The atmosphere backstage in AEW has changed over the past year, and many people are blaming CM Punk because he has problems with some people in the promotion and some people there don’t like the top star.
The All Out 2022 brawl with The Elite, his comments about the top AEW stars in an ESPN interview a few months ago, and the most recent situations, including his post-Collision comments about Hangman Page, only exacerbated the situation.
This week, it was also revealed that Page, AEW Head of Talent Relations Christopher Daniels, Matt Hardy, and Ryan Nemeth are not allowed backstage at Collision shows, with the internal belief being that they are being banned from those shows because the program is built around Punk.
For a long time, there have been reports of unhappiness among those in positions of power. Dave Meltzer expanded on this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, noting that some are concerned that things will worsen if not addressed.
“For the most part, the crew is harmonious, but there are those tired of it, different cliques, and a couple of the backstage veterans who aren’t part of the actual conflict directly, expressed concern to us this week that unless things are handled now, they are risking things getting far worse.”
