Eddie Kingston Addresses Backstage ‘Divisiveness’ Reports After CM Punk AEW Return

AEW star Eddie Kingston has commented on the backstage situation following CM Punk’s return following reports of backstage divisiveness.

During Punk’s AEW TV return on the June 17 edition of Collision, the former AEW World Champion cut a promo in which he took a dig at the Young Bucks and other “soft” wrestlers, before teaming with Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler for a trios match against Jay White, Juice Robinson and Samoa Joe.

Speaking with POST Wrestling ahead of Dynamite last week, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer indicated that there’s a lot of “divisiveness” backstage after Punk said in his return, as well as the ESPN interview that released before Collision, and that things are at a “pretty bad point” again.

In this week’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer reported that a “top name” told him they were in a “bad mood” leaving Dynamite because of the whole situation.

Speaking with the New York Post, Eddie Kingston, who also recently returned to AEW TV, commented on Punk’s on-screen comeback:

“He did it his way and that’s the way wanted to do it. I expected it. I knew it was happening, knowing Punk and what he thought was right for him. That’s it.

“I see the reports. But the locker room is not divided, not the people I hang out with. Punk’s gonna do what Punk does and if whatever Punk does helps this company, no one can say anything.”

When asked if there has been a feeling that Punk’s comments have bothered a portion of the locker-room, Kingston said:

“Not me, man. Not my crew of people I hang out with.

“Maybe there’s that one percent that are bothered but the people I chill with, they’re good. They don’t care.”

Kingston himself made his return to AEW TV on the June 15 edition of Dynamite to confront the Blackpool Combat Club.

Punk was present at both Dynamite and Collision this week, meaning The Elite weren’t at either show. The expectation is that The Elite will be on Dynamite and Punk will be on Collision going forward with just a few exceptions like this week because Dynamite was in Chicago.

Punk received a much more mixed reaction at the Collision show in Toronto, Canada, following his fairly warm welcome at last week’s show in Chicago.

Punk went on record in last week’s interview with ESPN saying that he had attempted to contact members of The Elite after All Out, but the response was letters from attorneys telling him not to.

Since then, the two sides haven’t had any kind of interaction with each other.

They will, however, all be on the same show tonight for Forbidden Door.

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