AEW locker room was reportedly "jealous" of CM Punk; backstage perception revealed
Despite having a huge name and massive following from fans, CM Punk wasn't really popular in the AEW locker room, as per the latest reports.
Punk made his AEW debut on the August 20, 2021 episode of Rampage: The First Dance, where he was greeted with massive cheers from his hometown of Chicago. He went on to have commendable feuds with the likes of Eddie Kingston and MJF.
Punk also turned out to be a major attraction for the company as AEW All Out 2021 drew over 200,000 buys. In the said event, Punk defeated Darby Allin in his first match in seven years.
However, according to PWTorch's Wade Keller, The Second City Saint's drawing power drove a wedge between himself and the rest of the AEW roster. Despite being a star attraction, CM Punk didn't have enough authority, contrary to the notion of many people.
Keller also mentioned that jealousy prevailed in the locker room, mainly because of Punk's alleged salary hike.
"Because of that Punk carried less sway in the locker room, which had factions, but was largely an amiable place. There was some jealousy of his rumored salary, upwards of $3 million per year, with some wrestlers thinking their spot on the card moved down a notch, and their potential push was delayed a year or two because of him ... Jon Moxley has made it clear he wanted to be an alpha top guy, Cody Rhodes wanted that, he saw himself as that, Kenny Omega was initially seen as being that," Keller said. [via WrestlingInc]
Imagine that you're CM Punk. You've had one of the most triumphant comebacks ever in the history of wrestling. You've been promoted as the star you never got to be in WWE. And within a year, you completely ostracize yourself, becoming so toxic that you're not worth having around.
The journalist also noted that the roster expected Punk to bring the promotion to heights they've never experienced. However, their patience eventually wore out as the expectations didn't become a reality due to the slow ascension of numbers.
Further notes about CM Punk not asserting himself as a locker room leader in AEW after all
In the same report, Wade Keller stated that CM Punk was easy to talk with at first.
Unfortunately, it all changed when the former WWE star didn't impress the AEW roster enough to be the backstage leader he thought he could be.
"By all accounts, he didn't make enough of an impression on those younger wrestlers to be the de facto erudite locker room leader he might have seen himself as," Keller added. [via WrestlingInc]
I'll miss CM Punk because he is a genius in so many ways, but if it's any consolation, he would have humiliated himself in any potential match with Kenny Omega by doing something to "prove" he was remotely on his athletic level. And folks...where's the lie?
The rumors of a contract buyout between CM Punk and AEW have been rampant as of late. However, it will be interesting to see if both parties will find a way to reach an amicable solution following the fiasco that happened at All Out.
What are your thoughts on the AEW locker room being jealous of CM Punk and his perceived backstage personality? Sound off in the comments section.