My Honest Reaction To CM Punk's CRAZY Tell-All Interview

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Simon Miller brings you a KZbin channel where you will learn about THE TRUTH when it comes to fitness, the gym and working out. Along the way you may also get some wrestling, vlogs, mental health, video games, reactions, music and movie chat. You just never know... Designed to give you a look into the brain of Simon Miller - who is also a feature over on WhatCulture Wrestling where he hosts Ups and Downs as well as the Why series - give the channel a subscribe if you just want a daily dose of fitness, nonsense and entertainment.

[@cefalu63]

I watched the whole thing after seeing a youtube channel call it 'explosive'. I didnt think it was that crazy. He just answered some questions. He didn't bury anyone hard. Just reluctantly told his side of the story.

[@perceivedvelocity9914]

Your right. I watched the whole interview. Punk didn't bury AEW. I'm sure that people on KZbin are going to make a lot of click bait videos saying that Punk did though.

[@knightshousegames]

Yeah, I keep seeing all this clickbait about this interview, and after actually watching it, as someone who has watched AEW TV since the start of the Pandemic, he didn't say a single thing that surprised me, except for the fact the "I felt fear for my life" line from Tony was bullshit. All he really did was fill in the blanks really. You don't exactly have to be an insider to see the flaws Punk pointed out. Hell, if you were paying attention during Cody's time in AEW, you could see him trying to do the same thing Punk was trying to do, and he got kicked to the curb as well, and with hindsight we can kinda see who was right in that situation too. All Punk did was give us a more complete picture of his perspective. And it all lines up with everything he's said up to this point.

[@Panama_Red]

He didn't go too hard on anyone but he definitely made sure he looked like the perfect good guy in every situation. I would love to see the interview before the lawyers got their cuts in😂

[@djsognal]

@@Panama_Red??? you cannot be this clueless dude. It was literally a live interview.

[@____Nairod____]

I mean i wouldn't say he buried anyone but he for sure put a cloud over TK's head with how he was handling the drama. Saying "what do you want me to do" when you have all the power over people is the worst thing to say and to then not do a single thing knowing the fire is growing showed how much TK lacks as a legit boss

[@Bman32x]

This is why I ride with Simon. You are allowed to like both promotions and objectively critique each of them for their shortfalls when you’ve seen them do better. It’s ok to even go support your local wrestling independent promotions as well.

[@ramanchalasani2378]

Yeah. You ride Simon hard 🥵🔥

[@Bman32x]

@@ramanchalasani2378 what if I did? What’s wrong with that?

[@ramanchalasani2378]

@@Bman32x There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, my dude. It doesn’t make you any less of a man.

[@charvaderinc.1725]

@@ramanchalasani2378😂😂 you got called out and changed your tune real quick.

[@ramanchalasani2378]

@@charvaderinc.1725 sounds like you wanna be a part of their action too

[@dominoep]

Nobody talked to Punk after his tricep injury because Tony Khan thought if he just didn't book him and use a Health Spa power card he'd get better...

[@ssjxcloudstrife8652]

😂 Underrated comment

[@JusRed48]

Lmao

[@TonyStark-vf1xi]

Great comment 😆😆

[@ImCaptainCabbage]

Punk is normally pretty straightforward and honest, I believe him.

[@davidgraham8299]

I believe him, as far as it goes, but it is HIS side of the story. Tony will have his story and it will be true from HIS perspective. Jack Perry will have a story that's also true from HIS perspective. The actual truth will be somewhere in the middle.

[@VesiustheBoneCruncher]

There are a lot of people involved in the run up to the incident with Jack Perry who could chose to say “that isn’t what happened” that pointedly are not doing that. I’m not the biggest Punk fan, but he struck me as trying to be measured and objective here, I believed him, and his version.

[@osiawideman4851]

CM Punk is a bitch,someone gives you a job when no one else wanted you,then the Tony tried to appease the weakling by creating a show for him and he’s still not satisfied,that’s a bitch move

[@robertrodriguez-ub5cf]

🤣🤣🤣 He's also the biggest Diva in wrestling 🤡

[@johnstorm9314]

@@robertrodriguez-ub5cfYeah?? Has anyone important ever said that? Didn't think so. 😅

[@pancakesarealwaysbetter]

I'm a CM Punk fan. I definitely don't think it was explosive or mean. I truly wish things would've ended differently. But it is what it is.

[@Wrestling_fan2003]

This is why I like Simon he’s not like these dirt sheets that just want to start some tribalism war. He just a fan of wrestling either he likes what a company is doing or not he’s just enjoying the ride.

[@afp445]

Bingo!!! 💯💯💯🎯🎯🎯

[@MultiBlack17]

It's like the days of the Ruthless Aggression Era, TNA, newly found ROH, and NJPW. Just a good variety for any type of wrestling fan.😊

[@afp445]

@@Alkaline_Prime True, tribalism will always exist but would you prefer everyone engage in childish, petty, endless back-and-forths rather than be mature and just agree to disagree amicably?

[@Wrestling_fan2003]

@@Alkaline_Prime The difference is about crossing the line obviously some good competition is good but some people in the IWC cross the line when someone threatens a person simply because they like a company that the other person doesn’t like. It’s just dumb.

[@grahamgalton6949]

He’s easily the best wrestling KZbinr.

[@QWERTYOP80]

I’ve often been very critical of Punk and his behaviour, but I have a lot of time for him here. This isn’t the pissed off, worn out firebrand scorching Earth and burning people for the sake of it like in the Cabana interview. This is a 45 year old man in a much better place who is just tired of dealing with other people’s dumb behaviour. Good for him. I hope he found it cathartic. On the other hand of course, Perry, Bucks & Tony all deserve the right of reply.

[@Panama_Red]

😂Give him a couple months. He's a worker and is currently in full carny mode.

[@jimmyramen]

But it’s never his dumb behavior? I love his work but the man always acts like other people are the problem, never him

[@southpaw933]

@@jimmyramenalways ? You guys act like there is this giant list of incidents. When really there is only like 2. (Only 1 in my opinion) . Someone like you was saying “he burns bridges wherever he goes”. Like how? 😂 he’s back in wwe . So that bridge wasn’t burned in the first place .

[@jimmyramen]

@@southpaw933 dude he’s been doing it since ROH what are you talking about?

[@Adum]

@@jimmyramen List the incidents then

[@Diamond_Jim]

Punk came off as very credible and he reinforced the inherent weaknesses of AEW from a business perspective that we all see.

[@matthewhostetter8974]

AEW's biggest problem is Tony himself. He refused to be a boss or use the people properly who could do what he could not. do their job.

[@MAni04me]

I mean it's easy to say he is not using people correctly but other people disagree. I mean elaborate on that. Who is he not using correctly that is not injured or doing other promotions?

[@NinjasBeTrippin]

@@Safetysealed aew matches are boring as fuck I can go watch gymnastics if I want to watch a spot fest. The numbers don’t lie buddy. People don’t show up to the shows people don’t watch the product because it is garbage. Only people that can’t wrap their heads around that are you Marks cause you’re all as delusional as Tony Khan.

[@Jeyapollo]

@@NinjasBeTrippinwrestling is subjective. You might think it sucks but it has an audience.

[@NJTRAF]

@@Safetysealed what they’re currently doing doesn’t work though. You can complain about WWE and it’s 30 minute talking segments, but they’re drawing larger viewing figures in the Key Demo alone than AEW draw on their flagship show Dynamite. So CLEARLY it works to some degree. AEW and it’s “dream match” premise doesn’t work. They haven’t managed to draw 1 million since February 2023 I think? The March 27th Dynamite drew 747k while the March 26th NXT drew 601k … they’re not too far ahead of NXT, a developmental show god sake. I mean, Dynamite (747k), Rampage (350k) and Collision (458k) drew a smaller number COMBINED (1.55m) than Monday Night Raw alone (1,729,000) They brought in Mercedes Mone to great fan fair and then the segment she was in when on commentary with Willow etc in the ring saw the viewers go below 700k, I think they lost 50k in that quarter hour

[@barrymccockiner773]

The differences in how Tony Khan/CM Punk handled NDA questions are very telling.

[@AMPATTI07]

I do think it's telling when both Punk and Jack Perry, opposite ends of the issue, have come out and talked about the lack of communication and leadership from AEW. Both with almost identical stories of TK and the company flat out ignoring them in the face if drama.

[@rh9477]

I appreciate Simon’s perspective on the Punk interview. WWE vs. AEW has become as tribal as US politics, and very few people have the credibility to criticize either promotion without being accused of bias. I think Simon is one of those rare people

[@DillyDilly13]

Except AEW has become extremely shitty as of late (ratings say so) but he NEVER acknowledges it.

[@goby1764]

Simon's a fence sitter. Also WWE and AEW aren't as tribalistic as you think. One product is just clearly doing better at the moment while the other one has major organizational issues to work out, furthered by the boss' lack of action

[@djsognal]

Yeah, Simon is absolutely biased towards AEW. Look at who gave him his start. Wrestling coverage is just absolutely horrible, and he’s less biased and better objectively at coverage anyway.

[@afp445]

Speaking facts 💯💯💯 But of course the anti-AEW/WWE shills above me in the thread can't stand it when someone has an objective viewpoint. It always has to be the same 'WWE is awesome!!! AEW is terrible!!! 👎' childish mindset that must be perpetuated forever and always

[@k-dawgHI]

I love how the comment section under this and most other wrestling videos also confirms this. Many people can’t enjoy things anymore in this space (but nowadays this sadly goes for a lot of things). The need to get personal and aggressive with one another. There always needs to be an ulterior motive behind someone enjoying something. God forbid that someone just watches a product for simplistic enjoyment NO. That makes one a fence sitter in the eyes of many. It is also insane how the thought of humanity is completely lost. Like I will never understand how people can be so personal to mfs that THEY DONT KNOW PERSONALLY 💀. I can’t ever wrap my head around the idea of being genuinely hateful towards either a performer a producer or any head of a company without them having committed serious crimes or atrocities or something first. For example: I enjoy both AEW and WWE (however I enjoy the big W more because I just have more of a connection with both the company and the roster as I’ve watched them for a decade now) and I do think that AEW has some problems and could be run better. But I wouldn’t dream about ever holding a grudge for Tony Khan or developing a personal distaste for the man… I don’t even know him. It truly does feel like US politics in a way. There is no benevolence. There is no such thing as mutual tolerance or respect. There is this evil (borderline fictitious) enemy that must be eradicated at all costs. Your “enemy” isn’t human… there’s no such thing as giving criticism without a personal little touch of spite/anger/hatred. Same goes for people just having a discussion… especially on the internet it seems like a discussion can’t go 2 mins without someone resorting to a classic ad hominem argument. Thx for coming to my ted talk 😅 goodbye

[@KingMuttley]

It was a brilliant interview. It wasn't the truth, it was his truth, and until people come out and give as honest an interview as Punk did, or even better provide evidence, then we don't know. For now, I trust Punk's recollection since it's the most honest one we have, and over the course of the entire interview he never contracted himself or went back on what he said. He was calm and comfortable, an all round brilliant interview

[@DrezzyEFTP]

They're opinion don't mind

[@dannyknightblade4592]

There is no "his truth." Truth is not a matter of opinion. Truth is the objective reality and not subjective opinion.

[@gernblanston2652]

He contradicted himself constantly.

[@nickchivers9029]

​@gernblanston2652 would you care to elaborate?

[@gernblanston2652]

@@nickchivers9029 off the top of my head, The Young Bucks needed to sit down with him and clear the air, but he didn't have to sit down and clear the air with Cabana. Also, instead of sitting down and talking to Jack Perry over a stupid comment that he started a fight. He's Captain Worker's Rights. But, things were better when pay wasn't guaranteed because it makes people lazy. But, not him and his guaranteed pay because he's better than that. Constantly was an overstatement on my part. But, he did multiple times in that interview.

[@nathanrodriguez914nr]

A piece of the puzzle people keep forgetting is most of what his side is was already reported on, and people ignored it. It was reported that Punk was given Collision to separate Punk and his friends from The Elite and their friends. It was reported a week before the Wembley show that Punk was approached and asked to convince Jack Perry not to do the glass spot. It was reported there were no punches thrown and no injuries occured with the Punk/Perry incident. Only that Punk put Perry in a chokehold. (Which was later revised by an idiot that there was blood everywhere and Punk went nuts) The ONE AND ONLY THING Punk said that wasn't previously reported and ignored was when he said he quit after the incident and he didn't do anything to put Tony's life, or any life, in danger. The latter being obvious, anyway.

[@mezykin]

2:55 oh Simon, you jinxed it right there. they released the tape the following week and we even got to hear your reaction to said tape afterwards

[@jacobp5761]

Who’s here after the footage lmao

[@emptysoul4455]

I was a huge wrestling fan growing up in the late 90s. I stopped watching after WCW died, and started back after AEW started. Now I watch AEW, WWE and TNA. I don’t watch every show every week, but enough to keep up with what’s going on. The competition keeps everyone on their feet. I know as big as WWE is no one is truly competing with them, but it would be awesome if one of the other companies got big enough to spark another Attitude era.

[@Will_Parker]

The fact that AEW hasn't released the security footage tells me Punks version is much closer to the truth than not

[@KruelAidMan]

Congratulations. You have the absolute worst, most vacuous take on this entire situation. Do you think venues release security footage just because?

[@dominikgose2609]

How absurd. Why would a question about security footage about a security incident be vacuous? Did you just learn that word today and thought it fit in this situation?​@@KruelAidMan

[@Will_Parker]

@@KruelAidMan yeah, they absolutely do in cases of assault, nothing vacuous about anything but you

[@patricknoll81]

​@@KruelAidManDude, you know as well as I do that someone would have leaked this footage if there wasn't some effort to keep it under wraps. People love Internet attention, and there is no reason to not rip it just for the clicks, unless there was a billionaire spending money to put it in a box.

[@johnstorm9314]

@@KruelAidManRatioed!? 😅

[@user-nu4np1kz9t]

To be able to put on weekly television at different venues and doing all the crazy storylines and talent. This is a major undertaking. I can't imagine any new show besides something that's backed by major networks to come out of the gate with a million viewers week to week.

[@nlp3000]

Here's something to think about - this is the only time we've heard of one side of the story from someone who was there. Not a "my sources tell me" but someone who was there. Maybe he's honest, maybe not, but he's the only one who is standing by their version and not taking the anonymous route.

[@Diehardstlcardinalsfan]

Love this take !!! I feel this through and through

[@micahbauman866]

I love what you said at the beginning of the video. Nobody who wasn’t there knows what happened. Not a lot of people are willing to say that.

[@goby1764]

Aew fans say this now after Punk's interview but conveniently place doubt on Punk's response lol

[@micahbauman866]

@@goby1764 I’m not an AEW “fan.” Where did you pull that from?

[@vb2806]

​@@micahbauman866maybe you are just a Simon shill. Since they won't release the security footage I don't believe Punk did anything that made Tony fear for his life.

[@Morganj27]

​@vb2806 Dude, you're weird. A lot of yall need to sit in a therapist chair and tell them all about it cause this next level looney behavior

[@moo2k4]

I think we need to go away from long title reigns at this point. Roman is at 3.5 years. Gunther is nearing two years. Seth is at almost a full year. There needs to be some parity at the top of the card now that we've re-established the importance of these titles.

[@michaelvincent7115]

Ppl complain about frequent title changes just as much. Sometimes there are just no wins

[@Howyanow]

Simon again with the most level headed opinion. Die hard punk fan but I’m willing to accept the man is not perfect but I think that’s why I love him so much

[@PtolemyJones]

Even WWE fans should be glad of the existence of AEW, because nothing makes WWE raise it's game like competition, even if they don't want to watch AEW.

[@djsognal]

AEW is an embarrassment that has seen their ratings decline with their product, and the longer they embarrass themselves, the less opportunity anybody has of genuinely competing with WWE.

[@PtolemyJones]

@@djsognal not as embarrassing as your fan-boi rage.

[@afp445]

​@@PtolemyJones Got 'em! 💯💯💯

[@hectorlagos8937]

true, and i don't even follow AEW since MJF is been out of screen. But i do not forget how bad some of the WWE stuff was before AEW came around, and for a while it seemed like AEW was about to go BIG big, but no, WWE just put their cock on the table and asked Tony what is he gonna do about it 😂 even all the Vince disgusting stuff could not stop them, and they took the best stars that Tony could not manage and gave them center stage in an already full of stars roster. So yeah! WWE pretty much stepped up it's game when it was necessary, that's undeniable.

[@afp445]

@@hectorlagos8937 Doesn't mean AEW is an 'embarrassment', as the first troll in the thread insists. Certainly not saying they're perfect but for a young wrestling company they've done pretty good for themselves, THAT'S undeniable as well

[@jimtaylor6939]

Heyman's induction speech should simply be.... "Acknowledge him!!!!"

[@bigddb92]

Not Simon jokingly calling for the cctv footage and they're about to stupidly air it😂 I can't believe he called it

[@MrAdamGrainger]

Well, you were there Simon 😂

[@isaacbrown3408]

I was saying to my Dad earlier that Raw felt kind of like a very mini Wrestlemania for the undercard that didn’t get a Mania spot with Ricochet beating Ivar and Maxxine Dupri getting a win over Candice (even tho she pinned Indy)

[@nikhilkrishnan9]

Im really thankful to Jack Perry and Tony Khan for gifting Punk to WWE. Punk lifts the whole show to a different level.

[@jaywrathall3574]

Nice one Simon 👍🏽

[@ericstorm5285]

Was a great interview!!!

[@JThom529]

Well hot damn I’m wearing the same shirt you are as I’m watching this. (RIP Shad Gaspard) Always nice to hear your thoughts

[@tinokokota_joy-ir7sy]

All power to Simon and he's absolutely spot on. Wrestling at the moment is epically good, whether it be AEW, WWE, NJPW, TNA or any of the independents. Enjoy it all. I know I am!!!!!!!

[@vb2806]

Nah, you fans of other promotions are just clout chasing including WWE in the comment. WWE is great aew is sh*t, it's a table of sh*t

[@tinokokota_joy-ir7sy]

@@vb2806 who cares what you think? 🤷

[@TheMeat1019]

If I see Simon I click, immediately. You haven’t disappointed me yet, thanks for the awesome content!

[@bennwardhaugh3013]

As an avid dart player myself Simon, I totally understand where Damien is coming from. You never put your hands on another man's darts!

[@wrathoftheflyingspaghettim850]

I don't have any problem with Seth turning on him as long as it doesn't end with Cody actually losing. Everyone is assuming that with a Seth turn it automatically means Cody must lose because of it but especially with all the talk of John Cena and Steve Austin being involved you can easily have that moment of Seth turning and you think Cody is gonna lose and then the glass shatters. I like Seth alot better as a heel anyway. Plus it makes all the sense in the world. Seth lost to cody like 3 times, maybe seth loses his title, maybe all of that together snaps him and hes like if im losing mine im not letting you win yours. Which again doesnt need to lead to seth successfully stopping. Which can then lead you into another cody vs seth match too which we might not need but with all this going on and a title involved it would be the most exciting one they have done.

[@juliusrage1987]

Heres the key line from that whole interview (Punk to Tony) Punk "Please handle that. I mean please." Tony "What do you want me to do?" Punk "Be the boss." Period, point blank. AEW should be in a much better place.

[@outrageouselefant]

And in the end he was the boss and fired the cause of the problems. Kudos to Tony.

[@16dwreck]

Punk actually quit. Watch the interview

[@outrageouselefant]

@@16dwreck Punk lied lol

[@sadboi88]

Punk didn't like having a Boss that acted like a Boss 10 years ago. Tony messed up big time when He didn't smooth things out between Punk and The Elite, especially when He had moths to do so. What Happened Between Punk and Jungle Boy is purely on them. No one knew Jungle Boy was that angry with Punk, or that He would say and no one is responsible from Punk throwing yet another tantrum, when He could have just humiliated the Kid by not giving him the attention he so desperately wanted The fact that people are are blaming everyone but Punk, when He is one few wrestlers to burn bridges with 2 major promotions and even rubbed people the wrong way in UFC and ROH, is hysterical. I love Punk's work but the man has a fragile ego

[@dannyknightblade4592]

​@@sadboi88 You brought up some good points; especially about CM Punk not liking Vince McMahon as a boss but not liking Tony Khan either. You just can't please Punk because he wants to be the boss of any company he works at.

[@lachlanwinter6372]

I'm glad AEW exists as it means there is another place of work for the men and women in the business. AEW has created a lot of great moments but as Punk said in that interview, this was the last chance at an alternative. It will always be around as long as Tony pumps money into it but it could be so much better. The other great thing AEWs existence has done is force WWE to raise its game.

[@WeeklyTubeShow2]

Whenever I hear "the truth is somewhere in the middle," I always wonder which end somewhere is closer to. That and "there's three sides to every story." Not every triangle is equilateral.

[@GeirGunnarss]

The biggest thing I took from the interview was when he said that he has never signed an NDA for anything he had done.

[@Ishbikes]

NDA’s were signed though

[@barrymccockiner773]

@@Ishbikesno shit, learn how to read. He admitted to signing an NDA, but that it wasn’t over anything he did wrong.

[@ifjahdbajxhbdnc189]

On some parts i think on the brawl out

[@GeirGunnarss]

@@Ishbikes Yeah, I know. Which means that the NDA were in place because of something the other guys did.

[@GeirGunnarss]

@@ifjahdbajxhbdnc189 Yeah, I know. Which means that the NDA were in place because of something the other guys did.

[@knection1986]

A lot of KZbin wrestling media needs to question Meltzer because that guy told A LOT of lies and made your colleagues look like goofs

[@thesoulesssavior2017]

I agree so much with Simon Miller and I have for years!

[@OnlyBuenoBars]

The days have finally come upon us.

[@Gothamnameless]

Just imagine shamus brouge kicking roman and ending romans celebration surrounded by confetti 😊

[@JusRed48]

I have to say this whole thing has made me see all parties involved as surprisingly immature. I like the work of everyone involved, I think Punk's actions at worst speak for itself. But I feel like people give Hangman a huge pass on going into business for himself and even Jon Moxley with the ego tripping insistence on winning the championship from Punk and saying he could've walked into Summerslam with it if he wanted to. I don't really get why some people are so harsh on Punk but these guys acting *exactly the same* is ignored and they're praised like they rescue babies out of dumpsters. The Young Bucks seem immature and goofy as well, and I'm very curious to just why the NDA was pushed by Tony Khan. It makes me feel like maybe Punk wasn't injured in his match and it happened in the brawl or that the early suggestion of his dog being hit during the incident which was quickly not expanded on might have been the case. Most of all though Tony Khan's incompetence and lack of authority is shocking.

[@gj003f6898]

Being the Norwegian leather export analysts that they are, one of the UK tabloid rags' hacks would've gotten hold of the security camera footage (if it ever did exist) and wrung out all they could to up their circulation by now.

[@stevenmurphy2782]

We need to talk about Meltzer...

[@Scottoest]

The need to get rid of the MITB briefcase. It just doesn't make any sense not to try and turn it in the first night the champion is beaten down, and you end up essentially writing someone into the world championship storyline for months down the road, even if the story at the time doesn't really benefit from it.

[@thesimpsons17]

I hate the idea of Rock turning on Roman being what gets Cody over the finish line. A reign this long with this much hype and build needs a clean finish.

[@chickensdone1]

I agree

[@tompatchak8706]

What happens if Roman reigns turns on Dwayne? Like Roman is done sharing the spotlight with the rock because whenever Dwayne around Roman is the little brother and he hates it, so I am hoping for some miscommunication between those two and some shoving, and somehow Roman throws the first punch, the starting that towards SummerSlam.

[@makwabear4078]

But also that hype has been given more attention because of The Rock. Not to say Cody and Roman couldn’t do it alone, but for such a historic and big storyline and with Punk being injured/the Vince scandal - Rock is the massive wild card. He adds more eyes to the product and gives the story a little element of unpredictability because we don’t know for certain if that’s how Cody is even going to win. Traditionally and personally, I get Cody and Roman should of ended this in a straightforward encounter but it’s a milestone WM and with the rest of the card lacking just a bit, adding The Rock is as big as you can get and it’s good for business given WWE is a business.

[@Gav_80085]

Huh, Simon is still making videos? I'm subbed, but haven't seen one on my feed in a very long time. I nearly didn't recognise him.

[@yungblink]

2:46 Oh boy…

[@chrisdonson3584]

Agree with most of the sentiments here, but you can't say Punk knows who to go to when there's an issue in WWE, so he likes that, when he states he went to the very top guy at AEW multiple times and nothing got fixed.

[@mor4652]

CM Punk (while obviously trying to take a dig) was right: WWE and AEW are not in the same business: AEW is producing TV Shows for a target home audience. WWE is producing a Touring Live Event Show and utilizes TV to sell tickets and (until Peacock) PPV buys. Its like comparing Theatrical Released Movies to Prestige Streaming Shows. Neither business is 'good' or 'bad', they're just different. It's fans who try to equate the two.

[@raineydayscott]

The problem with your statement is that we all saw in 2020 that wrestling without live fans is awful. Having fans in the arena is what makes all of the greatest matches so great, because the crowd reactions are a HUGE part of the match. If you’re not trying to get people to come see your shows, it doesn’t matter how many moves you do or how incredible you think your match is, people will not want to watch it on tv or streaming. AEW also does PPV. How many people do you think are going to pay money to watch a great wrestling show on TV if nobody wants to show up to watch it live? Live fans buying tickets and people wanting to watch the show are irretrievably linked

[@mor4652]

@@raineydayscott I agree with you, my point tho is that not everybody has to agree with us. You know? I want to go see the Live Touring Company putting on a spectacle, the business that CM Punk says he's in. But if Tony Kahn just wants to produce a TV show that's basically filmed in front of a live studio audience for the dudes that like that kind of stuff, good for him and for the fans. Hell, even I liked tuning in for MJF stuff back when he was a heel, and I think Toni Storms gimmick is entertaining. I'm just saying that AEW is a wrestling TV show for a niche audience, and WWE is a wrestling promotion for mass live entertainment.

[@nikhilkrishnan9]

That's not how AEW or their fans treated itself back when they emerged for the first time, the talents on the show would go out off camera and callout WWE and take Jabs at them. There're plenty of footages available of guys like Kingston, Jericho, Guevara, Cody Rhodes calling out WWE. So it's only natural that there would be a backlash when the switch flipped. Now that they are constantly struggling to maintain their audience and WWE is firing at all cylinders, there's all of this talk from AEW's side of 'just watch wrestling' "enjoy the show that u like" etc which is hilarious to say the least.

[@scotthunt4206]

​@@nikhilkrishnan9💯

[@veroniquesandefer3083]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@lifeasafanpodcast9529]

Allot of what Phil said has been said by Tony Schiavone at least the details on the jack perry from the doc then Tony asking punk to talk to perry

[@chrissayeranderson5710]

We are all the hero in our own stories but he does seem happier now, most of what he said was filling in the blanks . Rhea and Becky should have added a few expletives to make it seem slightly legit. It didn’t work .

[@solyhhit]

There always seems to be a common denominator to this equation.

[@brettpritchard265]

There is and it's Tony Khan failing to manage.

[@arpitmalodia]

"even just seeing the rock get a little physical got me super-duper excited "- Simon miller (2024)

[@InYourWalls101]

Is it crazy to think that Drew needs to be cashed in on within 24 hours of winning? I mean there’s an whole Scotland PLE now where winning the title there would probably break a pop record

[@rezsurfer2808]

How i see this, Punk left wwe and bad mouthed them and said outlandish things. Now he back loved AEW and how great etc etc, he gets fired also Now bad mouth bad mouth. In wwe like AEW when you there you love them. When you leave you dont love as much. Its punk being punk. So grain of Salt.

[@UncomfortableShoes]

I mean, he did run down the EVPS and Hangman at the media scrum sitting right next to Tony Kahn. However, it’s probably not wise for most to bad mouth a company while you’re under contract. Makes more sense to air grievances once you leave.

[@Dave8T9]

That would be true if he wasn't so outspoken about the backstage and EVPs when he was at AEW. His narrative never changed, he just spoke about it in more depth. He spoke about WWE when he was there too

[@TmoneybagsWalker]

Bro was just answering questions

[@siohmy]

It was noticeable that Cole mentioned that Reigns would beat Hogans record for Wrestlemania main events and that is the thing he will break even if it’s diluted a bit by two night manias. The, moving one place up the longest reigns list is pretty much irrelevant.

[@eldraenpharr8222]

I don't think it has to be one or the other. Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat were both great in-ring guys with over the top gimmicks that engaged a causal fan while keeping the attention of the more diehard fans. AEW should be an alternative but it has to commit to being NJPW America essentially

[@JCrushFitness]

Cody needs to win it, he doesn’t need to hold it a long time. When I watched in the 2000’s the main titles changed all the time. Cena held the title for like 6 months and it was long. CM Punk held it for like 400 days and it was incredible, he talked about it ever single episode

[@HkFinn83]

‘AEW isn’t a business, it’s a well funded hobby’ Bischoff said this a while ago, still holds true

[@Panama_Red]

I wish my hobby generated hundreds of millions of dollars, funded the careers of hundreds of people and entertained millions of people. Easier to be snarky on the internet I suppose.

[@djsognal]

@@Panama_RedYou AEW fans need to learn how to read a balance sheet before running your mouths on the internet. Every business generates money. AEW loses tens of millions of dollars per year more than it makes. Why don’t you tell us what the entire purpose of a business is?

[@Morganj27]

​@@djsognalYou are not an AEW executive. No one knows what they are making or losing.

[@djsognal]

@@Morganj27 You have 0 reason to believe that the reported estimates aren’t true. You choose not to believe it because it speaks negatively of AEW.

[@stuartpenzer773]

Aew puts on some of the best prowrestling in the world. If it really is gonna go bust like so many people say enjoy it while it's here cus I promise everyone will be worse off without it

[@that.canadian.vaper.guyTCVG]

The way i view it, wrestling is a business. I like my wrestling to make sense and be hard hitting. I love the CM Punk, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes style. The actually working, psychological matches. Proper working, where you get the crowds emotionally invested and *work the crowd.* i can still enjoy a Kenny Omega match, but it isnt my favorite. But wrestling is a business, ill watch what i like and i like good professional wrestling. I dont care about how many stars a match gets or how much athleticism is put into a match. But in terms of being an actual wrestler and being IN the business, Punk is absolutely right in what hes said. Ever since Brawl Out, all we've heard is The Elites side of the story. This Ariel Helwani interview is literally the first time we've heard about CM Punks side and his side of the story just makes more sense. What with The Elite saying Larry was no where to be seen, only to have it confirmed that Larry was hurt in their scuffle. How Jack Perry was acting childish and like he was the reason the buildings were full but somehow it was Punks fault that Jack was being an asshat. And whether it was wrong or right, Tony Khan gave Punk booking powers and creative control, meaning Jack Perry shouldnt have been causing drama when he didnt need to. If i was working a job and people were constantly trying to belittle and turn everyone against me, and consistently messing with me, I'd explode after a year and a half as well when id asked the boss MULTIPLE times to step in and stop it. But its wrestling, its a physical business that relies on STAR power to make that business successful. AEW isnt publicly traded like WWE, so they NEED their draws. If Ricochet is acting like a drama queen and causing issues and messing with Roman Reigns, you dont fire Roman Reigns because Roman is a star and earned to have that sway. Same situation with Jack Perry, he should have been punished and both Punk and The Elite should have been gathered to sort this out. Its all Tony's fault in the end, he just isnt experienced as a boss and it shows. AEWs product is suffering right now and its because he isnt good at what he does. When Cody or Punk were in and helping him with creative, the shows were more structured and were better. And idk, I believe you're too nice, Simon lol. I love watching you and i know you give wrestlers more leeway, and its probably because you wrestle and know how hard it is. But *that reasoning is exactly why WWE's product sucked for so long.* Too much praise and acknowledgment for something that just isn't good only causes the product you're reviewing to suffer. Its good to be a positive person, but when you have the reach that you have, sometimes being more critical and calling a spade a spade is just better. I pay a $30 subscription for TSN to watch AEW in canada and pay $50 for PPVs. I WANT it to be good and its been disappointing. WWE has been horrible the past decade or so, but it's been better recently. Some parts have been absolutely phenomenal, but most of it is just okay. All in all, I rambled on and said a lot, but its okay to like both AEW and WWE. But you need to be critical of both when it's needed. But have a great wrestlemania weekend, Simon! 👊

[@DaveFurbush]

Cody wins. Damian cashes. Chaos. Nuclear heat. Im here for it. Give Cody his moment, then break the world.

[@westsidera97]

Avengers Endgame is the night 2 finish 😅

[@MrBeardsley]

I doubt Punk would’ve gone right back to WWE if AEW had released him after Brawl Out, it was still too much of the company it had been when he left. But at the same time, if Punk had become a free agent I definitely could’ve seen Vince making him an offer he couldn’t refuse and giving him the all-star treatment like he did Cody.

[@ervingjamesdelrosario5019]

The random matches and lack of storyline is the reason that aew looks direction less... It looks like they have no plan for the wrestlers long term

[@scotthunt4206]

Because they have no long term plans. Period.

[@jollyrouger2945]

I want to see the upset underdog champ, some one liken an R-truth/Otis wins the belt in an unexpected upset and then every one thinks it's open season on the new champ and they just defiy expectations squeaking out wins and fighting tooth and nail to hold the belt.

[@catseyereflex6774]

This wasn't a pissed of CM Punk.. This was a disappointed Punk who wanted to give his side of the story.. He sounded more disappointed than angry at AEW.

[@scottmiller9174]

Serious question!! Are you in front of a green screen or is England this miserable in April??

[@VidiverseExplorer]

Jake the Snake Roberts vs Hulk Hogan, we should git at least 1 legends match every Wreslemania, as a show opener!

[@Roshand-pl9tn]

The man spoke his truth. His truth. Whether its the truth, lies or statistics. The fact is punk does not seem to get along with others.

[@jackgore0859]

Roman as Vin diesel 🤣

[@cosmicking7979]

all time interview

[@jaydeleon695]

Tony Khan and the Bucks is what drove me away from watching AEW. Their antics now just reinforced my decision; it proved that at this point in time Tony absolutely does not belong beyond that barricade

[@jollyrouger2945]

I was hoping jey or Cody's involvement would have DQ'd Seth, not that I wanted Seth to lose but because bloodlines rules is no DQ save interference by people that aren't blood related to the competitors, then we all blow up when Dustin shows Sunday to help Cody Win.

[@Hunter_71498]

Simon.....IIIIIII NEEEEEEEED IT!!!!!!! I love Punk, but I also realize there are two sides and a truth, and we may never know the truth...and that sucks.

[@gazthegreat132]

The Rock is the final boss. That's not a reference to Cody. It's a reference to Roman. Roman has done it all, apart from beating an older wrestler. Making it a Rock/ Hogan all over again.

[@djsognal]

We...knew all of this though. It's almost all been reported, all has lined up with what has been said all along. If you can tell the difference between journalists and, well, Sean Ross Sapp, then you already knew what happened if you've been following the story.

[@Papikrillin]

Remember if they believed the lies without hearing your side of the story then they already decided to be against you

[@martezberry3164]

When are some of the fans going to start their own company?

[@campaignthomas9480]

There’s a lot of things that happened in the attitude era that shouldn’t. They burned out the audience, but it was overlooked because of the star power. The same applies to AEW but are in much more vulnerable position. If they continue, they could lose their time slot making it a non competitor. Punk wasn’t perfect, but for the most part he’s right!

[@DashCat9]

There was a month where Seth had a non functional leg, and Damian said "What's R-Truth up to?"

[@jasonritner9662]

It's pretty interesting watching this post WM40 on the day that according to the IWC, the Bucks are showing the fight footage. (Which I feel is likely a work, but that's a different story.) This is only my opinion, and it is probably more a trauma related response for me personally, but Punk sounds more and more like a narcissist, an actual clinically diagnosable one. I don't know the guy, I'm not actually diagnosing him, but that's how he comes across to me. He never once takes responsibility for his actions and exclusively blames others for his own choices. Add in that I jist found out about the "bikini girl" shoot interview he did with Colt Cabana back in '05 and he just comes across to me like that and it makes it hard for me to watch him anymore. The way he talks about choking Perry so casually and jokingly is what really gets me. That's exactly how perpetrators of DV act after the fact. And before people misread that, no, I am not calling Punk an abuser nor saying that Perry is a victim of DV. I am only saying that the way he spoke about his fight with Perry in this specific interview came across that way specifically to me and me alone. It's probably just my trauma talking, so take that with a grain of salt. In the end, though, Punk's mask slipped a bit too much, and I'm no longer able to enjoy him as an entertainer unless something comes to light that proves otherwise.

[@warzkind5394]

2:36 We know there isn't Simon.

[@seanshepherd6452]

Do you think Roman will retire after wrestlemania?

[@GrownUpKid94]

Honest answer of why I really care about Roman beating Hogan: it would be such an incredible image for someone like Roman Reigns to beat Hulk Hogan. Roman is a cancer survivor who is so intertwined with Black culture and represents so much more than Hulk Hogan’s racist ass. Having another white America-centric champion makes Cody feel like a rehash of Hulk Hogan and John Cena all over again. I know Hulk Hogan is on good terms with WWE now but it seems like white wrestling fans forgot about what he did and said. Cody’s story of winning a title his dad never won isn’t as interesting as Roman beating Hogan after most of his family was reduced to racial stereotypes for most of their careers.

[@TheRuns2]

The 2nd What Culture podcaster in 2 days to say it doesn't matter if Roman passes Hogan. I'm under the impression it matters to WWE. And they make the decision. It doesn't have to be the all-time record to matter. It's the record for the WrestleMania era. The era of WWE's signature accomplishment. Which happens to span 4 decades. They keep having Michael Cole say how long Roman's current streak is. And it's a selling point for SummerSlam because Roman will be so close. I can't see WWE passing that up.

[@VidiverseExplorer]

Maybe we'll see Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit make an appearance!

[@vb2806]

Just because it brings you happiness Simon I hope Roman wins

[@johnlewandoski1645]

I'm very similar Simon I get it. Tribalism is ridiculous I think aew has great matches and needs to work on short term stories. Wwe might do a little to many promos and might be a little predictable. Its kinda weird but the competition has made better matches.

[@killergrooves2438]

Wrestlemania 40 feels like Cody’s Wrestlemania 14 to me. Stone Cold won back to back Royal Rumble’s, and WM13 was the moment where he was undeniably the next guy and then they built it up the following year for him to overcome this immensely popular group of bad guys and win the big one and become THE guy. That feels like where Cody’s at. If he doesn’t win this time, I think it will turn a lot of people against WWE. I think it will kill Cody’s momentum and he will never be as big as he is now. If Cody gets screwed out of the belt after Mania, that’s fine. That’s what happened to Austin. But Cody has to win it first and he has to win it at Mania 40.

[@hastyhalfwit6637]

Where do you start?! The wrestling land scape is a better place for AEW. Buuut Tony 💯 needs to actually become a leader. He can not be friends with everyone. You have manage things and I don’t think he does. That’s not to say I hate AEW, it could just be an even better place to work. If Tony learns from his - literally everyone comes out in a better place.

[@jthom0027]

I'm in the camp of when there are two sides to a story and one side is trying to get the word out while the other side is requesting NDA's, you fall on the side that is trying to get the word out. The fact that the Bucks/Hangman started all this shit, wouldn't sit down with Punk to hash things out, then asked for NDA's and for Punk to talk with their lawyers. There are villians in this story and none of them are Punk.

[@gernblanston2652]

They were supposed to sit down with Punk to hash things out, but he wouldn't do that with Cabana by Punk's own admission. That is one of the many reasons why I think that this interview was a lot of selective "truth" telling. Everything painted Punk as the good guy and he never took fault for anything. You have no idea why the NDA's were requested. Could've been to stop Punk from revealing any kind of proprietary things going on backstage. NDAs don't automatically mean that AEW has something nefarious going on.

[@afp445]

​@@gernblanston2652 💯💯💯💯

[@davidgraham8299]

So basically, you're NOT in the camp where there are two sides.

[@Buckdawg]

Just thinkin.. if Hogan interferes and helps cost Roman the title... It's him protecting his historic reign..!!That's as long term as storylines get.. damn.. Also sets up a moment of him and Rock staring down in the ring again.. shiiiit so much history man 😂

[@Thegbear]

I’m not gonna sit here and tell you AEW have no problems, of course they do. But, isn’t it funny how whenever Punk speaks about these things, nothing is his fault? He has this way of making himself the good guy in every situation. I love the guy, I truly do, I was one of the folks who cried at his redebut. But he always has this way of making himself absolved of responsibility and it’s a little frustrating. I really am curious to hear the other side of the story, I hope Perry comes out to defend himself.

[@anthonylucero6650]

AEW sucks😒

[@jamiek9780]

Did you miss the part where he repeatedly warned the upper management to “handle it” because if they didn’t “he’d have to and they wouldn’t like it”. He warned them that his way of doing things wasn’t ideal, he has the old school mentality, and he told the actual bosses to do something and they wouldn’t. He also did say that he could have handled things differently he just doesn’t live with regrets. He was also the one who didn’t have a problem talking about it openly, the others did.

[@Thegbear]

@@jamiek9780 All I know is, he’s said some fucked up shit about WWE, everyone fully believed him, most people who were there in 2014 are still there now barring the obvious and now he’s back again, with him saying “I never hated hunter” despite his scathing remarks of the guy when he was fired. Look I’m not saying he’s not got points, I’m saying it feels like he’s downplaying what he really did. The truth will come out eventually I’m sure.

[@jamiek9780]

@@Thegbear he’s never once shied away from talking about how confrontational he can be. Even when he tells the story about what happened with Vince and Triple H, he doesn’t make himself out to be some soft spoken saint, he openly admits to raising his voice and cussing people out. Both Vince and Hunter had opportunities to talk about it and neither said he was lying. He’s never said he’s a saint, he just calls things out how he sees it. As for the people in AEW, he was perfectly fine talking about this openly, it was those in AEW that pushed an NDA. I think you want to have this perception that Punk portrays himself as an angel and that he manipulates the audience to believe he’s the second coming of Christ and everyone else is scum. All he’s ever said is that he calls out BS, and when he tells stories he tells you the BS he’s encountered, and he’s tells you his side of it without hiding his flaws. He’s open about being a prick.

[@Thegbear]

@@jamiek9780 Nah I’m just being realistic, I just feel like with the amount of stories people tell about the guy he’s conveniently leaving certain information out as he tells it from his perspective. By the way that’s not even to say he’s in the wrong, honestly maybe he’s completely correct here, but I just have this feeling it’s more nuanced than he lets on.

[@Robby102509]

A wrestler using the word punk in his name, wants structure. Irony.

[@TL2005]

Well that was a waste of 5 minutes. Im out✌️