Post by flame3169118 on Apr 1, 2024 21:34:42 GMT -5
During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Punk commented on the promo between him and Hangman Page…
“One of the biggest criticism about WWE was it was overly scripted, wrestlers don’t need writers. Some people don’t, some people do. Some people prefer it. I sat down with him, and we hammered out this promo, what if you say this, and I say that, and then he proceeds to go on live TV and not say any of the shit that we talked about. I can’t hear him because the crowd’s so loud, and I have to really pay attention to what he’s saying because my responses matter, I can’t just say what I had planned, because it’s not going to match what he’s saying to me. He’s saying some shit and I don’t know what he’s talking about, and I’m just like man, why would you do this, TV is very expensive, and you’re just shitting on me and shitting on the business, why would you do this?”
“Afterwards I spoke to him and I was like ‘why did you do that?’ He thinks I got one of his friends who hasn’t been fired, fired. I went to Tony and the lawyer and I said ‘you need to fix that, because if I do you’re not going to like the way I fix it’, and I thought I was being professional by not just murdering him on television. I know some people are going to be upset about that, but with me respect is the default, until you do something that makes me lose my respect for you. I had never done anything to any of those guys, if they’re basing how their attitude is towards me based off some bullshit a friend told them, then I can’t help you. Everything went off the rails from there. It’s a shame.”
“One of the biggest criticism about WWE was it was overly scripted, wrestlers don’t need writers. Some people don’t, some people do. Some people prefer it. I sat down with him, and we hammered out this promo, what if you say this, and I say that, and then he proceeds to go on live TV and not say any of the shit that we talked about. I can’t hear him because the crowd’s so loud, and I have to really pay attention to what he’s saying because my responses matter, I can’t just say what I had planned, because it’s not going to match what he’s saying to me. He’s saying some shit and I don’t know what he’s talking about, and I’m just like man, why would you do this, TV is very expensive, and you’re just shitting on me and shitting on the business, why would you do this?”
“Afterwards I spoke to him and I was like ‘why did you do that?’ He thinks I got one of his friends who hasn’t been fired, fired. I went to Tony and the lawyer and I said ‘you need to fix that, because if I do you’re not going to like the way I fix it’, and I thought I was being professional by not just murdering him on television. I know some people are going to be upset about that, but with me respect is the default, until you do something that makes me lose my respect for you. I had never done anything to any of those guys, if they’re basing how their attitude is towards me based off some bullshit a friend told them, then I can’t help you. Everything went off the rails from there. It’s a shame.”
CM Punk discussed what happened with Jack Perry that led to his firing from AEW in September of 2023. The discussion started with what led up to Perry’s “real glass” line at All In 2023…
Helwani: Where are you backstage? Jack Perry is on screen and he says, ‘Real glass. Why don’t you cry about it?’ Where are you when this is said?
Punk: I was in my locker room.
Helwani: Did you feel like that was directed at you? Yes. Why?
Punk: Because it obviously was directed at me.
Helwani: Well, because for those that may not know, apparently, he had a trip planned. He wanted to use glass. You were consulted. You said, ‘Why would you use glass?’ Correct me, you lived it. I’m trying to bring people up to speed.
Punk: This is one of those things where it’s just all these rumors about NDAs. Yes. There’s a big difference between not being allowed to talk about some shit or just not wanting to talk about some shit. I don’t necessarily want to litigate this again.
Helwani: You say, again, you’ve never talked about it publicly.
Punk: No, I guess I haven’t, but that’s the thing. Tony [Khan]’s big idea was a separate show. We’re going to separate everybody. I said, ‘That’ll never work. Just Let me go. Just get me out of here. Just pay me my money. I’ve already been off TV. I hurt this arm. Just get me out of here.’ ‘No, I can’t let you go.’ ‘Why? Just let me go. Who cares? It’s best. These guys don’t want me here. This isn’t a real business. This isn’t a business predicated on making money, drawing money, selling tickets, doing business. It’s not what it was sold to me as. Let me go.’ ‘No, I can’t, I’m going to do this new show. You’re going to have blah, blah, blah.’
Then the second day we have this show, I’m sitting in catering, minding my own business, and Tony Schiavone comes and gets me, and he’s like, ‘Hey, I really need your help.’ I was like, ‘What?’ He’s like, ‘Jack is cussing me out. Mike Mansury, Daryl from Production and cussing out the Doctor.’ I’ve explained before, ‘you all need to handle this Because if you don’t, I’m going to handle it, and you’re not going to like the way I handle it.’ Prophetic words. So he’s begging me, now please. He drives me out of catering. I go up, Hook and Jack are doing an angle… I walked up to Jack and he was sitting in a car. What he wanted to do, it was a rental car. What he wanted to do was smash the window of a rental car with a pipe.
But to come to this new show when everyone’s supposed to be separated, to get rid of all the drama, and then swearing at the doctor because the doctor’s like, ‘it’s real glass. Shit’s going to go in your eye.’ And I get it. I used to be that kid that was young and I want to do this, but there’s a safe way to do it. And I politely explained that to him. I didn’t raise my voice. I didn’t cuss at him. I very much just said, ‘We don’t do that here. This is Saturday. It’s a different show. If you want to do stuff like this, do it on Wednesday.’ That was it. I didn’t think there was going to be a problem. He obviously took something very business-minded, very personally. And that’s fine, because I’ve done that before, too. But it’s very much who he’s friends with. Shit never got squashed. Nobody’s in charge, and it turned into what it turned into.
The discussion then turned to what happened after Perry’s “real glass” comment at All In…
Helwani: So he says that clearly a shot at you, as you said. Matches over, he goes to the back. What happens?
Punk: I went to Tony [Khan]. I was like, ‘Please handle that. Like, Please.’ He was like, ‘What do you want me to do?’ I was like, ‘I’m not I’m telling you what to do. Just be the boss, please. I’m tired of this shit. I told you it was a mistake. I told you separate shows wasn’t going to work, and now we’re all here. Please handle it, because if you don’t, You’re not going to like the way I handle it.’
Helwani: Did he handle it? No. So you did? Yes. What happened?
Punk: Jack came back from his match. I was the next match. I’m sitting there. I got people with me. I’m not going to say who they are because I got a lot of friends who work there, and I wish them all well, and I don’t want them to be punished because they’re friends with me. And I walk up to them and I’m just like, ‘Jack, why do you insist on doing this dumb Internet shit on TV?’ And he’s just like, ‘Well, if you got a problem about it, do something about it.’ And I was just like, ‘Man, come on, man. I’ll fucking kill you. What are we doing?’ I thought I was doing a responsible thing. I didn’t punch anybody. I just choked somebody a little bit. Samoa Joe was there, told me to stop, and then I quit. I turned to Tony and I said, ‘This place is a fucking joke, man. You’re a clown. I quit.’ I went to my room, and then Joe and Jerry Lynn came and got me, and they’re ‘Let’s just go out there and kill it.’ I was just too fired up, and I’m fired up now, and I’m probably going to regret talking about all this shit, but that’s what happened.
Helwani: Okay, so for those that don’t know, you actually did go out and wrestle? Yes. Is that all just a blur for you, that match? Do you even remember?
Punk: No, that match, I was just like, This is the last time I’m ever going to wrestle with Samoa Joe. You know what I mean? Yeah. This is my last match in this company. You knew that? Yeah. I quit. I said, I fucking quit.
Helwani: So why did you even go out?
Punk: For Joe. For Joe, for Paul Turner, the referee, for Jerry Lynn, the agent on the match, because I respect him, and I thought it was the professional thing to do. All the fans, a lot of fans there. Probably a lot of them to see me. So just go out there and give them a show.
The discussed turned to the aftermath of All In…
Helwani: He [Khan] went on air several days later and said he’s never been afraid for his life like this. Been going to shows for 30 years, felt fearful for his life for the safety of the workers. When you saw this, what is your reaction when you see this? Not only was it a promo on TV, but then he also spoke to the crowd. There was a clip that surface of him talking to the people in your town. I believe it was in Chicago, just outside. When you saw that version of the story being put out, what is your reaction?
Punk: I can’t tell you what Tony felt or what he was thinking, but I never did anything that would make him fear for his life. But he’s who he is.
Helwani: Did you feel like your reputation was being slandered?
Punk: There’s a concerted effort to, I guess, slander me and try to ruin my character and stuff like that. That’s the genesis of all the drama. Don’t do that. Why are you doing that to a guy who works for your company? Why are you lying? Why are you spreading rumors and lies and bullshit about your top guy? It doesn’t make any sense. You’re only hurting yourself. I’m trying to dim my… I don’t know. Jealousy, envy, I don’t really know. And again, it’s not really the time to litigate it all and everything, but it’s an unfortunate situation. I have a lot of friends there, and there’s a lot of good people that work there. I hope they continue to get paid, and I wish them well.
Helwani: How would you describe what it’s like working for Tony?
Punk: Man, it’s a loaded question because I don’t want this to be… I don’t like the drama, but the truth is the truth. He’s not a boss. He’s a nice guy. I think ultimately, that is a detriment to the company. But it’s not my company. I’m an outsider. I thought I was brought in to sell merchandise and tickets and draw numbers for pay-per-views and stuff, and I clearly did that, but that’s not what the place was about, and some people didn’t like that.
CM Punk was asked about how long he thinks AEW will stay in business and here was Punk’s response…
“This is a loaded question. I think the company as a whole, I think it’s always going to exist as long as Tony [Khan] wants to put money into it.”
When asked if AEW can be successful, Punk said the following…
“What’s the definition? This is what I’m talking about, levels, because I started on the Indies, and to me, successful was, I can eat tonight. I have gas money to get to wherever I was going. And then you get to television. And as somebody coming in who doesn’t know jack shit about doing television, I have to lean on people and ask questions and watch and learn and grow. And a lot of people, I think, are still just stuck in that indie mindset. And again, it’s where I came from. There’s nothing wrong with it. But you’re more happy with some goof saying that you had a five-star match and the building’s a quarter full, we’re not in the same business.”
Punk also said the following about AEW…
“I know a lot of people are going to be upset. It’s just not predicated. It’s not a real business. It’s not about selling tickets. It’s not about drawing money. It’s not about making money… I think having good matches, maybe. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“This is a loaded question. I think the company as a whole, I think it’s always going to exist as long as Tony [Khan] wants to put money into it.”
When asked if AEW can be successful, Punk said the following…
“What’s the definition? This is what I’m talking about, levels, because I started on the Indies, and to me, successful was, I can eat tonight. I have gas money to get to wherever I was going. And then you get to television. And as somebody coming in who doesn’t know jack shit about doing television, I have to lean on people and ask questions and watch and learn and grow. And a lot of people, I think, are still just stuck in that indie mindset. And again, it’s where I came from. There’s nothing wrong with it. But you’re more happy with some goof saying that you had a five-star match and the building’s a quarter full, we’re not in the same business.”
Punk also said the following about AEW…
“I know a lot of people are going to be upset. It’s just not predicated. It’s not a real business. It’s not about selling tickets. It’s not about drawing money. It’s not about making money… I think having good matches, maybe. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
CM Punk commented on the process of him returning to WWE at the 2023 Survivor Series PLE. Here is what Punk said…
“Slight percentages, I think over the years start that ball rolling. But to really get in, the action of it started the week of, I think, Thanksgiving, maybe. I’d have to look I had a calendar to figure out dates exactly. I remember times and places of where I was, when I would get phone calls and such… Yeah, so Monday. Monday before I came back. I think the call… I’m always so nervous about pulling the curtain back on stuff, but I think the call was more of, ‘Hey, we want to talk to you about coming back. We’d love you for Royal Rumble.’ Because they assumed that I probably had some non-compete or something like that and were floored when I was like, ‘No, man, ready to go.'”
Punk talked about his conversation with Triple H later in the week…
“That’s when the ball really got rolling because it was a very I asked him if he wanted to talk on the phone, and he said, ‘no, I would actually rather… I would like to FaceTime you so I can see you.’ And I was like, ‘oh, that’s interesting.’ And we just talked about a whole lot of stuff and about stuff that was at one point serious to probably both of us that is silly now. And we just laughed, buried a hatchet. And then we started talking business. And I was like, ‘Man, this is like Thanksgiving. I don’t want to bother you. You’re with your girls. We can talk about it later’. But then I was just like, ‘Well, Friday, and then the show’s Saturday.’ It all got done very, very fast. My lawyer was not stoked to be working overtime on Thanksgiving.”
During the interview, Punk said that he doesn’t think he would be back in WWE if it wasn’t for Nick Khan being the CEO. Punk also talked about how there were talks for him to come back before the Covid-19 pandemic that didn’t pan out.
“Slight percentages, I think over the years start that ball rolling. But to really get in, the action of it started the week of, I think, Thanksgiving, maybe. I’d have to look I had a calendar to figure out dates exactly. I remember times and places of where I was, when I would get phone calls and such… Yeah, so Monday. Monday before I came back. I think the call… I’m always so nervous about pulling the curtain back on stuff, but I think the call was more of, ‘Hey, we want to talk to you about coming back. We’d love you for Royal Rumble.’ Because they assumed that I probably had some non-compete or something like that and were floored when I was like, ‘No, man, ready to go.'”
Punk talked about his conversation with Triple H later in the week…
“That’s when the ball really got rolling because it was a very I asked him if he wanted to talk on the phone, and he said, ‘no, I would actually rather… I would like to FaceTime you so I can see you.’ And I was like, ‘oh, that’s interesting.’ And we just talked about a whole lot of stuff and about stuff that was at one point serious to probably both of us that is silly now. And we just laughed, buried a hatchet. And then we started talking business. And I was like, ‘Man, this is like Thanksgiving. I don’t want to bother you. You’re with your girls. We can talk about it later’. But then I was just like, ‘Well, Friday, and then the show’s Saturday.’ It all got done very, very fast. My lawyer was not stoked to be working overtime on Thanksgiving.”
During the interview, Punk said that he doesn’t think he would be back in WWE if it wasn’t for Nick Khan being the CEO. Punk also talked about how there were talks for him to come back before the Covid-19 pandemic that didn’t pan out.
CM Punk commented on the sex trafficking allegations against Vince McMahon…
“There’s no positivity there. I didn’t read all the allegations. I read text messages and I went, ‘Oh, fuck this.’ It’s indefensible. And I think doing this [interview], I had imagined I was going to be asked about it. I think the easiest thing for people to do is to ignore it or avoid it. But man, it’s there. My initial first thing out of my mouth was, ‘I’m shocked at how dumb he was writing stuff down and leaving that paper trail.’ It’s horrific. I think at this point, all the energy should be to somehow, I don’t even know if you can make reparations or amends, but there’s victims here. So what CM Punk thinks about Vince and the CM Punk-Vince relationship doesn’t fucking mean anything. All that stuff takes a back seat. I’m more concerned about going forward, how do those people survive after suffering all that trauma? My biggest concern.”
When asked if the wrestling business is better off without Vince McMahon, Punk said the following…
“How do you say anything but yes, the business is better without [Vince McMahon]”
Punk continued with his thoughts on Vince…
“It’s very, very hard to reconcile. I heard what Becky [Lynch] said, because Vince is a father figure to a lot of people. Vince, I think, liked to develop the father relationship. And I think that’s where he was always fascinated with me because I was just like, ‘Fuck you. I got a dad. You’re my boss. Let’s just keep it that way.'”
“It’s just wild, all that shit. It’s sad. It ruined his life. He ruined his life ruining other people’s lives.”
“There’s no positivity there. I didn’t read all the allegations. I read text messages and I went, ‘Oh, fuck this.’ It’s indefensible. And I think doing this [interview], I had imagined I was going to be asked about it. I think the easiest thing for people to do is to ignore it or avoid it. But man, it’s there. My initial first thing out of my mouth was, ‘I’m shocked at how dumb he was writing stuff down and leaving that paper trail.’ It’s horrific. I think at this point, all the energy should be to somehow, I don’t even know if you can make reparations or amends, but there’s victims here. So what CM Punk thinks about Vince and the CM Punk-Vince relationship doesn’t fucking mean anything. All that stuff takes a back seat. I’m more concerned about going forward, how do those people survive after suffering all that trauma? My biggest concern.”
When asked if the wrestling business is better off without Vince McMahon, Punk said the following…
“How do you say anything but yes, the business is better without [Vince McMahon]”
Punk continued with his thoughts on Vince…
“It’s very, very hard to reconcile. I heard what Becky [Lynch] said, because Vince is a father figure to a lot of people. Vince, I think, liked to develop the father relationship. And I think that’s where he was always fascinated with me because I was just like, ‘Fuck you. I got a dad. You’re my boss. Let’s just keep it that way.'”
“It’s just wild, all that shit. It’s sad. It ruined his life. He ruined his life ruining other people’s lives.”
