Booker T Breaks Down Issue He Had With CM Punk Calling Out Adam Page On AEW Dynamite
Booker T's biggest gripe with CM Punk going off-script to call out "Hangman" Adam Page on last week's "AEW Dynamite" was that Punk did so without Page actually being in the building. However, Booker has welcomed the idea of Punk's random name-drop leading to a storyline involving Page.
"Have you seen Christian's promos lately? You're supposed to go in on somebody if you're in a program with them," Booker said on his "Hall of Fame" podcast. "But it's not the same thing with [Punk calling out Page]. The guy [Page] wasn't even in the building. And you're just going to talk about him? And make him look like a piece of crap? For what reason? That's the question. Was it for the betterment of the show? Or was it to create this – [a controversy] we're talking about right now?"
Booker then implored Punk to show more leadership, reiterating several times that AEW's young locker room looks up to him.
"CM Punk is in a leadership position, and that, more so than anything, has to be displayed," Booker emphasized. "Leadership – because you're the guy everyone is looking to, to make this thing work. You're the one who they paid the big money to. So when you're in that position, you're in a position of leadership. And me personally, I don't know – I can be wrong on that but I think Tony Khan has to step up. I think CM Punk needs to step up, too, as a leader and a general for that company. CM Punk is in a very unique position to where people are looking towards him to make sure they win. Again, I could be wrong."
'A Very, Very Selfish Business'
While Booker is not against wrestlers, especially top-tier stars, looking out for their best interests, he believes there needs to be a justification for someone going into business for themselves.
"I know CM Punk was brought into that company for one reason and one reason only – to pop the crowd, pop the rating and make people look at this thing from a legitimate perspective. I think CM Punk has done that – 100 percent," Booker stressed. "But there are a lot of young guys on that roster looking to CM Punk for leadership. And the thing is, when you're in that position, you have to be very selfish in this business. It's a very, very selfish business, and I agree with that.
"But, if you are in it for certain reasons, you're gonna make sure that everybody comes up. I don't know what the situation was with the promo, as far as even bringing up Adam Page into the promo. It has got to be an angle or something else. Otherwise, Adam Page's name would have never come up if my program is getting ready to pop off with Jon Moxley. Again, where there's smoke, there's fire. We'll figure it out in the long run if it's an angle."
Several fans and wrestlers have floated the idea of AEW turning Punk's shoot into a storyline, with Page getting added to the ongoing program between Punk and Moxley. Despite their title unification match on "AEW Dynamite" this week, Punk and Moxley are expected to main event the All Out pay-per-view on September 4. Rumors are also swirling of MJF returning to confront Punk as early as this Wednesday.