It’s been more than a year since Tony Khan decided to air footage of a real-life backstage altercation involving CM Punk on an episode of AEW Dynamite.
On Tuesday, the AEW owner finally revealed his reasoning behind the controversial decision.
Taking part in a wide-ranging interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Khan was asked to explain why he aired the footage featuring the physical confrontation between Punk and Jack “Jungle Boy” Perry that occurred backstage at the All In: London pay-per-view event in 2023. And as fate would have it, the answer involved Helwani, who interviewed Punk just a few months after AEW fired him for cause as a result of the scuffle.
“It’s interesting, because I do think that I didn’t necessarily agree with the description of how it all happened,” Khan said, referring to Punk’s recollection of the incident during his April 2024 interview with Helwani. “… I didn’t necessarily agree with everything that was said in that interview about how things happened. But also, it’s a TV show and [airing the video] did a very strong number. And so for many reasons, I think that it made sense. And it was a thing that was advertised and it got a lot of attention, and it did a very strong number, and also it’s in the eye of the beholder.”
Given the opportunity to specifically refute Punk’s side of the story, Khan replied: “I think the tape spoke for itself. And I think that I didn’t agree with how it happened and it obviously was a major part of why things were no longer able to continue with us even though I would have like to been able to.”
Tony Khan discusses the decision to air video footage of CM Punk’s altercation with Jack Perry:
“I didn’t necessarily agree with everything that was said in that interview about how things happened, but it’s also a TV show, and it did a very strong number.
I think the tape… pic.twitter.com/2cbEjFIymM
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 18, 2025
This isn’t the first time Khan has pointed to the rating for the April 10, 2024, episode of AEW Dynamite episode as a defense for airing the footage. But while that singular episode may have done a strong number, one could also argue that the larger trends indicate that it was a turnoff for a portion of the AEW fanbase.
Just as Khan said, whether airing the footage was worth it is ultimately subjective. Either way, it was refreshing to hear the pro wrestling executive address the controversy directly in what marked one of his most insightful interviews to date.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.