MJF didn’t have an issue with CM Punk introducing a second version of the AEW World Championship.
Before Punk was fired by AEW, there was a storyline where he was calling himself the real World Champion on Collision. Punk won the AEW World Championship at All Out 2022 but had to vacate the title after the events of that pay-per-view. Jon Moxley then won the vacant championship and held it for two months before losing it to MJF.
When Punk made his AEW return this summer, he claimed to still be the rightful champion. He spray painted an X on his AEW World title belt and defended it as the “Real World Championship.”
MJF did not acknowledge Punk’s title belt on television. In a new interview with WrestlePurists, MJF explained why that was.
“I never commented on it. I’ll tell you why,” MJF said. “I won’t sit here and tell you I’m a company man, but I’m definitely pro-professional wrestlers. And the fact of the matter is: Collision is really important. And Collision’s success is super important. So at the time, having a guy of that stature having something that everybody on that show could be fighting for — because realistically, as much as Tony Khan wishes he can clone MJF, I can’t be everywhere at once. So I didn’t have an issue with it. I thought it made all the sense in the world. I wasn’t sweating it, frankly.”
Punk’s AEW contract was terminated with cause on September 2 following a backstage altercation with Jack Perry at All In.
MJF is the current AEW World Champion and also holds the ROH Tag Team titles with Adam Cole. With Cole out of action due to a broken ankle, MJF is defending the ROH Tag Team titles against The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch) in a handicap match at AEW WrestleDream this Sunday.
