"I don't think that was a fireable offense" - WWE legend questions Tony Khan firing CM Punk after viewing All In footage
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has shared that he doesn't think Tony Khan made the right call by firing CM Punk after the 2023 All In incident. The five-time WCW World Champion came to that conclusion after seeing the Wembley footage that AEW released on Dynamite last week.
The footage was aired on TV for the very first time, and it showed The Second City Saint getting into a physical altercation with Jack Perry. The former also seemingly confronted Tony Khan off-camera, who was sitting behind the monitors. The Voice of the Voiceless was let go after the incident last year, and he's currently signed with WWE.
Speaking on the latest edition of the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T stated that after watching the All In footage, he doesn't think what CM Punk did was a fireable offense. The wrestling legend explained that he's also been involved in a couple of fights backstage in the past.
"Me personally, I don't think that was a fireable offense. I don't know what has been going on behind the scenes with CM Punk and Tony Khan or anything like that for Tony Khan to make a decision like that off of what we saw because that did not seem like it was anything other than the boys getting into it. I've gotten into it with guys on the roster before many many times. And normally after it happens they will bring us in and say guys, either we gonna get along or somebody's going to have to get along, one of the two. And we shake hands and get back to work," said Booker. [15:02-15:44]
Vince Russo says Tony Khan releasing the All In footage was a mistake because he proved CM Punk right
Another wrestling veteran believes that Tony Khan releasing the All In footage on Dynamite was a mistake.
Speaking on the latest episode of Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws, Vince Russo said the footage proved that CM Punk was telling the truth in his interview with Ariel Helwani.
“Bro, [CM] Punk laid it out. 100 percent correct. Here are the three things Punk said, can't let you get close. And we saw what happened. Jack Perry got close and Punk pushed him away. Punk said, 'Can't let you get close. I didn't punch anybody. I just choked somebody a little bit.' That's exactly what happened. So bro, here's the takeaway for me. If you watch that whole interview and Punk was telling the truth about that incident. Then, you could assume he was telling the truth throughout the entire interview, right?"
Tony Khan turned the All In incident into a storyline between FTR and The Young Bucks. The two teams are set to collide at AEW Dynasty pay-per-view on April 21.
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If you use quotes from this article, please credit Hall of Fame podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.