CM Punk certainly knows how to get people talking, and following last week’s episode of AEW Collision the wrestling world was talking about his post-show promo where he took shots at Adam Page.
“Earlier today I went to a local supermarket and I figured out why they call him Hangman,” Punk said. “It’s because the pegs in the toy aisle are full of Hangman action figures because nobody wants to buy them. He’s a peg warmer, unlike me who moves merchandise and pops ratings and sells toys. And then everybody in AEW is saying, ‘I’m the heart, I’m the soul, I’m the spirit.’ Well, that’s objective.”
PWTorch is reporting that the comments were not made to build to a Punk vs. Page match as it was CM Punk’s way of venting. Adam Page reportedly showed up at the Greensboro Coliseum on Saturday for Collision as he was supposed to record a promo set to air on Dynamite. However, Fightful Select reported that he was turned away and told to film the promo elsewhere. It was also reported that Ryan Nemeth was brought into the Collision tapings but he was sent home.
According to PWTorch, CM Punk confronted Ryan Nemeth backstage at the June 21 episode of Dynamite in response to a tweet Nemeth posted referring to Punk as “literally the softest man alive.” Punk reportedly got inches from Nemeth’s face while he angrily and aggressively confronted him in the locker room. The story is that Punk asked Nemeth if they needed to settle things outside. Punk noted that the timing of Nemeth’s tweet was bad for the public image they were trying to convey at the time with the idea being that everyone was on the same page or at least not looking to make past issues worse.
Ryan Nemeth asked CM Punk if he shouldn’t react to things Punk says on TV and Punk said that would be the right choice at the time. It’s being said that they shook hands but tensions were still high as they went their separate ways.
Nemeth shared details on the incident with friends backstage and asked how to handle the situation. Due to Nemeth having no leverage and CM Punk being a bigger star Nemeth backed off because his job could be at risk if Punk speaks out against him. Nemeth has also deactivated his Twitter account.
Wrestlers are reportedly in an awkward position when it comes to speaking out against CM Punk as Punk is a big part of AEW’s business strategy, and Tony Khan is personally a fan of CM Punk. When Punk first returned earlier this year Tony Khan reportedly stood up and chanted “C.M. Punk!” as Punk walked by the gorilla position backstage after his return to TV. The feeling backstage for wrestlers who aren’t in a position of power is that they should lay low to avoid ending up on Punk’s list of enemies.
CM Punk is said to be protective of Collision and doesn’t want wrestlers who are too close to The Elite or perceived to be disloyal backstage, so he essentially has veto power regarding who can be at Collision.
