Jack Perry reflects on CM Punk incident: ‘I feel like I’ve grown a lot from it’
AEW’s Jack Perry has finally opened up about his growth from his infamous incident with CM Punk at AEW All In 2023.
Recently speaking on Up Close with Renee Paquette, Perry was questioned about his growth over the past two years. Discussing his incident with Punk without mentioning it by name, Perry claimed,
“I think, I feel like I’ve grown a lot from it, but I feel like the growth came from a lot of it sounds dramatic to say pain, but it wasn’t the nicest of times, for most of that time. I think it really freed me in a lot of ways. It’s kind of like before all that feels like another lifetime at this point, and I think back to how I felt before that, and I think a big thing I had was like, I just really, it sounds silly, I just wanted everyone to like me.”
He further continued, “I was new to being on TV. This was my dream job since I was a little kid, and I wanted to do it perfectly, and I wanted everyone to like me, and it’s not something I worry about so much in my real life, but this was different. I kind of wanted to micromanage it and make it perfect,” he added. “So then when I would come up short of that, it was very disappointing, and I think coming up short of anything sucks, but doing it in such a public way, and then there are a million people telling you you’re a piece of shit or whatever, it’s hard.”
Without taking anyone’s names, he claimed, “I think, through all that, I finally realised there are some people that are never gonna like me no matter what I do, and in a way that was really freeing because then I was like I don’t have to worry about that anymore, what do I wanna do?”
Punk and Perry’s fallout began at AEW All In 2023 in London, after their difference of opinion on using real glass during a spot. The incident led to a shoot backstage brawl between the two, with AEW firing Punk soon after.
Perry would also be sidelined from AEW television for nearly six months before he returned with the ‘Scapegoat’ moniker. Following his run as a heel and part of The Elite, he would again take nine months off after Full Gear 2025, before returning at All Out 2025, reuniting with Luchasaurus.
