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Will The Risk of AEW Airing Backstage Footage of CM Punk Be Worth The Reward?

AEW took a risk by airing the backstage incident between CM Punk and Jack Perry from ‘All In’

Justin Barrasso

The early verdict is in.

As of right now, the decision to air the CM Punk/Jack Perry incident from backstage at All In stands as a mistake.

Granted, that could change over the coming weeks. If Perry returns at the upcoming Dynasty pay-per-view on April 21, and leans into his new “Scapegoat” persona, perhaps there is some potential to refer back to the incident. But even if that is the case, showing the video still was unnecessary.

Sometimes, less is more. Perry would have been better served by cutting a scathing promo, something akin to Sean Waltman returning to Raw in 1998 and ripping into WCW, specifically Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan. By showing the video, viewers were treated to Punk getting the better of Perry in a brief physical encounter. Perhaps it is beyond my understanding, but I fail to see how that benefits Perry.

After being discussed for the past eight months, the backstage altercation had reached an almost mythical stature. Especially without audio, releasing the footage was bound to leave people disappointed. If anything, Punk came off looking Punk. Airing the footage did him no harm.

Credit does belong to the Young Bucks and FTR, who did their best to cut promos integrating the footage into their storyline. There is added potential here for the Bucks. As villains, they should embrace any and every chance to lie, cheat, and distort the truth. But by distorting the truth here, it amplifies FTR as the babyfaces, and it also has the same outcome for Punk.

Later in the night, the crowd at Dynamite chanted for Punk when the Bucks were in the ring. That is the complicated part of showing the footage. Inevitably, it is going to reintroduce Punk to your audience. Considering he is now starring in WWE, there is no positive to that. In retrospect, leaving the response to Punk’s appearance on the MMA Hour, where he detailed a number of issues he encountered with AEW, was best left in the hands of Adam Copeland, who cut an uplifting promo about AEW on last week’s Dynamite. The window still would have been open for Perry to respond, but in an altogether different version as a heel.

This is not a total loss for AEW. Again, the Bucks and FTR cut compelling promos about their match at the upcoming Dynasty pay-per-view, a bout that should be nothing short of outstanding. Although this segment will be criticized, AEW owner Tony Khan took a risk by airing it. We need more risk-taking in professional wrestling. People glamorize WWE’s famed “Attitude Era”, but there were some outrageously bad ideas presented in that period of time, too. Not every swing is a homerun. The footage stirred up interest in AEW, and for those who enjoy pro wrestling, there are still an abundance of reasons to stay with the product.

Storylines change all the time. In the build to WrestleMania 40, Roman Reigns threatened to leave WWE if he lost to Cody Rhodes. Yet, during both nights of WrestleMania, there was no mention of it, indicating that piece of the plot had been dropped.

AEW will need to pivot, too. Fortunately, the key players in this story are the Bucks and FTR, four men who are extraordinarily talented at their craft. Another necessity is for Perry to make an immediate impact upon his arrival, one that allows him to grow and not remain connected to a talent who no longer works the company.

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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