interviews, he understood the attention the story generated.
“It’s a TV show at the end of the day,” he added. “Playing that video was a big draw. It made sense — it was advertised, it got people talking, and the numbers were strong. At the end of the day, it’s all in the eye of the beholder.”
