Tony Khan Explains Why He Made Decision To Address CM Punk’s AEW Firing

AEW made a lot of headlines after CM Punk was fired from the company. Tony Khan made a decision to address the situation head-on, and he spoke to the fans about the situation. That was a call that some wouldn’t have made.

On September 2nd, AEW took to social media to announce the contract terminations of CM Punk following an incident at AEW All In. Later that day, Tony Khan addressed the situation before AEW Collision in Chicago, detailing the difficulty of his decision. Khan emphasized the potential danger posed to innocent individuals and expressed feeling threatened himself. The opening of AEW Collision featured a similar speech by Khan.

While speaking to Insider, Tony Khan was asked about his decision to speak to the live crowd. He felt a connection in Chicago, and that certainly helped him with this decision.

“Chicago is home to my family. I grew up in Champaign. I’ve been going to the United Center since it was first built when I was 11. My family was at the show, countless friends, everyone I grew up with. It meant a lot to go out and speak to the fans and be able to put on a great show.”

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“When asked why did it from the ramp and not in the ring, Khan replied, “[Long pause.] You can’t see everybody’s face from the center of the ring. You have to choose one side of the crowd to face when you’re in the ring. And I wanted to be able to see everybody. I felt like, I’m not a wrestler and I don’t need to be in the ring, and for this moment, I thought I would just sit down and talk to everybody. That’s why I brought out a chair.

“And when I was done and walked backstage, the first person I saw was Ricky Steamboat, and he said, ‘That was great, you turned the crowd. You turned them around. That’s so hard to do, and you did it.’ I felt I at least owed that much to the wrestlers and the fans, to go out there and talk to everybody.”

Only time will tell what is next for CM Punk in the pro wrestling world. He is certainly a draw, but he will have to go elsewhere if he wants to continue. That being said, there is also the possibility that CM Punk might hang up his boots, because there are worse places to have your final match other than Wembley Stadium.

CM Punk might keep making headlines, and he could always have a shoot interview down the line. In the end, he’s not looking to take legal action. We will keep checking back with this story, and so much more, right here at Ringside News.

What’s your take on CM Punk’s AEW exit? Sound off in the comments to let us know what you think!