mobanmarketIn a now-deleted Instagram post, former two-time AEW World Champion CM Punk gave his perspective of the build to his Jon Moxley's matches which included claiming Moxley didn't want to lose to him.
He also accused AEW of asking him to wrestle without being medically cleared in addition to calling both Chris Jericho and this website's Dave Meltzer liars.
The impetus for the comments appeared to stem from a comment Meltzer made on our message board that was shared on social media earlier Thursday.
Meltzer was replying to a comment and wrote the following:
"Do you know why they didn't advertise Punk vs. Moxley longer and why it had a short build? Because Punk agreed to it, then AEW got a legal letter saying he wasn't down with it and wasn't doing it and they didn't know if he'd come until Tony put his foot down. There are a lot of nice things I can say about him, and you can absolutely argue his position on Moxley was correct, but you can't argue he willingly did what he was asked in that scenario.
Meltzer was referring to the build for Punk vs. Moxley at 2022's All Out which saw Moxley defeat Punk in three minutes on the August 24th Dynamite.
The fact that Dynamite match happened was a surprise to many fans as they assumed the first time they would see Punk wrestle following his summer foot surgery would be at All Out.
Punk did defeat Moxley at their rematch at All Out to regain the AEW World title which was eventually stripped due to him sustaining an triceps tear during the match which preceded his now-infamous post-event media comments and subsequent fight with the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Ace Steel.
In the now-deleted IG post, Punk said he insisted he needed to be cleared from his foot surgery before he could return (assumed to be for the first Moxley match) but "they kept saying it could just be a squash so I didn't need to be cleared" which he didn't agree with.
Punk seemed to credit the match, and build to All Out, to Moxley's "Rocky 3" idea that he thought "sucked." He went along with it and also claimed Moxley wouldn't lose to him — a first in his career.
"SIGH. I wasn't cleared to come back to wrestle yet. Then plan was to wrestle at the ppv. I sat and listened to moxleys Rocky three idea. I explained how I'd never seen a Rocky movie. I and thought the idea sucked but if the boss wanted to do it whatever.
"He said he wouldn't lose to me. I'd never experienced someone refusing to lose to me. I just laughed. I asked Tony if this is what he wanted. He said yes. He's the boss so I said okay but I'd need to be cleared first. They kept saying it could just be a squash so I didn't need to be cleared. I scoffed at that. My health is more important.
Dave Meltzer is a liar. [Chris] Jericho is a liar and a stooge. There were plans but plans always change but I'll never put a company above my health ever again."
As of now, AEW has yet to comment publicly about the accusations.
Jericho shared the following on Instagram shortly after:
Punk's status with the company is unknown as he recovers from surgery on the aforementioned triceps tear. At one point months ago, Meltzer had reported Punk and AEW were working on a buyout.
Punk recently appeared in the crowd as a spectator at NJPW's Battle in the Valley pay-per-view and resumed his duties as a color commentator for a regional MMA organization.
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