CM Punk and Jack Perry’s infamous altercation at All In 2023 led to the termination of CM Punk’s AEW contract. The topic’s still highly talked about even now and Jim Ross has made it clear he felt the entire situation was embarrassing.
While speaking to Inside the Ropes, Jim Ross talked about the backstage fight between CM Punk and Jack Perry at AEW All In 2023. He said he was heading out for his match when it happened and thought the whole thing was embarrassing. He didn’t care who started it, he just felt it wasn’t the right time or place, and both guys should’ve held back and dealt with it later.
Ross said CM Punk is a good friend and a good person, but he was wrong for escalating the situation. Ross thinks Jack Perry was probably really nervous or scared, even if he’d never admit it because it wouldn’t sound macho.
Ross added that he missed the actual fight but was told about it during the show. He thought it was a mess and said things backstage were too heated. He called the situation “b********” and said it should’ve never happened.
“Yeah, I was out front. I was going to do my match or two, whatever it was, when that all went down. It was embarrassing. I don’t give a s*** who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s not the place or the time to do that. Hold your angst and let it go.
And Phil Brooks is a great friend of mine. We still communicate semi-regularly. Good dude. He was wrong that day by continuing to stand there and push the buttons. I gotta believe that Jack Perry was scared s*******. Now, he wouldn’t say that. He wouldn’t admit that, ’cause that’s not macho. But, you know, come on.
See, I missed it. I was going out as they were going down. Somebody informed me during the last match or during that time, ‘Boy, you missed this backstage.’ And I’m thinking, I didn’t miss anything. That’s embarrassing. Are you kidding me? It just couldn’t wait, could it? It’s such a hot, boiling over cauldron of some train yard. It’s just a terrible thing. It was b*******.”
When asked what he would’ve done if he were in charge, Ross said he would’ve stopped it right away. He said you can’t let people bring personal problems on TV, and if someone refuses to follow that rule, they would be fired.
Ross said it’s more important to work as a team than try to act tough. He likes both Punk and Perry, and called Perry a fearless kid, but said the whole fight was just ego and pride getting in the way.
“Yeah. You don’t. Don’t muddy the water. We ain’t doing this. Now, do you have any issue about what I’m saying? The bottom line is, we are not doing this. And if you insist on doing this, we’re going to terminate your agreement. You got no job. Now, which is more important to you—being a macho little tough guy, or being a team player? Didn’t need that. Phil didn’t need it. Jack Perry—he’s a great kid. He’s a tough little bastard. He’s fearless. But take your game and go home, and let’s not do this anymore. We’re not doing this. And nobody’s a bigger fan of CM Punk than me. It’s just, you know—egos and bravado. Unfortunate.”
AEW would ultimately release footage of CM Punk and Jack Perry’s brawl but it ultimately backfired on the company. Regardless, everyone has ultimately moved on from the situation but many fans simply felt it could have been avoided.
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What do you think of Jim Ross’s comments about CM Punk and Jack Perry’s fight? Do you agree that egos got in the way? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.