"We were fighting for our lives" - Major AEW star details how promotion struggled to keep afloat in aftermath of CM Punk brawl out
One of the major incidents that got AEW a lot of negative press was the "Brawl Out" incident between CM Punk and The Elite. Inaugural AEW World Champion Chris Jericho recently opened up about how the entire roster fought back to overcome all the negativity and keep the promotion alive.
It all started with a rant by CM Punk during the post-AEW All Out media scrum. The two-time AEW World Champion spoke ill about Hangman Page, Colt Cabana, and The Executive Vice Presidents. This did not sit well with The Elite and they went to Punk's locker room to confront him and it quickly turned into a physical altercation.
All the parties involved were suspended and among them, The Elite recently made their return to the promotion and are back to all their previous roles. Their first on-screen appearance was at the Full Gear pay-per-view. CM Punk, on the other hand, is still suspended and there is no official information on when or if he will return to AEW.
During the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho, The reigning ROH World Champion Chris Jericho ran down all of his accomplishments and news-worthy incidents of 2022 and one of them was the brawl out incident. The Ocho talked about how it was hard for the entire roster to overcome the negative publicity but still managed to fight and keep the promotion thriving.
“We were fighting for our lives at that time. There was so much bad publicity on the company and kind of a black cloud, a haze over it, and dude, we were fighting back," Chris Jericho said. [H/T SEScoops.com]
It is safe to say that AEW has managed to get back on track as of late and is beginning to return to its creative peak.
Chris Jericho talked about who took the role of being AEW's locker room leader
While speaking on the same podcast, Jericho stated that the top champion of the company had been suspended and thus the roster did not have a leader to look up to. It is to be noted that usually the company's top champion usually also takes up the role of being the locker room leader.
The Ocho mentioned that he along with two other former WWE Champions, took up the role of the locker room leader and motivated the rest to give their best and keep the show running.
“We kind of took charge, [Jon Moxley] and Bryan and I and let them know the sky wasn’t falling, that things happen, and we gotta keep the show rolling.” [H/T SEScoops.com]
@StewartQuay I’d have to give that title to Chris Jericho for legitimatizing the company and continuing as a locker room leader. Old school, new school; no one can deny Jericho’s greatness.
The Ocho recently re-signed with AEW and fans were elated upon hearing the news that Jericho will be with the company until at least 2025.
What are your thoughts on Jericho, Moxley, and Bryan Danielson taking up the roles of locker room leaders? Let us know in the comments section below.