The Cathartic Rise & Chaotic Fall of CM Punk in AEW 

I like how every speech that Tony Khan gives, he looks like he's a hostage delivering the demands of his kidnappers.

Punk getting injured in the summer during his first world title reign will always be one of the bigger what ifs in AEW I Believe.

As someone who was on the LA show that Punk broke his leg on, I'm just so weirded out I got to witness the biggest butterfly effect of the wrestling world. Regardless of how you think of wrestling this year, it has been a crazy crazy year lmao.

Ooof this didn't age well since Punk's latest interview lol

All the backstage drama that happened during Punk time in AEW pretty much shown wrestling hasn’t truly change from the ‘good old days’

Out of all this, I really want AEW to thrive again. The last thing I want is for history to repeat itself and WWE to regain a virtual monopoly.

My only issue is that you didn't name Meltzer. He has as much to do with the drama as anyone.

I was trying to explain the whole CM Punk story to my mom who knows nothing about wrestling and it's way harder than you'd think. Me: There was a backstage fight involving a bunch of guys and a dog, and one of the guys got bit. Mom: He got bit by the dog? Me: No, he got bit by another man.

I LOVE a video like this that doesn’t point the finger at one individual in a grand brouhaha that has more than enough blame to go around. While the wrestling Twittersphere has largely drawn hard lines in the sand, no individual came out of this looking squeaky clean. Just about everyone acted infantile, petty, weak-kneed, or all of the above.

IMO, Z-Man, the "CM Punk in AEW" retrospecive is the best and most anticipated Wrestling WIth Wregret episode of 2023. It has drama, an honest intro, unique (arguably corny) humor and multiple sidebars.

As a CM Punk fan, I agree with everything you said. Also, as we all know, when it comes time to shovel the blame in regards to how everything went down, EVERYONE needs to own their pile. Not just Punk. Not just The Elite. Not just Tony Khan. EVERYONE. No one is innocent. The only people who are innocent in this drama are Bryan Danielson (who was just doing his job) and Punk’s dog.

30:40 uhhhh about that Brian…

I don’t blame Brian at all from suffering CM punk fatigue. This has been talked about ad nauseam from all the toxic backstage stuff at AEW, now every day about his future plans, and WWE. As intrigued as I am to CM Punk back in WWE and see how it goes, it is tiring to hear this man be talked about every day

Incredibly well balanced and well thought-out video, Brian. It was wild going through all the twists and turns of this story again. Keep up the great work, bro!

You should post an updated version of this, since we’ve seen the horrific fight

This video needs an update 😅

Pretty much most of the issues he had before about WWE have changed under HHH. Wrestlers are getting time off to be with their families and moral seems to be higher than ever.

Brawl Out taking place about a month after Triple H was put in creative control of the main roster was the perfect cocktail that swung momentum from AEW to WWE

I really appreciate the strong, full-throated defense you made of Danielson. In all of this, he is the one person who has been maligned and who I would say was squeaky clean in his actions. Even if it was a stark minority of fans who ridiculed him, I appreciate you not standing for it.

April 11th 2024 UPDATE! Tony Khan didn't learn his lesson 🤡

34:10 "Sin Cara would have been booked as a stud" has me rolling XD

1k comments- Brian I hope you see this, but the slow zoom in at 24:04 actually made me PHYSICALLY Lean in closer too. Brilliant. 10/10 thanks for another year of greatness.

The best in depth video explaining CM Punk's time in AEW...and arguably the single biggest devastating punch to the gut AEW has suffered to date. This video is fantastic.

The first part rang so true to me. I liked Punk in AEW, but in the end the drama was killing it for me.

The entire AEW summer of 2022 deserves its own video

Wildest part of all the backstage drama is how everyone involved are adults, most of them in the late 30s or above, yet only made everything worse by refusing to act with maturity and professionalism

Coming back to this video after the Punk interview and AEW airing the All In footage is quite fun

I really want to thank you. There is no better way to explain this whole CM Punk thing. You spoke truthfully yet with a sense of neutrality and respect to all sides involved. Good on you sir.

"I'm happy for him. I hope he does well. I just don't care to know what happens to him." CM Punk achieved in a year and a half what Chris Jericho's taken an entire career to make us feel.

You said it all and then some Z. Great coverage. I'm happy to be a part of the Patreon group.

So after AEW inexplicably released the footage of the Punk/Perry altercation that looked more like a middle-school fight it’s clear that it all stems from Tony Kahn refusing to be a boss and handling the backstage issues. Punk told Tony “Handle that, or you won’t like the way I handle it”. Prophetic words. And it turns out Punk actually didn’t punch Perry, he just choked him out a little 😂.

I’m in the same camp of being tired of Punk/Elite drama. It’s so disappointing how everything played out. I hope Tony Khan learns from this mess and doesn’t have any other major issues like this. Thank you for the balanced take too. There are too many people that want to blame Punk or The Elite for everything, but fail to realize there is plenty of blame for everyone involved, including Tony Khan.

If you think you’re frustrated, imagine being Tony Kahn’s financial advisors.

This is a very objective view on Punk’s time in AEW. No matter how you feel about either WWE or AEW his presence raised the bar of both companies and a lot of men and women made money because of it. Tony unfortunately learned the lesson of “never meet your hero’s” because he let the inmates run the asylum for entirely too long in an attempt to be “one of the boys”. I certainly hope AEW can bounce back because a solid number two is “good for business” but the they’re going to feel Punk’s loss for quite awhile.

Honestly, I put off watching this clip until the day I'm writing this - mostly because I've never been a Punk fan myself, but if you are then I'll respect that, you can like who you like within reason as far as I'm concerned and I won't try to dissuade you - but honestly I completely get your frustration and fatigue over the matter. Me and my brother are the same, and I can only imagine how stressful and difficult making this clip was for you, but I respect the fact you did as a content creator and neutral party, and I also respect that you also stood up for Bryan Danielson in this clip as well at the end as well. Keep up the great work. 🙂

This was a great video. Excellent detail and brilliant delivery! Glad I came across this channel.

This was faster than the Cody video

Man, it's been a weird 10 years for professional wrestling.

One big glaring difference between AEW and WWE is that NO ONE goes to business for themselves on WWE TV as Adam Page and Jungle Boy did in AEW. This isn't to justify CM Punk's actions, starting fights is a boneheaded thing to do, but had Adam Page not shot on live TV as he did, CM Punk would still be in AEW. The one rule in Pro Wrestling is to never go into business for yourself to get yourself over and Adam Page broke that rule hard.

Punk is like wrestling’s Taylor Swift their fans and haters are both equally passionate / insufferable and no matter how hard you try you will never be able to ignore them.

Honestly, while I still do not agree with how CM Punk handled his disagreements with the Elite/Jack Perry (even if they did cause some the issues), I just hope we can move on from it for the better, with AEW getting better and Punk in WWE producing good tv

Great analysis, loved it. Keep up the great work as always!

As with most situations people argue about infinitely on the Internet, it's never one or the other party at fault 100%. It's a combination of both. This video illustrates that very well!

A 35+ min wrestling video from Brian? Christmas is coming early! Thanks, Brian 🤩

The big takeaway I've seen from all this is that Tony Khan takes after his father WAY too well... seriously, look at how Shad Khan runs the Jaguars and you'll see a LOT of parallels with hands-off ownership, allowing issues to fester, and waiting to deal with them until the last possible moment. This is a definite case of, "Like Father, Like Son;" and if that's the case, the Jags are moving to London sooner rather than later.

Absolute masterpiece of a video. Great work, Brian.

This has to be the most objective, unbiased & fair synopsis of what occurred. Bravo. I’m thrilled to find this. I will continue to follow. Great work. You are a better journalist than most journalists.

Loved the emotion you put out in this vid. One of my favorites you've ever done, Brian!

I don’t think Omega really had much to do with anything. He was gone injured when the drama started and seems like he was trying to break things up and got bit for his troubles.

You did a good job covering this, Brian. I am proud of you. 👏🏻

Back in 2024 to review everyone's coverage of Brawl Out after the Helwani interview and AEW's inexplicable airing of CCTV footage, and your's is the first (out of 9 so far) that still holds up. Glad I found your obscure reviews a few years ago!

I have been looking forward to this video since Brawl Out. CM Punk, for better or worse, has always been a constant of my fandom. Brian is right: in wrestling, ten years does feel like 2500. And some ten years after he first introduced me to so much of what I’ve learned and grown to love about wrestling, I felt like a kid again when he came back to wrestling. I know people love him or hate him, and on some days I feel both with intensity, but CM Punk genuinely is a pillar that formed my passion for this business.

What a great retrospective summing up this whole saga. Thank you Brian! Awesome work!

This was an amazing video! I agree with you on a lot of this stuff and your takes are by far the most unbiased on this whole thing I’ve heard!

Bravo. This is one of the best videos you have ever done.

I will give WWE credit for kind of addressing the controversy by setting up a feud down the road with Seth Rollins. What Seth said this past RAW is definitely echoed by a lot of people. That being said, there was so much potential with Punk in AEW. 2021 in general was a great year for them with all the debuts. Too bad we're here at the end of 2023 and there are a lot of questions for the company.

One of your best videos in ages. Literally the fairest take on the timeline of cm punks last few years ive seen on here .

Did anyone else notice the MJF/Punk feud was the plot to The Incredibles?

Good work Z man, appreciate the info, you helped me understand more of this mess. I don't watch a ton of wrestling like I did back in the 80s, 90s, 00s, but I seeing this drama does take me back to Bret and Montreal but with a lot less upper management control lol

"Realistically, I'd give it 9 months." Aren't we optimistic. 4 months.

I think this is the best and most nuanced take I've ever seen on the entire situation, RU-vid video or otherwise. Well done Brian.

This is an awesome video. Great overview and very objective.

The best summary I agree with/ seen compiled Great job!

What a fantastic retrospective, thank you for this Brian!

This video is well done, gives a very objective look back at a interesting 2 year run while reflecting on all parties involved not just the subject.

What a wild ride. I bet making this video felt harder than getting through Abraxas. Speaking of which, I will now go watch your review of that.

This video got you a new subscriber! Great content 👍🏽

11:57-12:16 The Irony and Brian's reaction is one of the best things about this video

I'm Hurt, I'm Old, I'm Tired, AND I'm Watching A Brian Zane Video

This was a fantastic video. Great stuff

This might be your best work yet. Well Done.

Say what you will about CM Punk’s attitude, he and MJF had absolutely platinum work on the microphone and threw out absolute zingers that had even huge haters laughing or going “Oooohhhh”

In one minute, Brian summarised how I feel about wrestling succinctly and why I am starting to be of the mind of just watching the shows and try to enjoy what's happening.

Well now we know muuuuch more about this xD

Another banger as always, Brian! Easily the most objective, well put together video regarding CM Punk.

Finally a wrestling content creator that gets it! I’ve had the same feelings about Punk this whole time and it always felt like that side of the whole thing wasn’t even a factor when it comes to people who talk about wrestling. It’s always rumors or takes or takeovers of comment sections that spark stupid arguments. It’s exhausting and I’m glad that it was put to words on camera. I like Punk, I always thought he was pretty good, but he was never one I would be basing my entire fandom on in all this. I will say, I am very excited with the direction he’s going in WWE and hoping that it doesn’t fall apart.

Brian, you may have hated making this video but I am very glad you did! This is one of your best...I truly appreciate your efforts to make this...fantastic video! Thank you very much!

The main takeaway from this is that Tony Khan should get all the blame

As a huge CM Punk mark, I feel this video is a great, objective, fair take based on what's known. Great video!

I’ve actually seen CM Punk wrestle in 2023 and he’s still got it. I just hope he stays happy and healthy. Seeing my best friend mark out watching Punks Entrance at Forbidden door 2 will forever be chiseled into my brain.

Like Solomonster said, and it's all ill agree with , " He is now become, what he hated." If you don't die a hero, you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." So true.

Fantastic video, explained everything concise, whilst also providing enough background on both sides of each situation. I love Punk and am admitted mark for him, but even I was beginning to get sick of the articles and rumours, I hope he puts on entertaining TV for us to enjoy without any backstage drama or fights this time. Time will tell.

Great recap for sure, and I especially enjoyed the sending the bridge falling down line. 😂

Eddie Kingston vs CM Punk was my favorite AEW match of both

Tony Khan is like that one substitute teacher that all the students ignore and do whatever they want without fear of punishment.

Brian, an extremely detailed and very balanced review of what has happened, you should be proud of yourself!

Great video. You did a great job with it.

20:44 Look, You can pinpoint the exact moment Tony's heart breaks in half.

You did an impeccable job on this video, Z-Man. Keep up the good work!

Best episode of "Sidebar" you've ever done, Zane! Top tier bar sideing!

I always thought Jungleboy saying real glass cry me a river moments before taking a move into the windshield that caused both him and Hook to bleed was pretty ironic

Eddie and Punks segment made me an Eddie Kingston fan. Punk was so hot at the time, but Eddie actually managed to make the crowd boo Punk. Plus Eddie was just so real

Very fair and balanced version of events. Good work z-man

Always leaning heavy to the aew side

Great work, Sir! Thank you for your content!!!

LOVE your long form videos Brian. Been looking forward to this one over a cup of coffee.

I rewatched your Summer of CM Punk video this morning to prepare 😂

Fantastic profile of this period, Brian! Probably my favorite video of yours since Heroes of Wrestling.

I’m sorry but acting like page saying what he said in the promo was all that happened is some serious revisionist history my man. Also acting like aew audience didn’t know what he was talking about when their audience is literally internet wrestling fans is pretty disingenuous as well. You seem to forget to mention bucks best bud Dave meltzer had been pushing the narrative that punk got colt fired for weeks at this point. Anyone who thinks Dave wasnt speaking for the the bucks, I got a bridge to sell you in Baltimore. Say what you want about punks reaction, but it wasn’t just reaction to one throw away comment like you make it seem. Literal vice presidents of the company were using “wrestling media” to try and knee cap the biggest babyface and draw aew had ever seen. Forget seeing from punks personal point of view, punk went there to do business and make money and build a legit threat to wwe based on promises Tony Kahn made and when he got there he found Indy backstabbing childish nonsense and basically everything he hated about working at wwe, literally down to the wrestler executives trying to hurt his place in company behind his back (hhh/the bucks).

He's not kidding about the view count stuff. This video went up by like 5k just within 15 mins of me watching it