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WWE veteran Dutch Mantell thinks that the aftershock of the CM Punk controversy in AEW may still result in a lawsuit.
With the Second City Saint going on a rant at the All Out media scrum, a massive backstage melee allegedly ensued. Although there are conflicting reports on the nature of what happened, the Elite and Punk were both suspended alongside multiple other names.
Speaking about rumors of legal threats on the latest edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's SmackTalk, Dutch Mantell shared his take on the possible future. He said that AEW is talking to the Second City Saint to keep him from suing the promotion.
"Here's CM Punk, he has been in the wrestling business... he's a little bit, got that little shady side to him anyway. He's looking for the edge, he's looking for the slope, and now he see Tony Khan, billion dollars, he's worth over a billion dollars.... And he is thinking well this buying out the contract may not be enough."
The veteran continued:
"I think he is still gonna end up in a lawsuit. I still believe that, they can talk all they want. And he can say whatever came in there and he could claim this and this. That's what AEW doesn't want. They don't want to take it down to a lawsuit." (3:59 - 4:50)
Punk is currently suspended from the company as the independent investigation into the incident is still going on. Meanwhile, reports emerged recently that Ace Steel had been released by AEW.
CM Punk is also recovering from an injury he suffered in AEW
While the Second City Saint is suspended from AEW, he is also physically unable to compete due to an arm injury.
Reports claimed that Punk had suffered a torn left tricep. This resulted in him going under the knife soon after. Although his comeback date is yet to be confirmed, recovering from such surgery typically takes 8 months. This suggests that he may possibly return to the ring in the spring of 2023.
However, with the current state of things, it remains unclear whether he will ever return to AEW. Fans will have to stay tuned to see what is next for CM Punk in the coming months.
Do you agree with Dutch Mantell? Sound off in the comments below!
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