Reactions to AEW/Jack Perry/CM Punk Footage, More (Patreon)

The CM Punk/Jack Perry footage aired on AEW Dynamite. It certainly happened.

As Fightful reported last weekend, it was the actual footage and not a bait and switch. Regardless of how you feel about the footage, or the decision, we've collected reactions from the wrestling world.

Most of the reactions we heard were very tepid, with many saying it was much of what they expected, that that it was a one night ratings ploy. There was talk of the mood decreasing backstage at AEW Dynamite after the footage aired, more of the dread of "social media bullshit" than anything else we heard.

We've learned that Tony Khan had the idea last week following Punk's interview with Helwani, and the numerous shots last week in the media from WWE personalities accelerated the decision. By late last week, creative was set for the video, and the decision to promote it right after WrestleMania was planned.

Regarding rumors that Young Bucks weren't in favor of the segment, we're told that isn't true and they were fine with doing the angle.

We're told FTR were given a heads up about the decision to promote it, and signed off on it, and were in the line of thinking that if it adds to the storyline or buzz around it, that's fine. We've heard of no issues between Punk and FTR as a result.

The general response we heard from AEW talent was that they felt this added to the importance of having a huge show for AEW Dynasty, and they didn't think the full PPV schedule announcement the following day was an accident.

Within WWE, there were plenty of people talking about the situation, but most we spoke to were exhausted after an insane WrestleMania week. We heard no particularly surprised reactions or anything that happened that anyone didn't expect. CM Punk is not getting punished, scolded or anything of the like within the company. There were a few wrestlers who considered the video a "self own," and others who said they simply didn't care and were watching out of curiosity.

A longtime name that has been in WWE and AEW said that this is no worse than anything that happened during the Monday Night War era, and there are examples across the board of this happening back then.

The prevailing hope backstage was that this hopefully benefits Jack Perry, both in his reaction from the crowd wrestling in Chicago, and in hopefully bringing him back to AEW to capitalize on the situation.

Elsewhere in the AEW locker room there were natural "wish someone else would have got that TV time," reactions. Several in AEW felt like they were in a no-win situation after CM Punk's Helwani interview, him poking fun at Ospreay, Triple H poking at Ospreay, Michael Cole's references to AEW, and Pat McAfee taking shots at Tony Khan and AEW.

There is no concern from any talent we've spoken to across any company that this is "a company killer," and most everyone agreed that the online discourse and hyperbole was something that AEW likely expected.

It's worth remembering that reactions like these are based only on the responses we got, and are subjective in nature.