By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
CM Punk’s side of the story regarding the post AEW All Out backstage brawl seems to have come out via Nick Hausman’s report at Wrestling Inc. Hausman cited “CM Punk’s camp” as telling him that Punk’s locker room door was “kicked in” prior to the brawl that pitted Punk and then-AEW producer Ace Steel against Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and Kenny Omega. Punk’s dog Larry was struck by the door, which eventually resulted in the dog having two loose teeth removed.
Punk was in the room with his dog, Steel, and Steel’s wife Lucy. Punk’s camp told Hausman that AEW officials have not contacted Punk since the incident, nor was Lucy interviewed as part of the company’s investigation. The story also states that Punk felt threatened and his camp feels he reacted in a legal way, citing Illinois’s Castle Doctrine laws, which allow the use of force in defense of a person inside their dwelling. Read more at WrestlingInc.com.
Powell’s POV: I can’t imagine that the person who kicked in the door had any intention of hurting Punk’s dog. Even so, I do understand how that would have triggered Punk to react violently. I’m not taking sides regarding the brawl since we only have Punk’s camp’s version of the events. And I’ll leave it up to the courts to decide if the Castle Doctrine laws hold up as a valid defense. I’m simply saying that as a fellow dog lover, I don’t know if I would have had the self discipline to avoid reacting as Punk did.
Meanwhile, I mentioned during last week’s Dot Net Weekly podcast that I had also heard that Steel’s wife Lucy had not been interviewed despite witnessing the incident. It’s seems very strange to me that investigators wouldn’t attempt to document her version of the events.
AEW officials have yet to publicly address the backstage altercation. Those who took part in the brawl were reportedly suspended. Steel was eventually fired, and there are more recent reports that AEW is attempting to buy out Punk’s contract. Meanwhile, AEW aired a video during Wednesday’s Dynamite television show that seemed to be building toward the return of Omega and the Jacksons.
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