Jim Cornette on If AEW's Investigation Was A Sham

From Episode 456 of the Jim Cornette Experience
Artwork by Travis Heckel!
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[@TopTierHater]

The woman who was watching Punk’s dog and was said to saw everything was never questioned during the “investigation.” Of course it’s a sham.

[@jayw.1042]

Which to me makes me think something else isn’t being talked about on the elites behalf

[@ASCUMBAGWh0re]

@@jayw.1042 like what!? What possible else çan they do have done huh?? Hmm?

[@cloudali892]

come on man, you're not gonna take Matt's word? He witnessed everything too. Apparently he was there and saw his beloved Bucks get attacked by a wild Punk, he couldn't believe why anyone would try to hurt any of his guys.

[@laysdong]

A ring rat whose dick riding one of the assailants isn't really a reliable source is it?

[@EV87_]

Exactly. No legitimate third party investigation team is going to leave out the biggest piece of the puzzle.

[@ancientruinsdiscovery7777]

It was a sham from the second that Ace Steel's wife wasn't interviewed despite being in the room and witnessing everything!

[@TheTalk23]

Tony hired the worst investigators ever.

[@calebcaton773]

@@TheTalk23 he probably used the in-house “legal department”. Can’t carry out an objective investigation when you’re probably fucking the bucks

[@Kratosx23]

@@TheTalk23 No, he hired the ones that were gonna give him the result his bosses (Jericho, Omega and the Bucks) wanted.

[@UltimaThulean]

Precisely! Every iota of purported "objectivity" was decimated pertinent to that very act..or the lack therein. Mrs. Steel's testimony should've been regarded as utterly invaluable..yet no inquiry was extended-as Jim has pristinely delineated

[@ren17x50]

Officer Barbrady! Move along nothing to see if here people

[@kevinwooster3003]

Investigation was handled by the DOJ - The Department of Jericho.

[@sonnyknight1259]

You won the quote of the day brother.😂😂😂

[@TheRealTurkFebruary]

🏆

[@wilcee238]

🤣

[@christianpaul-cp6746]

😂😂😂

[@tangoblue]

😂😂

[@SefniAsheforr]

It really is a tragedy how Chris Jericho has tarnished so much of his legacy to get his Hulk Hogan midlife crisis fulfilled. He was my hero growing up. I read "A Lion's Tale" multiple times, read "Undisputed" multiple times, and read "Best in the World at What I Have no Idea" twice. His 2008 heel run was one of the greatest of all time, his matches with Shawn Michaels throughout his career are legendary, and his match alongside Benoit against the Two Man Power Trip is one of the best WWE matches of all time. He was a solidified legend and one of the best wrestlers in the business for years on end. It's just such shit to see him become the exact kind of guy he despised in WCW, and one of the biggest problems in AEW. They say never meet your heroes, but in some cases such as this it can also be "never let your heroes go past their prime."

[@cathallynch8269]

Well said.

[@stingersplash]

Absolutely. He was in my fave 5 in the AE. Now he's in the bottom 5 in AEW.

[@RandalfElVikingo]

Jericho should have retired after his adventures in Japan.

[@anthonyrousseau8050]

Truly, he has become Judas in his mind.

[@acidvenom407]

You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain

[@joshuaDstarks]

Yes, of course it was. No doubt about it. AEW is like the worst table at lunch in high school.

[@leonelcardenas5847]

So the actual popular talent in the middle of the table/roster. With the wannabes at each end of the table! Excellent !!!

[@WallyHays]

They’re not even at a table in the cafeteria, they’re the AV/theater kids watching anime in a classroom in trench coats.

[@pi1797]

Come on now let’s not insult High Schools… Maybe junior high stuff shenanigans but not high school level. 😂😂😂

[@redkritter1225]

And Punk is the loner not even the losers want at the table.

[@WallyHays]

@@redkritter1225 I'd rather be the mysterious loner than the guy with the Christian rock band

[@Uuusssaaas]

The 3rd party investigator is Ralphus from Jericho Personal Security, LLC.

[@mikefitchNYC1971]

Lol 😂😂

[@williamwolfxrivera9929]

Umm hate to be that guy but uh Ralphus died

[@mikefitchNYC1971]

@@williamwolfxrivera9929 Ralphus was so kool 🙏🙏

[@bury_the_elite65294]

I thought it was Lionel Hutz from The Simpsons. Or was it Officer Barbrady from South Park?

[@Uuusssaaas]

@@williamwolfxrivera9929 I was shocked to be sad when I heard it. There was something lovable about the guy.

[@gringobrandino]

I hope you're able to get Punk on the podcast someday

[@imusingsocialistmedia3014]

If TK wants Punk to sign an NDA he should tell him to kiss his ass after he has a shit.

[@PhillyLeotardo25]

I don’t because I want Jim to avoid lawsuits

[@artymixon5316]

​@@PhillyLeotardo25 Stephen p New will make sure that doesn't happen

[@ASCUMBAGWh0re]

@@artymixon5316 you don't KNIWA THAT. Not 100% so don't be cashing checks tour mouth cant cash!💯👇🏼🙄

[@syko2695]

Most viewed episode of the most viewed wrestling podcast in the world doesn't sound too shabby. Let's just hope Jim isn't petty enough to refuse money for the lawsuit that may or may not come of it 😂

[@jthom0027]

I can't help but remember one of the older media scrums where Punk had to answer the question about people not wanting him in the locker room. This has been going on from the time Punk first got here and the AEW fanboys just can't wrap their minds around the fact that the true bullies in that locker room are Omega, the Jacksons, Page, and Jericho. If they don't want you in the clubhouse, you aren't getting in for very long.

[@alysone685]

Exactly. Whether you think Punk was an justified jerk or an unjustified jerk, it's willful ignorance to think the Kidz Bop Kliq did nothing wrong and that they aren't pulling political BS.

[@carter3369]

Twinkle Toes and the Hardly Boys

[@truuflight1142]

Yep and bucks are still beefing with ftr

[@PureLightWarrior]

Yep it’s TK and friends

[@coolyoungsparks7423]

Lmao yall big mad cause you hate the Elite so much that you have to litterally make up a false narrative when all the signs point to Punk being the problem starter even the people who "like"punk in the locker room haven't come out and defended him.. punk has a history as being a lockeroom problem.. i like the guy but all the signs point to him being in the wrong

[@ironviper72]

I'm definitely not a huge Punk fan but its so obvious that the "news stories" by "wrestling journalists" have been slanted against him and haven't bothered to show any part of his side of the story. Listening to Punk going off during the scrum, it was clear he was extremely bothered by everything going on.

[@supergluehotty]

Especially since most of the nutcutting was against the fake ass reporters in the room. Unca Dave being chief among them.

[@GenAries11]

Til this very day! He called them "wrestling journalists" out even name, Dave Meltzer and til this day they are reporting slander.

[@hazard_us132]

He's always extremely bothered by everything. Everywhere he's ever been.

[@marlock6573]

I didn't think highly of most of the wrestling media and the fanboy channels on KZbin, but almost nobody can be taken seriously to cover this sport after seeing how they've handled this incident. The fanboy pile on against Ariel Helwani over the Tony interview was similarly embarrassing.

[@imusingsocialistmedia3014]

@@hazard_us132 The point is he didn't lie, I don't know why fans are so bothered. Unless the Elite fans already knew what Punk said and wanted the Elite to continue doing it. Never have I ever saw this behavior from any other group of fans. I was a HHH mark until he stopped wrestling full time and he always and still does get mostly negative opinions about him in and out of the ring. I don't cry like a bitch about it.

[@RealGateGuardian]

AEW revived my love for wrestling. AEW also KILLED my interest in wrestling

[@hawkfishdaniels7199]

Same here.

[@prestanmarquis]

At least Triple H is trying to get interest back in WWE.

[@RealGateGuardian]

@@prestanmarquis he's still arguably one of wrestling's biggest pieces of shit

[@hawkfishdaniels7199]

@@prestanmarquis I'm watching WWE when I can. I'm impressed so far.

[@jeanclaudevantom692]

Same here. I'm starting to realize i was a fan of Cody rhodes.. and that why i got back into wrestling

[@TheReal_DeanD]

This was really really good. I also like how Brian pointed out Mega's role in the investigation and who was doing the investigating.

[@fabs5211]

It's Megan

[@mike584]

@@fabs5211 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@omegamark9178]

💯👏👏👏👍 exactly! It's like letting the guy who drove the getaway car prosecute the guys who robbed the bank!

[@13JacksonMr]

@@fabs5211 well you spill it and you'll have to clean it up

[@captain-brickhead8317]

Of course it was, the decision to get rid of punk was likely already made, management just had to make it look like they carried a ‘fair’ investigation to cover their own ass - this is common practice in a workplace.

[@andrew8168]

Thank you for saying this. Jim and Brian have cleared lived very privileged lives to not immediately think this.

[@RandalfElVikingo]

@@andrew8168 Cornette never cared about "investigations", he got fired because he took it too far haha. Actually, no one should care about a company's investigation that you can basically destroy with a lawsuit.

[@johnwade7963]

@@andrew8168 umm dude Brian and Jim have kinda been saying that

[@Cruising_On_Lake_Havasoma]

@@andrew8168 Cornette has worked in wrestling his whole life, he wouldn't know shit about what goes on at regular jobs because he's never had one.

[@LuisReyes-pb4dt]

I wonder who was in charge of the bogus investigation.HAMBURGLAR and GUY SMILEY ☺.KHAN is an idiot

[@vladdebrancovan7011]

Congrats for Tony Khan for (1) making CM Punk give up on wrestling faster than triple H and Oldman Vince in their prime and (2) made a wrestling company a trainwreck faster than Dixie Rocket Carter faster than they ever could.

[@TRoller927]

The worst part is Shad isn't going to cut off Tony the way Dixie's dad cut her off. Because Shad's wealth is virtually limitless and Tony is a spoiled child.

[@vladdebrancovan7011]

@@TRoller927 it’s a different in the sense that I think Shad will cut him off if Tony becomes embarrassing enough or has some sort of seizure … like Brian says if Punk like gets Tony’s dad to hear or have his BS aired out in the public it might be a different story.

[@TRoller927]

@@vladdebrancovan7011 That's a good point, dirty laundry in the NFL is a very bad look. Daniel Snyder is experiencing that right now, although about to get a 4 billion dollar parachute to keep his mouth shut.

[@JasonKing8113]

Sorry but im with Punk on this one

[@kidneystonermusic]

Lol right? I don't wanna be on Punk's side of anything but shit, they didn't give me a choice

[@JazzyJasTruckingzz]

I can't wait for cm punk later on to do an interview about all of this overall. Would mind if Brian & jim featured him lol

[@chrisortiz8072]

Meh I'd say fire them all if Tony had anyone to replace them lol punk included but he didnt build any stars.. really he weakened the value of many people he hired and ruined the chance for them to make a real impact

[@clinttigue4726]

@@chrisortiz8072 Really? I became a fan of MJF's, FTR's and Hobbs work because of him, because I was still new to AEW.

[@secularbelt]

I’m on Punk’s side and not sorry

[@frankE91210]

JIM hit the nail on the head with me. I watched all AEW shit no matter how terrible. This was the last straw for me i dont want to watch the same 3 groups of friends play fight

[@bloodeagle6458]

There afraid to work with anyone that's not a friend cus they would get potatoed to hell and they know that

[@renegadecomic7577]

🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@DolchOfHate]

What if, Punk sues AEW, he doesn't sign an NDA. Comes back at the Rumble and spills the beans about the locker room fight in Austin's Broken Skull Sessions.

[@johngraham9117]

Logan Paul vrs Cm Punk in 2024 WrestleMania. I'm calling it now

[@CynicallyObnoxious]

Id cum

[@Drollpanther]

Yes because he loves triple h and wwe

[@exilhamburger4802]

Without a buyout, badmouthing AEW might give TK a legitimate reason to fire Punk with a smaller/no payout. If TK wants to, he can continue to pay Punk and let him stay away just like WCW did to several wrestlers. Suing AEW means going up against lawyers the Khan family can pay, while Punk risks high legal cost without that big payday. I think Punk will negotiate his buyout, get a big nonus for a noncompete and retire to Chicago...

[@johngraham9117]

@@Drollpanther everyone in wrestling loves money and fame

[@matthewhostetter8974]

The only point of the "Investigation" was so Tony, The Elite, Jericho, and Meltzer can all make Punk look bad. While the Circle Jerk club comes off as innocent. It gave the Elite time for things to settle so they can come back to a massive ratings-cratering return. And Jericho can weasel his way into a new position of power. While running off everyone but the most Loyal Elite and Jericho viewers and making a bigger mockery of the company.

[@CynicallyObnoxious]

The thing is usually things like this back fire

[@IMGBrk96]

@@CynicallyObnoxious it will backfire. Give it some time. I’m optimistic they will get exposed.

[@KingJonathanThe1st]

@@IMGBrk96 they’re already being exposed

[@CynicallyObnoxious]

@@IMGBrk96 They will like do I agree with how Punk went about it no not at all, But if anything life has taught me is when you snicker and talk about people eventually it all comes out and the people who did the talking always ALWAYS pull the victim card

[@IMGBrk96]

@@CynicallyObnoxious Punk is just very blunt. People who are like that come off as being jerks. Corny is blunt too and he is the hottest heel today because of it

[@MichaelSmith-fq6hz]

What kind of head of legal thinks it’s a good idea to approve the Young Bucks going there in the first place? Tony needs to take a long look at his own inner circle if he ever expects his company to grow.

[@zohairshakir9967]

his head of legal represents his dad. so he can't control her. she controls him and if she is screwing the talent to screw other talent she will get away with it. the new stephanie is maegha whoever gets her will have control of aew

[@bobbyb5546]

He doesn't care about company growth. This is his little Booking Project. He'll tire of playing Booker and shut it all down one day.

[@iceteehehe754]

The kind who cosplays with the AEW Tittle belt and posted it on her IG before she made it private.

[@oodatooitis6714]

This is what I've been saying since this first came out. If she did her actual job, which is to protect the company and family from potential liability, this ends as soon as Punk leaves the scrum by making clear that anyone who approached Punk gets fired and Punk gets escorted out of the building. Hell, even WWE had the sense to get Charlotte out of building after her fight with Becky. Can you imagine Jerry McDevitt behaving the way this Megha person has? She's a sham, just like the rest of their so-called executives.

[@knection1986]

I was a big AEW mark even going to a couple shows in the summer....I'll never spend another dime on this company again.

[@drobinson-uo7ic]

The big picture is that its sad when you look at how much momentum they had a year ago. Punk had just wrestled Darby, Danielson and Cole debuted, Wardlow was getting over huge, MJF was about to start his feud with Punk. The future looked so promising and now AEW looks so bad...

[@RandalfElVikingo]

@@drobinson-uo7ic Blame Harpo and the Suck a C*ck Connection

[@cosmic865]

Same here! I haven't watched it in a while now.

[@nunyanunya4147]

i hope i live 20 years... just long enough for the "Dark side ov the ring" episode/season that focuses on this

[@Weenur_Hut]

Jericho learned it from his WCW days from Hogan’s nWo, All Jericho Wrestling, you did it!

[@AbrahamMiha]

Jericho is the new Hogan, brother.

[@fabs5211]

@@AbrahamMiha Hogan Lite. At least more people watched Hogan do his shtick

[@omegamark9178]

think about it: wcw with guys like hogan,nash,and flair,,,then in wwe with hhh,heck he's even described himself as a "disciple" of VINCE MCMAHON! When it comes to backstage politicking,holding guys down,and doing talent dirty,,,he learned from some of the all-time MASTERS!

[@williamsimmons7823]

What about the comments by Matt hardy last week running his mouth saying "he witnessed the fight and ot was all cm punk." I find it weird that he waited THAT long to say he saw anything.

[@KC-vx5wo]

he backtracked on that. wasn't there.

[@anthonyrousseau8050]

They're paying him off to say this shit. Not surprising considering Matt & his wife never gave a shit about his brother.

[@SamsarasArt]

Matt has his lips firmly planted on the hardly boys' asses

[@iceteehehe754]

I'm going to need to see the layout of this room. 2 bucks 1 mega cosplaying lawyer 1 omega 1 punk 1 wife 1 dog 1 pissed off husband and now Matt hardy. 8 beings in what sized room?

[@josephmelendez8370]

I've never wanted someone to sue an entity so bad in my life. Punk better do it just so they're forced to admit what happened.

[@acidvenom407]

And then show up at the royal rumble

[@timothycrosby4251]

Absolutely

[@ratedmgamer9819]

I'd find some joy if Jericho was getting targeted by Punk. Dude needs to get checked by someone who ain't afraid to do it and I would think Punk wouldn't back down from Jericho. Jericho's ego and influence has gotten him to get away with too much for too long.

[@imusingsocialistmedia3014]

Never have I ever wanted Punk to return to WWE until now, it's not because I even like WWE. Haha. It's out of spite because the clowns at AEW deserve it.

[@-JAVY-]

Rumor is that punk isn't gonna sue anymore

[@madringking1119]

What if Punk is planning on suing them? The best time to say FUCK YOU were to serve them at the same time at the Press Scrum after Full Gear since it's highly likely that Omega and The Bucks will show up that night

[@anthonyrousseau8050]

Poetic justice. If they thought the All Out scrum was a mess, they have seen nothing.

[@chrissawyer1484]

My issue is this: Dave seemed to come out and say, "everyone's story is the same on the general stuff" when everyone wasn't even interviewed.

[@yxeaviationphotog]

Clearly, Punk's frustration has been boiling for a while and something set him off, leading to the scrum. That's the big question I want an answer too....what set him off. Punk's comments didn't come across as smarmy or smug, but you could clearly hear the frustration in his voice during the entire scrum. I think Punk was enjoying his comeback and probably wouldn't have thrown that away unless he had a good reason too. The Elite have way too much power as it is, TK seemingly wants to avoid conflict, and if these comments regarding Jericho are true, honestly I'd be done with AEW. I've enjoyed AEW because it was different and I had lost all interest in WWE.

[@brettperry3737]

My guess is he knew his tricep was torn, he knew how much damage had been done while he was out over the summer, and he just wasn't about to go home and listen to another 6-12 months of the ongoing character assassination, without ever saying a word in his own defense.

[@yxeaviationphotog]

@@brettperry3737 I think that's very plausible.

[@oodatooitis6714]

One comment I read that might have had some credence was that he may have been triggered from his match with Moxley with the crowd being so split. Even when he won, and then MJF came out, the crowd was heavily split again, and let's be honest, Punk has an ego. You could see on his face that he was thrown off. Maybe without much time b/w that and the scrum to collect himself, he snapped when he saw that Nick guy and the rest of the so called journalists. Not an excuse, but this bunch is proof of why people shouldn't make decisions when they're emotional.

[@mauricioreal7384]

The only reason Jericho dislikes Punk is because Punk chose not to go on his lame podcast when he left WWE in 2014.

[@Drollpanther]

No

[@eiephants]

I think Punk also publicly critised Chris for being an election denier.

[@aidanthomas2510]

@@eiephants yes and said in the infamous podcast that Jericho among others was bringing up private conversations for ratings. If what we hear about Jericho is true, this is just another reason for Punk to dislike him.

[@christhornycroft3686]

It's All Friends In A Playground. Of course it was a sham. Tony wasn't going to take sides against his friends and they set up Punk from the start when they realized he'd taken their spot. From the beginning, Kenny Omega was a main event guy in AEW and the Bucks were tag champs most of the time. Then Omega was gone (I don't remember if he was hurt or what the deal was) but when Phil Brooks arrived, he took Omega's spot, started getting other guys over, including MJF, which pissed off Chris Jericho, who thought he was going to be the top guy with Omega out. Now, unless MJF plays his cards right, he'll be pushed aside and it's going to be Jericho as the top heel and Omega as the top babyface in AEW. Joe Pesci help us 🤣. It's so unfortunate, because Punk was kind of becoming the Bret Hart of AEW - the guy who got to pick who he worked with and tried to pick younger guys who he could help get over, like Darby and MJF. Obviously, the guys who were in Tony's ear didn't like that because all of a sudden there were guys in the locker room who sided with CM Punk over them and they became threats. The reality is, Omega and Jericho don't want anyone else getting over. It's bad enough for them that people are singing Jungle Jack Perry's entrance music and getting into MJF. I wouldn't be surprised if they set this all up so that Punk is out, and MJF will be leaving soon because all the mystique around him being an amazing heel like a Roddy Piper type when he wrestled Bret Hart is starting to lose its lustre. These guys are like leeches, sucking the life out of AEW, taking whatever they can get until there's nothing left, and they think they'll get a job in WWE or worst case, New Japan. If Punk's dog actually did end up needing repairs, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a law suit and the SPCA get involved. Wouldn't that be a treat? The 3 Stooges getting in trouble of animal cruelty. You can tell a lot about a person in the way they treat animals. Punk treats his little guy like a king. They bust out his teeth.

[@thehorrorhound6575]

Oh boy the amount of AEW die hards on AEW friendly media who piss their pants with anger if you say punk got MJF over

[@crazercrazer]

MJF will be just fine. If Tony fucks it up than his company is over.

[@omegamark9178]

@@thehorrorhound6575 indeed,the truth seems to be an allergy for them lol

[@nikkipat8609]

MJF was already quite over even prior CM Punk. And he's done well for himself all these years so even if he gets sidelined for whatever reason, there's only about a year+ left on his contract. Even if money is all he cares about, he'll have to acknowledge the only way to get to the next level is going to WWE. Simply put, if AEW wants to keep MJF, they will at least need to offer double what WWE is willing to pay as a bare minimum.

[@christhornycroft3686]

@@nikkipat8609 MJF was always a good talker, but Punk made him look like a main event talent. To a much lesser extent, it's like saying Stone Cold was over before WM 13. True, in some respects, but having that match with Bret actually got him over to the point where people could actually realistically see him as a main event wrestler and not just on the same level roughly as Razor Ramon was - the cool bad guy. That match pushed him beyond what Razor was in WWF and well into the main event picture. MJF wasn't even at Stone Cold's level pre-WM13, so working with Punk definitely made him a serious main eventer in AEW. He may have been over, but at one time Brutus Beefcake was "over."

[@robintst]

Tony, Jericho, and the EVPs are the most carnie thing going in the business today.

[@barely9955]

But believe me the reason we wwe fans can't able to even help by supporting him is because is attitude this what cost he should know by now

[@wingedhussar1453]

They're using Tony khan for their money .

[@budwyzer77]

Jeff Jarrett has entered the chat.

[@charles616]

This is probably the best assessment of the situation that I've heard.

[@dceasedbrickfan74]

When Jericho wrestled the dude that shares a bank account with his mom for the ROH title, I knew it was over. Punk is going to bury the hatchet with Triple H, sign with WWE, and then focus on burying the hatchet into AEW…Why? Because he’s older, bitter, and those fu*ks kicked Larry.

[@mrrubenmercado]

A crazy thing about all of this is the only person who will be ok if AEW folds is Jericho. He's getting millions to be there but if it all closes down, he'll just go back to WWE and sign a legends contract (which is what he'll do when he retires from in ring anyway) - and that's the worst case scenario for him.

[@christianlove6772]

I don't see how tony can't see this. Maybe Moxley is the only one who shown he AEW all of the way because mox hated his dean ambrose career. While jericho still have a great career in wwe

[@mrrubenmercado]

@@christianlove6772 moxley seems comfortable and also like a guy with honor. But there's no chance in hell he won't go back to WWE for a shield reunion now that HHH is in charge of shit hits the fan here. Probably after his contract is up too.

[@anthonyrousseau8050]

@@christianlove6772 Mox might change his mind soon once he outlives his usefulness in the Elite's eyes. He's definitely next on their list after CM Punk.

[@mrrubenmercado]

@@anthonyrousseau8050 even without that. What will there be left for him to do in AEW once his contract is up. He's already pretty much been in every type of angle so far. He's going back to WWE when it's all over anyway

[@lanceortmann4157]

Omega would just go back to Japan and wrestle little girls and blow up dolls, Jacksons will just go back to Cuchamunga and do more trampoline mudshow crap. Khan already paid them 100x more than they're worth. Moxley will go do deathmatches on a N.J. pier, cause he's got his money. MJF,Wardlow,Ethan Page, and a few others will get picked up by Wwe or impact. The real losers will be guys like Danhausen, who is very entertaining, but doesn't fit wwe and will have to go back to doing mudshows.

[@The_Black_Market]

The answer to the question Jim posed toward the end is yes. This has driven off die hard wrestling fans. AEW fans might remain, but the wrestling fans are fuckin' leaving in droves.

[@johnnymittle]

False narrative. Ratings have been steady.

[@Justin-AL]

@@johnnymittle I mean in the last 2 out of 3 dynamites they’ve lost 200,000- 400,000 viewers with the main offenders being death triangle/best friends and Jericho

[@The_Black_Market]

@@johnnymittle Okay, Dave.

[@fabs5211]

@@johnnymittle just like when twinkle toes came back from injury and wrestled with the Young Cucks and the ratings dropped over 200,000

[@RandalfElVikingo]

@@johnnymittle Thanks, Gayve Meltzer.

[@GenAries11]

Brian hit the nail on the head that this was a hit on Punk from the moment he got there. Honestly the way this was handled is what turned me off from AEW, including how they sweep Sammy's obnoxious behavior under the rug, and Jericho has become the thing he's hated. I had enough of his segments and whatever faction he creates, it's kills a TV spot for someone else.

[@brettperry3737]

Yeah, if I didn't think it would end with me in a padded room, I'd like to go back through everything and see when the signs really started showing up. Because I don't think he'd even been there 3 months when Bobby Fish decided to kick out of the finish to their match for no apparent reason.

[@GenAries11]

@@brettperry3737 You're on to something there because if you think about he had good matches and segments with Darby, Taz's faction, i forgot the faction name, MJF and im sure im missing some more but with those wrestlers there was no issue. It's once he started to deal with the Elite & friends is when I think the cracks started to appear but the seeds were already planted.

[@ChrisWoollett]

@@GenAries11 Team Taz.

[@TheSoundwaveprime]

Yeah I love too how Jericho called Punk a cancer yet he enables Sammy's douchebag behavior. A man who by the way started two different fights within the span of a month. Then again I guess its okay to be a cancer in the locker room when you are one of Jericho's buddies.

[@GenAries11]

@@ChrisWoollett That's it! Thanks man.

[@Charles-qw5ug]

There’s reports out there that takes up for punk. They basically say punk was trying to be very helpful trying to help younger talent with advice. Punk had a very good attitude. He tried to give advice to some and would get ridiculed behind his back and would be completely undermined. Punk wasn’t a fan of the unsafe style everyone was doing. Wasn’t a fan of the game room that was set up by the bucks at tv. And wasn’t a fan of the parties drinking and drug use at the tv hotels. Mainly the complete unprofessional conduct of a lot of the talent.

[@luckymerciless]

All I know is....months later.....it's just a shame what's going with all this. I just don't understand. And at the end of the day....Punk ain't there anymore. And that's just sad to me.

[@johnnygrind77]

Page says what he wants and causes problems in the long-run, still gets to work. Sammy is a problem with many people, still gets to work. Jim and Brian predicted many things that are going to happen, and all of the AEW Anti-Corny Club are practically admitting that they're getting away with it by being passive aggressive and gloaters. Having Colt on TV is a middle finger to not just Punk, but to EVERYONE who isn't part of their "KLIQ." It's their world and we're all just living in it.

[@itscarlyj]

They've run me off. I can't understand why any top talent would go to AEW where the kids from California will ruin you.

[@barely9955]

Now Adam Cole and Riley and FTR are planning and WWE wanting them back is just awesome 👌

[@itscarlyj]

@@barely9955 Yeah, but they sign all of these guys to 5 year contracts so...

[@richardremick1639]

“Tony khan is going to be Khantacting you” the pun was a red flag in itself

[@d.carpenter7519]

Jericho has taken decades of respect and deficated all over it. He has become a huge mark for himself, and I cannot ever see being a fan of his again. Lionshart, Why2J, SaveUsFromJericho, and way too much bubbly.

[@SomeoneElse-]

Those spoof nicknames have me dying over here LOL

[@thegeekhustler]

Whether you like Punk or not, the fact is that he had a torn tricep, his small dog, his best friend's wife had an injured leg... and several guys kicked down his door, whether they were in the right or not.

[@pavma7]

Yeah why not wait at least a day to talk to the man?

[@drg5352]

Yep. 7 guys busting into a house around where I live means 7 guys get a few rounds of buckshot shoved up their asses.

[@coreyhall1150]

@@pavma7 Cause it was all a very calculated move to get him out.

[@EliC09]

The real question is: did the Bucks slap their legs when they kicked the door?

[@8witAaron]

agreed

[@dilungmoveityafool777]

Boy, Brian was going in on Jericho.

[@pazuzuritter3987]

He and Jim will NEVER stop being butthurt about Jericho being a Trump supporter. If he donated to the Biden campaign, he would be both of their favorite wrestler. It's ridiculous that politics play a part in wrestling, but that's the truth.

[@barbarodave]

@@pazuzuritter3987 It is more than that but you clearly don't pay attention.

[@MrSircharles05]

Good. He's a self-serving a-hole who used this whole scrum debacle to his advantage.

[@OffSumThraxx]

As he should. Jericho is such a dork.

[@bryanthornton5533]

@@pazuzuritter3987 jerichos a dumbass for more reasons than just that lol

[@twags32689]

Genuinely curious if them screwing Punk dips their ratings in a noticeable way. I won’t be spending a dime or a dime’s worth of attention on AEW moving forward personally

[@joeyskywalker1322]

There ratings are the same as it was with Punk there

[@joeyskywalker1322]

Reason why ratings dip is because AEW did nothing to capitalize on the buzz

[@ultimungo3423]

Can you imagine. Mr Steel is already a hero to thr masses. If he sued Tony. Good god he'll go in the wwe Hall of fame.

[@dominickfattore3067]

Tony seems like a nice guy that 99% of his own lockerroom takes total advantage of... He allows it because he's a fan boy to most of his own roster

[@christhornycroft3686]

All this doesn't help MJF's cause either, because with Punk in AEW, the company and MJF were on the rise, so there might have been more urgency to poach Max sooner rather than later. Now, there's no rush. They can treat this like an AJ Styles situation. AJ was one of the few great things about TNA for years, but WWE didn't attempt to get him, because they didn't need to and now that AEW is a mess, they don't need to grab MJF in 2024 either, so there's no "bidding war in 2024" no matter what happens with MJF between now and the next year and a half. Sure, maybe they'd take him, but they're not offering the big money they would have. These clowns not only screwed AEW, they screwed MJF personally and financially and made his negotiating position weaker. If I'm MJF, I'm bursting into Tony Khan's office and demanding that Punk be reinstated and that they have a match the moment he's cleared to wrestle, so he can salvage something out of this. MJF is a smart kid, but he's just a kid. Is he smart enough to know that he just got screwed as well by this whole CM Punk/EVP fiasco?

[@anthonyrousseau8050]

This doesn't just apply to MJF, but all the young talent in AEW who know better. Darby Allin, Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, Hook, the Acclaimed, FTR, Jade Cargill, Jamie Hayter, Swerve Strickland... What Jeff Jarrett did to Darby last week is just the beginning. By the time AEW goes under, they'll have no career left to salvage. The Elite will openly burn this entire company to the ground just so they can gloat about being the "Best in the World (tm)".

[@nikkipat8609]

no, MJF will not be hurt in any way. He's got a pretty good track record already. If he's smart, he will go to WWE even for less money because in the long run, the opportunities are just better there for big money.

[@joeyskywalker1322]

@@anthonyrousseau8050 MJF entire return was overshadowed by the drama CM Punk started a lot of the people you named are being book good for now and tbh Punk did nothing for the young talent lol what did Punk do for Darby how was Darby elevated after there match what did Punk do for Hobbs or Garcia lol Punk hyped a feud with Starks and it never happened The Acclaimed are tag team champions over asf most of you want FTR boring ass as champions Jamie about to fight for the title Jade still green lol

[@TotalCruiserBabe]

@@joeyskywalker1322 i've read essays from kids in the 3rd grade with better grammar and punctuation than what you wrote.

[@stevenweathers2989]

Jericho, if he considers himself the locker room leader should of been the one to confront Punk, period. Not the execs. With that said, Jericho worked this perfectly in regards to his interests. Don’t hate the player, hate the game…or what the player can get away with.

[@user-do2ev2hr7h]

It's actually a triple whammy (no pun intended), because in addition to the two factors Jim mentions that make AEW less attractive, for the first time in a long time, WWE is actually being run by a machine that some young wrestlers seem more inclined to trust with their careers.

[@THJamie]

Just wait until drama starts again involving the elite, they won't be able to blame CM Punk again then

[@Jekiram]

All of this for Colt Cabana. Executive Vice Presidents going after CM Punk's reputation, Adam Page risking the success of a big Pay Per View so he can go into business for himself, CM Punk burying the company at the media scrum(why the fuck do they have media scrums in the first place?), the fight, the suspensions.... All for Colt Cabana....

[@balBROni]

Brian i don't know who you are, what you look like and what you did before i heard you on this podcast. but goddammit i appreciate how sensible you think and you cut thru the bullshit and ask the questions we are here at home. Bless your mother for raising a logical man.

[@RandalfElVikingo]

I was watching Alice's clips before and, while I liked her with Cornette, Jim started having more fun and showing more passion with Brian.

[@toddcribbs6844]

LMFAO Jim cornette calling Chris Jericho Chris tuberculosis that is too funny

[@MichaelHonscar]

They definitely ran me off. I used to watch AEW from time to time. Now…I won’t even bother at all.

[@darkseidomega2585]

Same the premise was "we heard the fans" when in reality was Buck's run the show.

[@rickgonzalez9298]

Jerichos always been jealous of other talent. Y’all really think him calling punk a cancer isn’t because he’s jealous of the impact he had?

[@televiper11]

This incident killed my interest in AEW. Bad enough the booking is atrocious. Bad enough hot (talented) acts like FTR, Wardlow, Miro, Claudio, and Bryan Danielson get cooled off to the point of irrelevancy. Bad enough the EVPs act like AEW is their own private clubhouse. But to insert a curtain jerking comedy act like Colt Cabana into a World Title match just to pull a rib on a wrestler who isn’t there anymore totally legitimizes all of Punk’s criticisms, regardless of how he behaved at the scrum. Tony Khan chose Colt Cabana over CM Punk, a non-entity over a major draw just so Jericho can pretend he hasn’t become a bloated, aging star exercising creative control to hog the spotlight- and the ratings reflect that this decision is a disaster. Give Jericho credit, he’s a master manipulator. Who has benefitted the most from Punk & The EVPs absence in terms of TV time and creative control? He’s Hogan reborn.

[@anthonyrousseau8050]

Basically, he's Judas in his mind.

[@megawatt9242]

Good post and comments. Totally agree.

[@TriplomatX]

A lot of AEW's narrative seems fabricated than factual. It seems like they can book backstage incidence better than they could book onscreen wrestling.

[@fjccommish]

Correct. This is a work.

[@joeyskywalker1322]

@@fjccommish This isn’t a work bro Punks most likely gone from AEW

[@mage1439]

It's a shame the way Jericho threw his legacy in the toilet after burning it, tearing it, stomping all over it, and using it for target practice.

[@iceteehehe754]

Nope, when this implodes, and it will, he'll get all his contractual money from the Khans and sign a legends contract with WWE as he gets inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

[@wilcee238]

Whether the investigation was legit or not, *IT’S STILL REAL TO ME DAMMIT!*

[@supergluehotty]

It's was as real as a Katie Vick appearance in WWE.

[@SLAPTALK]

Tony CON ⛓️😳💼⛓️

[@coreyhall1150]

@@supergluehotty Yeah u don't get it.......... Ugh. AEW fans smfh.

[@williammitchell4417]

Just like there wasn't another shooter in the Grassy Knoli

[@supergluehotty]

@@coreyhall1150 wait... did you know Katie Vick?

[@huh8662]

Even if Punk doesn't sue AEW, the Colt Cabana "F You" will definitely make going back to WWE much more appealing to him.

[@johnlindsay4310]

To me, the argument that "The Bucks and Omega should've stayed because they're originals" is like arguing that if Pedro Morales got into a fight with Hulk Hogan in 1985, Pedro should've stayed because he was there before Vince Jr bought the company..

[@FANTASYBOOKING69]

Seems like its turning into a modern day KLIQ

[@maskedninja876]

What do you mean "turning into"? You must've just learned who they were this morning!🤣

[@mage1439]

@@maskedninja876 Also, say what you want but the Kliq was filled with talent.

[@InfiniCalendar]

Will they have Das Elite Cam?

[@Uuusssaaas]

People wanted to watch the Kliq. I don't want to watch the EVP'S.

[@exilhamburger4802]

@@mage1439 And they drew (not all the time, but still)

[@retrokoh]

Chris Jericho is to AEW what Hulk Hogan was to WCW in the late 90s... on a smaller scale of course. He was a bigger name to help them draw (not nearly as big as Hogan of course), he's gone from attracting viewers to driving them away, he used his influence to stifle up and coming stars, he makes the show all about his rotating cast of characters faction, and uses politics to drive people he doesn't like out of the company. The parallels, and the sheer irony, is fucking frightening.

[@angelus4282]

The irony of course being that Jericho was among those who had cause to complain about being held back by Hogan and others in WCW. It even started out that way for him in WWE until he found his footing. Some people never learn...

[@thesteverobinson666]

Chris Jericho has become everything he hated about the Kliq of WCW. The only difference is Jericho is 10 years older than the guys who were holding him back.

[@Backstage_Politician]

CM Punk messed up by trusting Carney's that couldn't get hired in the WWE

[@Queen01113]

The fact that Jericho is the one who brings out Cabana. Even though he had nothing to do with this whole elite vs punk situation but out of all people. Jericho is the one to be petty & takes unnecessary shots for a situation not even about him. Just goes to show who really is the cancer in the lockerroom & how narcissistic Jericho really is. Guy just wants everything to be about him & play fake hero.

[@icofu9016]

I seriously hope you can get Punk on the podcast and have a conversation with him. That would a legendary podcast

[@enigma_offixial]

If WCW didn't have enough die hard to keep it alive then I don't think AEW does

[@jesuszamora6949]

Indeed. There are no doubt voices in Warner Discovery that don't want wrestling, just as there were back then in AOL Time Warner. They have a lot more power now that AEW is a national embarrassment that sends ratings off a cliff.

[@maturanita]

They ran me off, definitely. And they ran off Cody, let us not be deceived by Cody’s politeness and diplomacy. First time in 15 years there is the possibility to consolidate a viable alternative to the WWE and it gets fucked up.

[@jesuszamora6949]

Sad part? It's also likely the last viable alternative for the next 20 years. This shit show just solidifies the idea that only WWE know what they're doing. It's all just a goddamn shame.

[@maturanita]

@@jesuszamora6949 very well put. Couldn’t have said it better myself

[@RealGateGuardian]

Whoever investigated the fight, investigated Bruiser Brody's murder

[@chrischar9428]

Except in that one everyone knows who did it

[@RealGateGuardian]

@@chrischar9428 and we all know The Elite caused shit first

[@JUYAN16]

This is a case for Harvey Birdman, attorney at law. Remember three years ago when we all thought AEW was going to be WWE's new compitition? Well, they are compitition... For TNA not WWE.

[@bury_the_elite65294]

ATM they're not even competition for Impact. More like competition for Control Your Narrative or XPW X-P

[@keithyw]

i still say that jim and brian should try to reach out to Ace Steel's wife about all this. Or someone should. She wasn't talent so I don't know if she was paid to stay quiet about the incident. If there's going to be one victim in this (besides Punk's dog), it's going to be Steel's wife because she was reportedly already on crutches and wouldn't be able to do a thing in the situation. also, i think that this might be the end for Tony Khan easily getting big talent from the WWE unless it's someone on the level of The Rock, Austin or Cena where they probably could be able to thwart the kids and Jericho. and unless people are absolutely desperate, they would think twice before signing with AEW just because of how AEW immediately trashes most people who aren't considered big stars (and I have a feeling they do this as a "willing to do business" tactic as well as forcing people to earn their stars and stripes in being willing to put the local greenery over until management becomes favorable with them....totally ass backwards but that seems to be the MO in this company)

[@user-do2ev2hr7h]

Punk was probably wrong for what he said during the presser (although IMHO that's mitigated to a large degree by the fact that Tony was right there, appeared to support it and did nothing) and he was definitely wrong if he threw the first punch, but in my view, an executive who gets involved in a situation like that will always be more at fault. By all means, discipline or fire someone if they cross the line, but you don't go around looking to lump them up over what amounts to a personal slight.

[@JDotWill]

Wait, the internal investigation conducted by AEW wasn’t legit?! Say it ain’t so Joe

[@stealthmode1303]

For years in the WWE, we'd always here how Jericho and HHH didn't get along for a while. Most of the fans sided with Jericho back then. Fast forward to the present and it's amazing how the 2 are now perceived......

[@Lancun]

I think the thing was that Triple H got a lot of the selfishness out of his system when it was appropriate to do so (IE: during his prime). The time during any man's life when he should be expected to take what he can get from the world to have a successful life and start a family. The only reason he held a world title in the last decade was because Seth got injured and they had no other heel for Roman to fight. Whereas Jericho's decided to be selfish during the absolute worst time in a man's career, when he should be on his way out. As if it's compensating for some insecurity or regret he has for not being a bigger star earlier in his career. Moral of the story. Be an alpha. Not a beta. The alpha might be hated in the short term, but he looks back on his own life fondly. Whereas the beta becomes a complete pain in the ass with a mid-life crisis.

[@philyburkhill1]

If Punk did anything severely wrong, then Tony wouldn't be paying his contract up.

[@drillosophy1012]

Exactly.

[@CaliKiid714]

What if Punk’s final act of pettiness is to sue Tony and Friends when they do their 3 hour scrum after Kenny and The Buckaroos return? 💀

[@saleemholman6349]

I can’t wait for wwe to spin this to make punk look like the baby face even more

[@hectic105]

The other thing with fans potentially leaving AEW behind is that unlike before, WWE is looking A LOT better these days. Not that it’s perfect or even that good necessarily, but with Vince out of creative and some bigger names being brought back into the fold, it’s certainly more enticing than it was before. If any fans dropping AEW still want to follow wrestling that is. MJF is the ONLY reason I’m still holding onto AEW (the Acclaimed have made a case for themselves, and I’d say FTR but their booking has not been doing them the most favors recently). Even then, with the stuff with Cabana being an obviously petty move and the seemingly imminent return of the Elite, I don’t know if MJF is enough….

[@joeyskywalker1322]

What big names have come back no one Triple H has brought is a big name

[@Y.Moroboshi]

It'd be nice if these editorials and other stuff by Dave Scherer was available on a site that wasn't flooded with ads or difficult to navigate. I tried looking up the first article Scherer did on the Punk debacle and PW Insider's site was a headache to navigate. And I still couldn't find the damn article. That said, yeah the fact Ace Steel's wife was never interviewed should be seen as a massive red flag.

[@ronaldmanuel732]

Agreed

[@chriswoodie7242]

The inmates are running the prison. The one guy who is making the company money and they fuck it up. I have always been a fan of Jericho but my opinion of him is changing quickly.

[@rosaburgess607]

The fact Matt Hardy own wife went out the way to say "fuck cm punk" on twitter kinda shows it basically all young buck friends targeting punk. I like AEW as a show bcuz it not predictable like WWE but now I'm starting to less care for the company.

[@jthom0027]

I fear for the Matt Hardy/Reby Sky branches of the family tree

[@johnwade7963]

@@jthom0027 I can’t stand Reby Sky.

[@Cruising_On_Lake_Havasoma]

Punk: "Who the fuck is Reby Sky?"

[@KC-vx5wo]

@@Cruising_On_Lake_Havasoma more like what the fuck is a reby sky 🤣

[@jasonfuller2734]

Just don’t care anymore. That Jericho vs Colt Cabana match killed any interest I had in AEW. Hopefully The Acclaimed, FTR and some of the other talent there can go somewhere and shine.

[@Apocalypse3434]

As credible as when cops do "internal investigations" for months only to come back later and say "We investigated ourselves and found we did nothing wrong."

[@TK-mf2fr]

🤣 true

[@Cruising_On_Lake_Havasoma]

Same for college football teams that get busted doing shady shit.

[@AceAlive2]

It's so painfully unreal the way the bucks, omega, jericho and guevara do anything they want and the other party is punished for it. Vince would never fire someone for getting jumped especially when he's moving merch in such huge numbers.

[@megawatt9242]

Good segment. I haven’t watched AEW in two weeks - I typically DVR and watch on Thursday’s, but I’m pretty much done. After two years of purchasing most PPV’s, I’ve skipped the last two. I’m much more interested in Smackdown, and though RAW leaves a lot to be desired, both are much better than AEW. It’s unfortunate as at one time I really wanted this promotion to succeed, but now I couldn’t care less.

[@prestanmarquis]

Getting Russo WCW 2000 vibes with AEW in the past month.

[@vortex_1336]

You didn't miss anything. Last episode was probably the worst episode so far.

[@bury_the_elite65294]

I think Dave Scherer from PW Insider sums it up perfectly: "When he (TK) started he said he wanted to give fans an alternative to WWE. At first, it was a good one. Now it’s Dixie Carter/Vince Russo TNA."

[@Dirtydigla]

I'm in the exact same boat my guy. Smackdown is best atm.

[@toranpudonarudo4459]

The 3rd party that "investigated" this has not been named publicly. I'm willing to bet TKs inheritance that the firm doing this has ties to megah. Megah as we know, is also very "close" to Jericov1d. Someone should ask Chris' wife how she feels about that btw.

[@CynicallyObnoxious]

They should also tell the FBI to ask her since she was a 6'er

[@SamsarasArt]

This is pretty much a "we investigated ourselves and found ourselves innocent of any wrongdoing" situation

[@seanbarton4940]

Boy! Cody has really exposed himself as being far-and-away the smartest guy from the early days of AEW, the way he said GET ME OUTTA HERE has once again proven to be the best nove

[@jmmypaddy]

5 months have past and it seems that AEW's attempt to move the company off this issue is slowly working, as they're doing split brands and doing a major event in London. However, I do wonder if Khan's inability to wield discipline, while being easy to influence means that an issue like this will happen again?

[@TheOnemanmoshpit]

This exact style of investigation happened in my previous job. A couple were guilty as sin and they didn't interview a single person who witnessed it. Just his pals and people who saw nothing. And I'm talking about a national company in the UK.

[@pavma7]

Punk would never sue, the man felt miserable during the time he had to go to court. I don't know Punk personally but I followed his career very close because I like Phil Brooks as an actor, comic book writer and commentator. He would rather retire and enjoy his retirement money than sueing a few assholes or a whole company because he felt mistreated.

[@anthonyrousseau8050]

"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Going through court again would definitely be grueling for Punk but for once, he's got all the cards in his favor. If he can sue AEW into oblivion all by himself, he would definitely cement himself as the "voice of the voiceless". Getting a WWE Legend contract out of it is a nice bonus too.

[@MarkSDD]

Khan let Punk do what he did because he had such a hard-on at the idea of AEW getting its own "pipebomb". He's already tried to manufacture one a few times in the past few years with Scorpio Sky and MJF. Never occured to him that pipebombs have a tendency to blow up in your face.

[@billgober2]

They never wanted punk there because he was the biggest draw and overshadowed them all. He did things the right way and worked safe and sold merch. They can't understand any of that. They probably all hate MJF too.

[@jesuszamora6949]

MJF is the next one to be kicked to the curb, mark my words. Either way, there will be no bidding in 2024 if MJF is half as smart as he seems.

[@dejuans1328]

Naming their finisher after Meltzer is continuing to pay dividends for the Young Bucks.

[@jeffcarr5174]

After the Dork Cabana thing. If I a was Punk I’d call triple h and say this is when I’ll be medically cleared and this is when I’ll free from my non compete I’ll show up at raw just give me a live microphone.

[@johnnymedrano7081]

Omega insulting the locker room saying he wouldn't hire 8 outa 10 of them is ridiculous. Insinuating they add nothing to the bottom line or ratings. And ironically, nether does he. Which is the most insulting part of it.

[@LessThanPulp]

I really hope Punk's first public interview, after everything, is on this show.

[@abeb8852]

Aew is big joke

[@al5306]

This eviscerated AEW. 10/10

[@RobCrowley85]

This makes me think back to when RVD said he once thought Jericho a "political bitch" and it seems now that he was right, at least on Y2J being political.

[@johnlindsay4310]

The Chris Jericho thing still baffles me. What happened between those two? They worked together a million times, I figured there wouldn't be heat

[@anthonyrousseau8050]

Jericho got drunk on his own hype, whereas CM Punk stuck to his principles. I like to think being away from wrestling for 7 years humbled him.

[@KingJonathanThe1st]

Chris Jericho always been a RAT.

[@decepticonxhunter4850]

@@anthonyrousseau8050 Both of those guys are drunk on their own hype.