We now have more information on who was on the committee that came to the decision to bring CM Punk’s time with AEW to an end.
On September 2nd earlier this year, AEW officially announced that CM Punk’s contract with the promotion had been terminated following his involvement in an incident at AEW All In at Wembley Stadium that reportedly also involved Jack Perry.
Fightful Select have now provided additional insight into who was involved in making the decision to terminate Punk’s contract, first reporting that Megha Parekh, who was recently reported to have stepped back from her duties as AEW’s Chief Legal Officer, was not involved in the decision, with AEW General Counsel Chris Peck and his attorney taking up two of the three spots on the committee.
The third name on the committee is likely to grab the headlines however, as the report also notes that Bryan Danielson headed up the committee, and that the eventual decision was one that felt as though he had to make, with this being a continuation of his AEW duties that also sees him hand out fines when necessary.
“There was also one long-respected member of the AEW talent roster that was involved, in Bryan Danielson. When asking sources on the AEW roster about his inclusion, one called him an “appropriate moral compass who exemplifies objectivity” and said that he effectively headed up and was the face of the disciplinary committee. Danielson was said to have spoken to the roster when addressing them about Punk’s termination, and noted that the decision was a particularly hard one. He cited the positives that CM Punk brought and his longstanding friendship with Punk, but said that it was the decision that had to be made.”
-Fightful Select
On November 27th, Danielson tweeted the following:
My dad always told me, “The right thing is often the hardest thing to do.”
— Bryan Danielson (@bryandanielson) November 27, 2023
It won’t always make the most money.
It won’t always be the most popular.
But it’s still the right thing.#AEW ❤️
Fightful noted that they were told this quote was what Danielson told talent at the meeting regarding Punk’s exit months before. Additionally, the report states Fightful are yet to learn of the decision-making process that occurred on the disciplinary committee.
As for Punk’s thoughts on the matter, the report mentions that those that Fightful had spoken to believe CM Punk was aware by now that Danielson was a pair of said committee, as many of his friends were included in the meeting where Danielson addressed them.
Following Punk’s absence from wrestling, the controversial Chicago-native made his shocking return to WWE at this past Saturday’s Survivor Series, before addressing the WWE Universe for the first time in almost ten years at last night’s RAW.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on the circumstances surrounding CM Punk’s AEW exit, along with his WWE return, as soon as we hear more.
