AEW coach Billy Gunn has finally weighed in on the infamous Brawl Out incident, telling Inside The Ropes that CM Punk learned the hard way that some veterans won’t be pushed around.
The 2022 backstage fight — which followed Punk’s explosive post-AEW All Out press conference rant against Hangman Page, Colt Cabana, and the Young Bucks — ended one of the most hyped wrestling returns ever and eventually cost Punk his AEW career.
Gunn’s Take: ‘Don’t Poke the Bear’
Speaking to Kenny McIntosh, Gunn admitted he wasn’t in the room when it happened but offered a veteran’s read: sometimes, there are certain veterans that aren’t going to put up with that. If you’re a young buckaroo and you want to poke the bear, get ready to get bit. That’s what happened, he said, while noting the full details are between those involved.
Gunn contrasted the incident with how things were handled in his day, recalling that Vince McMahon kept things under control: you don’t have to like someone to do business with them. Any spat, he said, was settled by pulling people into a room, shutting the door, and fixing it privately — not airing it in public or in front of the locker room.
The Fall of Punk’s AEW Run
What started as one of the greatest returns in wrestling history ended in wrestling tragedy. Punk was suspended for his role in the Brawl Out fight, returned a year later, and was then fired after another backstage incident at AEW All In 2023.
Gunn’s comments land as a rare veteran voice on the locker-room culture clash that defined the era — and a blunt reminder that respect in wrestling is earned behind closed doors, not at press conferences.
Billy Gunn (Credits: Fightful)
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Source: Fightful — read the full story there.
