Booker T explains why losing CM Punk will be a huge blow to AEW in the Chicago market.
Ahead of the September 2nd episode of Collision, Tony Khan announced in front of a Chicago crowd that CM Punk had been fired from AEW with cause as a result of an investigation into his backstage altercation with Jack Perry at the previous weekend’s All In.
At Survivor Series on November 25th, CM Punk made a shocking return to WWE for the first time since his acrimonious exit in 2014. While he didn’t speak during his return in his hometown of Chicago, he addressed the Nashville crowd on the November 27th episode of Monday Night Raw, firmly declaring that he was “home.”
Speaking on the latest edition of his Hall of Fame podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T addressed Punk’s return to WWE and noted that AEW will have a difficult time in the Chicago market without the Second City Savior.
“This is huge. It’s huge because it’s a huge blow. The Chicago market has been huge for AEW, bringing CM Punk in was a huge plan to really boost that thing to the next level. Bottom fell out, still tried to run Chicago, now it’s going to be so hard for that company to step back into Chicago without someone like CM Punk.
“That goes back to my ol’ adage, just keep your damn mouth shut, take care of your business, and then you might not fall into potholes like this one right here. This is just one pothole. Those potholes are going to keep getting bigger and bigger.
“This goes back to when I was in WCW, we were running for 83 weeks, the bottom fell out, the company got sold. All those guys were looking for a job. Ted Turner, you think he missed any champagne wishes and steak dinner? Ah nah. He said, ‘Let me pull the plug on this.’ Sooner or later, I feel like Tony Khan will be doing the same thing if he doesn’t keep his mouth shut and run his company.”
“It Was A Huge Win For WWE As Well” – Booker T On CM Punk’s Return
Continuing, the two-time Hall of Famer explained that as much as losing Punk is a blow to AEW, the situation is a major win for WWE.
“It was a bigger blow to AEW. It was a huge win for WWE as well. They’re both equal. It was a huge blow just because of the build up, how much they put into that thing, for it to just fall apart the way it did. It’s a huge blow to AEW.”
h/t Fightful