Both CM Punk and The Elite were suspended after their infamous “backstage brawl” at All Out. Now it seems as if the Elite are returning to AEW soon, while WNZ also has an update on Punk and how his dog got caught up in things.
The Elite Returning To AEW
For those who caught it, a video was shown during Wednesday’s Dynamite featuring The Elite and Don Callis. There seem to be a number of reports indicating the faction’s imminent return.
👀 ???#AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/fItLtSwM3z
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 27, 2022
Firstly, Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer noted that Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks were backstage at Dynamite this week. He states that they had a “good time” backstage and the video teasing their return was “everything” it needed to be.
Alvarez also states that the trio hung out with everyone backstage. He also says that everyone was happy to see each other.
The Elite Returning To AEW … BUT WHEN?
As per Fightful’s Sean Sapp, The Elite’s return could happen “imminently”. With that said, there’s no exact timeline on when fans can expect to see Omega and the Bucks on TV, but it’s likely very soon.
The report reveals there has been no mention of CM Punk returning. In fact, there have been reports indicating discussions on AEW buying out his contract.
As many know by now, the other participant in the All Out post-media scrum fight was backstage producer Ace Steel. He’s a friend of Punk and was released from AEW, shortly after the altercation.
Interestingly enough, there seems to be much more to this backstage brawl than meets the eye. In fact, it sounds like CM Punk’s dog Larry got injured during the fight.
CM Punk’s Dog Injured During Brawl
Wrestling Inc. recently reached out to CM Punk’s camp for a response about The Elite potentially returning to AEW and received one back. According to their report, AEW has not reached out to Punk since the All Out incident.
In addition, Punk was asked to keep quiet about the incident, which he agreed to. As per Punk’s camp, the media scrum itself wasn’t a big deal.
What escalated things was Punk’s locker room door being kicked in. When this happened, Larry, Punk’s dog, was hit in the face.
During a vet visit two days after, Punk was notified that Larry’s two teeth were loose because of the incident. Sadly, the dog’s teeth needed to be removed.
CM Punk Felt Threatened
According to Punk’s camp, he felt threatened by what happened to his dog and the “kicking in of the door”. Therefore, he reacted in a legal way (under Illinois’ Castle Doctrine laws).
This allows for force (in defense) of a person within their dwelling. With that said, there doesn’t seem to be any legal action against Punk or anyone involved.
Lucy, Steel’s wife, was also in the room during the altercation. It doesn’t seem as if she was part of anything, and has not been interviewed during the internal investigation.
Lastly, it was also stated that Adam “Hangman” Page’s comments during a May Dynamite show also contributed to Punk’s distrust of AEW. Especially heading into his title match at Double or Nothing 2022.
Page alluded to backstage concerns about Punk. Apparently, CM Punk was worried that a “pre-determined” bout could turn into a real fight.
There’s so much to unpack here, with information still trickling in about the infamous Brawl Out incident. Here’s hoping all participants find some resolution, soon.