AEW President Tony Khan has been doing the rounds to promote AEW All In 2024, but following a shocking Survivor Series which saw CM Punk return to WWE, the executive has inevitably been asked about his former employee's new home.
Steve Hermon of BBC Radio West Midlands was first to quiz Khan on whether he was surprised to see it happen (remember, everyone had said it wouldn't). However, he predictably avoided answering the question.
"Can't talk about that, nor do I think it's the time or the place," Khan said, seemingly unaware that an interview with the BBC is exactly the sort of time and place to be asked such a question. "But I appreciate you asking, and I'm very excited about AEW All In Wembley Stadium. Not to dodge or duck your question, it's just not something I can legally talk about."
While NDAs on both sides have likely been signed, it's hard to believe Khan can't share so much as a passing comment. Of course, the entire situation is something of a humiliation for him and AEW, particularly as it's been widely speculated that Punk's actions were exaggerated to possibly hurt his chances of returning to WWE.
When Punk debuted for AEW, it sent Rampage ratings through the roof and helped the company achieve viewership numbers which helped it become a very real rival to WWE. Unfortunately, the Best in the World encountered issues with AEW's EVPs and, after "Brawl Out," it was only a matter of time before things went south.
That happened after an alleged altercation with Jack Perry at August's All In in Wembley Stadium, with Khan then deciding to fire Punk after supposedly fearing for his life backstage (the Best in the World returned as the face of the newly launched AEW Collision and, since his departure, the show's ratings have crashed and burned).
"I've been going to wrestling shows for over thirty years. I've been producing them on this network for nearly four years," a wide-eyed Khan said in a pre-recorded message which played on AEW Dynamite. "Never in all that time have I ever felt, until Sunday, that my security, my safety, my life was in danger."
He'd later follow that up by claiming he was "100%" in danger and "was scared as hell for a moment." Needless to say, these comments have made the AEW President a laughing stock among wrestlers and fans alike.
You can see his reaction to CM Punk's WWE return in the player below.