Eric Bischoff Addresses Whether CM Punk's AEW All Out Scrum Comments Are A Work

Eric Bischoff is hoping that what the wrestling world saw transpire at the All Out media scrum is all just good storytelling. On an AdFreeShows.com special edition of "83 Weeks," Bischoff broke down the CM Punk portion of the now infamous press conference that took place Sunday in Chicago. Punk, AEW's newly crowned World Champion, was the first guest of the scrum and the first person to be handed the microphone was Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman.

Hausman has a history with Scott Colton, better known as Colt Cabana, as the two were both in the Chicago improv scene together. Punk and Colton are former friends, but all that dissipated amid legal issues between the two following Punk's statements on Colton's podcast back in 2014, which Punk later addressed during the scrum. Punk was aware of Colton's previous ties with Hausman, but before asking a question, Punk inquired to Hausman about his current status with Colton, with whom Hausman stated he has no relationship with as the two haven't seen eye to eye in years, leaving Punk to joke that Hausman "blew his spot."

"Right off the bat, does anybody think that it's maybe a little interesting that Punk starts off this presser by questioning Nick?" Bischoff begins to propose. "In order to establish a relationship that he knew existed between Nick and Colt Cabana? Don't you find that a little either obsessive if it's real or obvious it's a work?" After hearing that Hausman was first given the microphone to speak, Bischoff said, "That even makes it more interesting, doesn't it?"

Bischoff continues to watch and makes a point to say he understands Punk being hurt by Colton's actions, but calls addressing it to the media "high school b******t." "At some point you gotta let that s**t go, bro. You can't let it get in the way of how you're perceived as a character," he said before clarifying his own feelings for Punk. "I don't have anything personal against Punk. I lost some respect for him based on stupid s**t that he said, but it doesn't mean I dislike him or want him to fail or whatever, but he's a guy who's supposed to be a babyface, whining. He's f*****g whining."

"Punk started this s**t," he said. "He went to Nick Hausman or Nick Hausman had the mic first. He knew the answer he was presumably asking a question about as a way to address something that he had on his mind. Now if it's for creative reasons because there's a plan that none of us know about that Tony's in on it and talent is in on it and this is actually going to go somewhere and we're on our first quarter-mile of a twenty-mile journey, then cool as s**t, but if it's not that, what we've just seen part of is complete dysfunction."

The dysfunction seemingly continued as a reported fight broke out between Punk, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Ace Steel backstage. Security was seen running out of the press room to help restore order in the locker room which reportedly had Steel throwing a chair at Nick Jackson after The Elite confronted Punk. Punk's status for tomorrow night's "Dynamite" is currently unclear, as is the status of The Elite.