CM Punk Expresses Regret for AEW All Out Media Scrum and Reaches Out to Tony Khan and The Elite

In a recent interview with Marc Raimondi of ESPN, CM Punk opened up about the infamous AEW All Out media scrum and subsequent fallout. Following AEW All Out 2022, CM Punk, the AEW World Champion at the time, made heated remarks about The Elite, including Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks. This led to a physical altercation with the trio, resulting in suspensions and the stripping of their titles. While The Elite returned to AEW in November, Punk remained absent until it was announced that his comeback would coincide with the premiere of AEW Collision on June 17.

Punk acknowledged that he had regrets about his actions during the media scrum. He expressed his apologies to Tony Khan and admitted that he mishandled the situation. Furthermore, Punk revealed that his relationship with Khan has since improved.

“When I had the opportunity to speak with Tony afterward, the first thing I said was, ‘Man, I’m really sorry I put you in that position. I apologize for the scrum.’ But when you watch that scrum, you’re looking at a very frustrated guy who had already voiced his concerns. It wasn’t the first time he had heard all that. Lawyers were already aware of the situation. I was just hoping for some action, and when nothing happened, I took matters into my own hands. I didn’t approach it the right way, but tensions were running high. I was incredibly angry and disappointed. It’s easy for me to say that I regret my actions and I handled it poorly, 100%,” Punk explained.

Regarding his interactions with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, Punk admitted that he hadn’t spoken to them since the incident, despite his attempts to do so. He mentioned that lawyers had responded, instructing him not to contact them, though it remained unclear whether those instructions originated from Omega and the Jacksons’ legal representatives or a third party. Punk expressed his willingness to have a proper discussion with everyone involved, but such a meeting has yet to materialize.

“Now we’re all involved in this mess, and it never should have come to this. It has never been resolved. I understand people might say, ‘Oh, Punk is difficult.’ Well, yeah, because I’m defending myself, and I’ll always stand up for myself. I’m open to sitting down and having a thorough discussion about it with everyone involved. But it hasn’t happened yet, and that’s not because I haven’t tried,” Punk stated.

Looking ahead, Punk made it clear that he is excited about his return and never seriously considered retirement, even during his lowest moments. He emphasized that there is still work to be done, and he is eager for what the future holds.

“I’ve certainly had some tough moments, and I won’t deny that there were fleeting moments when I thought, ‘Ah, screw this, whatever.’ But I never seriously intended to retire. There is still unfinished business, and I’m genuinely enthusiastic about what lies ahead. So, discarding everything just because of a minor setback would be foolish,” Punk concluded.