Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors on CM Punk, Chris Jericho and More
As WWE WrestleMania 42 approaches, world heavyweight champion CM Punk remains in the headlines following a scathing pipebomb promo directed at everyone from his opponent on the grand stage, Roman Reigns, to Pat McAfee, The Rock, Ari Emanuel and anyone else with power inside TKO.
The latest on his buzzworthy mic work headlines this collection of rumors, which also includes the latest on Chris Jericho's contract with AEW and an unfortunate injury update for one of that company's brightest young stars.
Latest on CM Punk's Pipebomb Promo from Raw
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Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that CM Punk's promo from Monday night's Raw was a "major point of conversation backstage."
Understandably so, with content that included him taking shots at Roman Reigns, The Rock, Pat McAfee and even TKO CEO Ari Emanuel, not to mention the line about the company lowering ticket prices to help sell them.
Bodyslam+ on Patreon and Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com both reported that Punk spoke up for the frustrated Superstars behind the scenes, with the former stating he had bullet points to work from and the latter reporting it was a promo from the heart.
Sapp's report attached WWE writer Ben Saccoccio to Punk's show-opening segment but noted: "While there was a writer listed for CM Punk's promo, it was heavily rumored that he took creative liberties with it. We haven't confirmed that."
In true Punk fashion, it appears there was a blending of reality and fiction in Monday's buzzed-about promo, and it could not have come at a better time.
Regardless of the backstage reaction, it is difficult to argue that anticipation for WrestleMania 42 and what comes next has been higher than it is this year, further proof that the most captivating talker in pro wrestling should have a little more free rein to be himself and ignite excitement around the product.
Chris Jericho's AEW Status
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Chris Jericho made a shocking return to All Elite Wrestling on April 1, squashing any thoughts that he may be heading back to WWE.
Sapp reported for Fightful Select on Jericho's contractual status with AEW: "Yes, he's signed a new deal. They'd extended the old one, but he's there for the foreseeable future. I'm still working to find out a lot of the details, but he wants them close to the vest."
It is no surprise Jericho wants to keep details close to his chest. It has been a trademark of his for nearly three decades.
With that said, his return promo, in which he announced he is back "home," was telling and suggests he plans to stick with the promotion he joined at its creation in 2019 for the long term.
What that means for the 55-year-old creatively, when he has already worked with many of the top stars in AEW at this point, remains to be seen.
One thing is for certain, though: Whatever you think Jericho is going to do, he probably won't.
Kyle Fletcher Injury Update
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As revealed on Wednesday night's Dynamite, Kyle Fletcher is no longer the TNT champion after vacating the title due to injury.
Sapp reported that The Protostar "was suspected to have sustained a meniscus injury that will sideline him for quite some time as well. We're told there are additional injuries that he sustained as well that could rack up his time out of the ring."
The 27-year-old had evolved into one of the best wrestlers in the world and a workhorse for AEW since embarking on a singles push.
A talented technician who could be flashy or gritty as needed, he had become the first big breakout star the company had produced since the rise of Swerve Strickland and was tapped for a future world title reign.
That may be delayed now because of the injury, but it will be interesting to see how Fletcher is presented when he returns and how long it takes him to pick up where he left off as one of the standouts on an already stacked roster.
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