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AEW has been in the news for the past few days, but not exactly because of the All Out pay-per-view. The CM Punk saga has been keeping the promotion in the limelight for all the wrong reasons lately.
There have been numerous reports suggesting that Punk has real-life heat with The Elite and Hangman Page. According to reports, they even had a backstage altercation while the media scrum was going on.
There have been reports of Punk and The Elite getting suspended or even fired from the company. Fans on Twitter are divided over who should be suspended/fired.
In this piece, we will discuss 3 reasons why CM Punk should be fired from AEW and 2 reasons why he shouldn't be:
#5 Should: Tony Khan needs to set an example
AEW has been called by many wrestlers as the perfect workplace over the last couple of years. That's deserved as they have never had any incidents of backstage drama or low morale in the locker room until recently. This week has been the total opposite of what AEW is known for. The recent events are not a good look for the company.
If Khan wants to prevent such incidents in the future, he will have to set an example by taking strict action against CM Punk. This will send a message to the locker room that nobody is bigger than the company itself, ensuring that everyone has to follow certain protocols in the company.
#4 Shouldn't: CM Punk could end up in WWE
One big reason that could prevent Tony Khan from firing Punk would be the fear of losing him to WWE. No matter how big of a mess he makes, losing him to the competition will be the last thing AEW wants.
A lot of changes have been made in WWE in recent months, following the change in management. Hence, we cannot rule out the Voice of the Voiceless going back to his old home in case he is fired. Losing Punk to a competitor such as WWE could backfire Tony's plans for his own company.
#3 Should: He brought up backstage issues in public
Wrestlers discussing backstage issues in public puts the company in a very bad state as it generates negative PR for them. It also affects the promotion's business relations with financial sources like TV broadcasters.
Here's what WWE Hall of Famer and Sportskeeda Senior Editor Bill Apter had to say about the situation:
"I wish that this wasn't all in the public forum. It would have been terrific had this all happened backstage, nothing physical and all that. Families argue, they do... I'm sure tonight's AEW Dynamite is going to be a record-setting ratings winner because people are going to want to tune in to find out if anything's gonna be mentioned...What a mess." - Bill Apter via Sk Wrestling Twitter
If AEW does not fire CM Punk after such an incident, it could encourage others to take advantage of their freedom. Other wrestlers might also start thinking that they could get away with doing such public stunts.
#2 Shouldn't: He is AEW's biggest box office draw
There is no denying the fact that AEW has their biggest box office draw in CM Punk. Letting go of him over something that can be resolved by discussing with everyone would not be a good decision.
Recent times haven't exactly been in favor of the promotion as they barely reach a million when it comes to ratings. The competition is also getting stronger as WWE have also recently improved under Triple H's regime. Amidst all this, firing their biggest draw wouldn't be the best decision for a pro-wrestling company.
#1 Should: He punched an EVP
CM Punk has a lot of backstage influence in AEW. That is obvious considering he is their biggest star, bringing in a lot of money and attention. He has been given the freedom to do and say whatever he wants to, however, that's not always a good for the company as we witnessed at the post-show media scrum on Sunday.
WWE Legend Bully Ray recently discussed the topic:
"So Punk is basically saying that Tony Khan has made a horrible choice in this EVPs 'cause they are not even qualified to run a target let alone a wrestling company. He's burying Tony Khan's decision-making. He's burying his fellow talents that he might have to get in the ring with. He's burying the boys" - Bully Ray
A similar incident occurred a few weeks back as well. Sammy Guevara body-shamed Eddie Kingston. This enraged Kingston and he ended up punching Guevara in the face. This resulted in Tony Khan suspending Kingston as a punishment.
