CM Punk set the pro wrestling world ablaze when he went scorched Earth on the All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice Presidents, and members of the roster, at his now infamous AEW All Out media scrum. Punk’s tirade came on the heels of weeks of tension between The Second City Saint, members of The Elite, and Colt Cabana that began in the back and had rolled over into the ring once Hangman Page alluded to them in a promo.
Now, Punk is set to make his return to the promotion after nine months away from action due in part to his comments and the subsequent altercation, and also because of a torn tricep suffered during his last match with the company. At this time, it does not appear that Punk and The Elite have been able to bury the hatchet, and they are set to be featured on different brands for the time being.
In an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated, Punk finally broke his silence on the controversial scrum he participated in, and the tension that resulted in the wake of it.
“The first thing I said to Tony when I sat down with him and spoke to him after it was, ‘Man, I’m really sorry I put you in that position,'” he said. “I apologize for the scrum. But when you’ve watched that scrum, you’re looking at a very, very frustrated guy who had told people. That’s not the first time he heard all that. It’s not the first time lawyers were told all that.
“And I was just looking for something to be done and nothing got done. So, if you want something done right, you got to do it yourself. And I just didn’t approach it in the right manner, but tension was high. I was very, very pissed. I pretty much knew that I had just injured myself again. I was hurt, and I was disappointed. Yeah, it’s very easy for me to say I regret that and I handled it the wrong way, 100%.”