3 AEW stars who took shots at Vince McMahon and 2 who praised him - Former WWE Champion, Former member of The Shield
AEW boasts a number of former WWE Superstars who have jumped ship to their roster. Whether it is unhappiness at their spot in the company, creative differences or being simply let go, there are several reasons why wrestlers such as Chris Jericho, Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley and others have left the pro wrestling industry giant, WWE, to sign with AEW.
While some wrestlers have amicably parted ways, others carry resentment at how Vince McMahon and co. treated them during their time in the WWE. Most of these current AEW wrestlers have since gone on record to talk about their time working for Vince.
Here we look at 3 AEW stars who took shots at their former boss and 2 who praised him.
#5. AEW star who criticized Vince McMahon: CM Punk
Just casually reminding everyone that CM Punk and Vince McMahon had a really fun match on Monday Night Raw in October 2012.
Say what you want about Vince, he's always willing to put himself in the ring if the moment calls for it. https://t.co/56q99aMznU
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon does not always see eye-to-eye with his top stars. CM Punk was no exception. Their personal relationship became so contentious that it famously became material for on-air storylines. That ultimately led to his departure from the company.
While promoting his AEW debut at this year's All Out pay-per-view, Punk made an appearance on Chicago’s 670 The Score. The Best in the World recalled his first big disagreement with his former boss.
Ahead of the disastrous December to Dismember PPV, Punk told Vince McMahon that he didn't agree with the finish of the Elimination Chamber match, where Bobby Lashley won the ECW championship.
The PPV was a critical failure and had one of the lowest buyrates of all time. So it seemed like Punk had a point. Reflecting on that episode, he said:
“I was always going to tell him the truth. I was always going to be honest,” CM Punk said.
Punk has also been highly critical of the WWE product since walking out of the company, from his infamous appearance on Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast to his more recent comments on WWE's spate of releases.
The AEW star lashed out at WWE and Vince McMahon by proxy after the company released six wrestlers and said that it is a product that continues to produce ‘trash’.
Responding to a tweet about WWE releasing Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Lana, Ruby Riott, Buddy Murphy, and Santana Garrett and their inability to utilize talent, Punk tweeted:
“It’s like a movie with a blockbuster budget and cast, but if it’s written by creatively bankrupt nincompoops specifically for an audience of one, in a language nobody understands anymore, it’s…..trash.”
“But people watch it because they like movies,” Punk wrote.
@FreddyInSpace It’s like a movie with a blockbuster budget and cast, but if it’s written by creatively bankrupt nincompoops specifically for an audience of one, in a language nobody understands anymore, it’s.....trash. But people watch it because they like movies. 🤷🏼♀️
The AEW wrestler's contentious relationship with his former boss ensures that we won't be seeing Punk back in WWE anytime soon. But AEW is the perfect landing spot for the Straight Edge Superstar. He's made an excellent career resurgence and now faces MJF in an eagerly-anticipated feud.