Bryan Danielson confirms that he was part of the disciplinary committee that decided to terminate CM Punk‘s AEW contract.
On November 28, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful (via Fightful Select) reported that Bryan Danielson headed the committee that decided to terminate CM Punk following a backstage incident at AEW All In. Per Sapp, AEW General Counsel Chris Peck and an outside attorney were also on the committee.
During an appearance on Maggie & Perloff, CM Punk’s departure from AEW came up in the conversation. Danielson was asked whether he was on the disciplinary committee. (H/t Jeremy Lambert of Fightful for the transcription).
“Yeah, I’m a part of the disciplinary committee,” Bryan Danielson said. “Clearly, what happened has happened. I’m somebody who, I like CM Punk, I think he brought a lot to AEW while he was there. There is not a lot I can say about it, or that I want to say about it about. I am part of it. It’s really funny, you know how the internet is.
“Some people say I was the head of the disciplinary committee. There were more than three people involved in this decision, but most of them were all lawyers. To say that I was the head, I don’t even have a college degree [laughs]. I’m not in there bossing people around. I am part of the disciplinary committee.”
When asked whether it was a difficult decision, Danielson explained that it was. He wished Punk well and noted that he did a great job for AEW.
“Absolutely,” Bryan Danielson said. “As somebody who…I have a lot of empathy. I’m grateful for the time he was able to spend in AEW. He did a great job for us. I wish him the best in his future and I hope his run there goes well.”
Punk made his shocking return to WWE at WWE Survivor Series. He then appeared on the following episode of WWE RAW.
