Backstage News On CM Punk, Ace Steel And The Elite AEW Melee And Fallout
There were two Premium Live Events and one Pay-Per-View this weekend, but all the wrestling world can talk about is AEW World Champion CM Punk, his biting words at the post AEW All Out press scrum and a locker room brawl between himself, Ace Steel and the Elite that reportedly saw chairs thrown and Ace Steel biting Kenny Omega. And in case there hasn't been enough information released out there regarding this fiasco, never fear, for more has arrived.
In their latest report, Fightful Select has confirmed that CM Punk did in fact throw punches, a chair did hit Nick Jackson in the eye, and that Ace Steel, Punk's trainer and longtime friend, bit Omega. What isn't confirmed however is how the fight started, with some sources telling Fightful that Punk should've expected a confrontation, while another claimed the Bucks and Omega approached Punk's locker room aggressively. Fightful also confirmed the situation went on for around six minutes, with Brandon Cutler, head of talent relations Christopher Daniels and AEW producer Pat Buck attempting to quell the chaos.
A higher up in AEW also told Fightful that nothing official was expected to be said at the moment, due to possible legal issues regarding the attack. That said, Fightful also noted that the Hoffman Estates Police Department did not have a police report or documentation for any incident backstage at AEW All Out.
Nick Jackson Reportedly Takes Chair To The Eye
The news doesn't get better for Punk either. AEW talent Fightful had spoken to, including some that would back Punk up previously, stated they wouldn't have handled the situation as Punk had. In addition, Fightful also confirmed they had heard rumors of Punk sustaining an injury in the chaos, but hadn't confirmed it at this time. As for what this means for AEW this Wednesday, sources told Fightful that they weren't sure of creative as a result, and several AEW talents noted they couldn't understand how Punk couldn't be fired following this incident.
While "Hangman" Adam Page wasn't involved in the incident, Fightful also spoke briefly about him and Punk, mentioning that issues with Page working stiff, which had previously been reported, had nothing to do with the ongoing heat between him and Punk. Sources all indicated that it appeared Punk and Page got along well earlier this year, before things changed in the buildup to their Double or Nothing match. As far as MJF, Fightful revealed some had sympathy for his return at All Out being overshadowed, but also noted many were left in the dark regarding MJF's status for months, and that the situation was similar to MJF upstaging Wardlow. It was also noted there was no signs of heat between Punk and MJF.