Matt Hardy has recalled an incident from his time in AEW when he was pulled out of a show on the last minute on account of CM Punk.
Hardy revealed that he and Punk were friendly at first in AEW, but the connection soured on account of his closeness to The Young Bucks. On “The Extreme Lifetime of Matt Hardy,” he narrated an incident where AEW CEO Tony Khan said that he needed him for a show, but was seemingly vetoed by Punk.
“We had done a thing on Dynamite which was going to steer to me being in Ethan Page’s corner the following night when he wrestled with MJF, where we will form of complete the babyface turn,” said Hardy. “I had plans with my kids the following day, and MJF had said, ‘Hey, would you alter your flight to do that?’ Like just a few days out, and I said, ‘No, I’m not going to do this.’ I said, ‘If Tony says he really needs me for that show, he wants me for that show. I’m not wasting my time at home with my children.’ After which I’m going to TV that night at Dynamite, and I talk with Tony, and Tony’s like, ‘Yes, I need you tomorrow. Be out within the corner with Ethan. I definitely want you there. It’s good. You are gonna be on the show. Thanks for doing this.'”
Hardy was set to go to “AEW Collision,” but came upon from AEW’s travel department that he wasn’t needed for the show, just hours after having the conversation with Khan. He believes that Punk had something to do with it, and the situation left him infuriated.
“I actually haven’t got this on authority, so I do not know, but, like, someone stopped that from happening, and there is only — I could not imagine it’s someone besides Punk because Punk was going to be there. That was his show [AEW Collision], right? I do not know that for a fact. Just spitting on the market.”
He stated that Punk had free rein during his time in AEW, on account of the respect Tony Khan had for him, which, in the long run, ultimately resulted in Punk’s eventual exit.