By now, we're sure you're familiar with what led to AEW firing CM Punk. To quickly recap the events of last August's All In, Jack Perry is believed to have taken a deliberate shot at the Best in the World during his pre-show match, leading to a backstage confrontation and alleged fight.
AEW President Tony Khan has since claimed his very life was in danger during their altercation and subsequently fired Punk for his actions (AEW's loss proved to be WWE's gain).
For his role in what happened, Jack Perry was suspended. In recent months, we've seen the former Jungle Boy compete for New Japan Pro Wrestling, leading to speculation he might have been forgiven by AEW and that Khan could be plotting an angle for his eventual return.
Well, it seems that's not the case, after all.
Talking to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained, "He has not been fired. He’s absolutely not been fired, but they’re not using him."
"Tony’s really mad at him because he cost him CM Punk. He’s getting the blame," the pro wrestling historian continued. "He probably should have been suspended for a month or two. Where are we at, seven months now? Seven months. It’s ridiculous. The punishment doesn’t fit the crime at this point. I mean, it's like it's his fault because the other guy like lost just mind?"
Alvarez then chimed in to say, "I was gonna say I mean he didn't cost Tony CM Punk. CM Punk cost Tony CM Punk by getting into a fight over this. Punk could have just got to Tony and said, "Suspend this dude. That was unprofessional,' and that would’ve been it."
Now, it's worth pointing out that both Alvarez and Meltzer are big AEW supporters who have never shied away from making their preference for the company known (Meltzer, in particular, has greatly tarnished his legacy in recent years with his unwavering support for them).
While Punk should have kept his cool at All In, there's simply no getting around the fact that it was Perry's unprofessionalism which played a key role in the Best in the World's firing.
Now, he's back in WWE and, despite being on the shelf with an injured tricep, Punk has proven himself a major draw for the company at a time when it's on a hot streak. Ratings for AEW, meanwhile, continue to decline, even after Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone were signed to lucrative deals.
With that in mind, we're not exactly shocked to hear Tony is upset...