We have not seen the former Jungle Boy in AEW since Wembley in 2023…leading us to ask…is Tony Khan punishing Jack Perry with his AEW TV absence?
To recap things, in case you may have forgotten…
Jack Perry and CM Punk had a bit of a clash or two when both were gainfully employed by Khan in AEW.
Perry has shown his immaturity and stupidity by insisting on using real glass in a spot, something that an experienced veteran like Punk pushed back on.
Some of these incidents lead to new safety protocols, though based on recent bumps, I can’t believe they are all that well followed.
Either way, the two had a history in AEW, and not a good one. Things blew up while working the Wembley show.
This ultimately led to CM Punk being fired by Tony Khan, while Jack Perry was said to be quietly suspended.
Problem is, we’ve been told his suspension was up months ago.
source: @xwreport_, x, screenshot
In the time since it was up, we’ve actually seen CM Punk back on television. Of course, he now (again) works for WWE, and has done some huge numbers. He has also gotten himself injured again, but fans have loved having him back, and he’s moved merch to boot.
Which probably makes Tony Khan not that happy, which is why we ask…
Is Tony Khan Punishing Jack Perry With TV Absence?
According to the Wrestling Observer...probably.
Perry has worked in New Japan since his suspension, but not in AEW. While in NJPW, Perry has ripped up his AEW contract and is calling himself The Scapegoat.
Maybe there’s some bad blood? Maybe it’s all a bit tongue in cheek and Perry is getting work in while letting things quiet down.
But according to Meltzer, even though he has done his time, Tony Khan still blames Jack Perry for costing him CM Punk.
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Which…seems a bit silly, to be honest.
Word was out (from Tony himself) that Punk swung on him or that in general, the boss feared for his safety. That would be an issue between Punk and Khan, period.
Now, Perry acting like a child may not have helped matters…but depending on who and what you believe, there was similar bad behavior between Punk and The Elite that surrounded the All Out brawl. I doubt Tony Khan blames those EVPs for costing him Punk, but it was that incident that really set things in motion.
To me, this is a perfect example of Khan being too close and too inexperienced. There needs to be another layer or two of legit management, not Chris Jericho or Bryan Danielson pulling the strings.
And if Khan wants to be mad at anyone for costing him CM Punk…he should look no further than at himself.
