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The AEW locker room doesn't seem to have as much camaraderie and team spirit as it did in the beginning. When the company started in 2019, it was dubbed "All Friends Wrestling" in some quarters thanks to its positive work environment and morale permeated the locker room then.
AEW and Tony Khan felt like a breath of fresh air for pro wrestling fans who were jaded by Vince McMahon's reign in WWE and his head-scratching booking and management of talent.
The former WWE Superstars who were let go by the company look reinvigorated in AEW, which also contributed to the overall optimism.
However, it didn't take long for the cracks to show. There have been rumblings of discontent for quite some time, after a period of relative upward momentum, the departure of Cody Rhodes, and rumors that the EVPs were not on good terms hinted at the first sign of trouble in early 2022.
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Since then, AEW has been besotted by supposed backstage altercations among various stars that suggest a divided roster. Here's a look at four infamous alleged backstage fights that have taken place in AEW thus far (that we know of, at least):
#4. Sadie Gibbs vs. Bea Priestly (2019)
During AEW's first year of existence all the way back in 2019, there was already an alleged altercation that took place during the All Out pay-per-view between former female talent Sadie Gibbs and Bea Priestly.
Casey Michael of Squared Circle Sirens reported that Gibbs was seen attempting to punch Priestly backstage during the event. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select further added that Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks was seen trying to de-escalate the situation. How ironic that is, given what we've seen transpired recently.
The two women were part of the night's Casino Battle Royale and were apparently no-selling each other's moves. Both stars are no longer with the company as Gibbs was let go during the pandemic, while Priestly later joined WWE NXT and has been renamed Blair Davenport.
#3. Eddie Kingston vs. Sammy Guevara (2022)
The infamous "pie-facing" incident between Sammy Guevara and Eddie Kingston resulted from an in-ring promo delivered by the Spanish God that was a bit too personal for the Mad King's liking.
The former TNT Champion commented on Kingston's physical appearance while in character, which upset him. This caused Kingston to confront Guevara backstage afterwards, which escalated to a physical attack.
The New York native has since commented on the sequence of events and admitted that he was at fault. PWInsider also confirmed that he was subsequently suspended and apologized for his behavior.
It was an unfortunate situation as it scuppered a potential match between the two at All Out. However, both Kingston and Guevara have since made amends with each other and had their planned match at a Dynamite show a few weeks ago.
#2. Andrade El Idolo vs. Sammy Guevara (2022)
Sammy Guevara appears on this list again, which is no surprise as he's recently been a lightning rod for controversy. The Jericho Appreciation Society member was embroiled in a Twitter feud with fellow AEW star Andrade El Idolo.
This stemmed from a recent interview the former WWE Superstar did with Mas Lucha to promote his planned match with Preston Vance (#10) of Dark Order in a Mask vs. Career match, which was supposed to take place during the October 7 edition of AEW Rampage:
"But I did have one issue with a wrestler. I am going to say his name, it was Sammy Guevara. I had an issue with him because he once came to the locker room and complained that we hit him too hard. It’s wrestling, solve it in the ring. If I hit hard, hit me hard too. I learned that he came in and that he accused me like a little girl. After I learned about it, I spoke to him and asked if he had an issue with me, but he said he did not and that’s all there was to it."
El Idolo also referenced former WWE Superstars whom he has faced in the past that welcomed physicality in their matches:
"It’s funny because not even in WWE. For example, Sheamus likes to hit, and all my respect for him because he loves to hit hard and loves the strikes. He is wild. Even The Miz likes to throw strikes. Not even John Cena complained about me, so if he did not complain, imagine this kid [Sammy Guevara] who is just starting, but there’s that." [H/T: TJRWrestling]
Sammy Guevara clearly didn't take those comments lightly as he then took a shot at the Mexican wrestler on Twitter:
"YOU didn't say sh*t to me you liar but here's some truth you ungrateful prick You would be jobless if it wasn’t for your dad-in-law. Are you really mad at me or mad at yourself for failing to get over for a SECOND time. Just go back to Wwe like we all know you want to do & f*ck off," Tweeted Sammy Guevara.
Things came to a head backstage hours before Dynamite was set to air this past week, where both stars had a reported backstage fight. Andrade was immediately sent home after that, and his with match Dark Order's #10, was then canceled.
Interestingly, Guevara still appeared on Dynamite as part of the main event tag team match with Chris Jericho against Bryan Danielson and Daniel Garcia.
Fans in the arena made it known that they weren't impressed by Sammy's antics and roundly booed the wrestler throughout the night. This is an ongoing situation, and it remains to be seen how it will be resolved.
#1. Former AEW Champion CM Punk vs. Former Trios Champions The Elite
The post-All Out 2022 media scrum and subsequent backstage altercation will forever be the black eye in AEW's history. Even though it's been nearly a month since CM Punk's infamous tirade and altercation with The Elite, the ramifications are still being felt to this day.
During the scrum, CM Punk verbally attacked Colt Cabana, Hangman Page, and AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) unprompted, with his frustrations boiling over after Hangman reportedly went into business for himself during a promo leading up to Double Or Nothing earlier this year.
Punk had also previously challenged Hangman to an impromptu match and called him a coward during his promo in August 2022 as a receipt for his shoot comments. Punk, Omega, and The Young Bucks have since been stripped of their Trios titles and suspended from the company.
This seems to be the final nail in the coffin for CM Punk's AEW run, as there has been speculation that Tony Khan might buy out his contract outright.
It would be such a shame for The Straight Edge Superstar to end his time in the company this way, given the magical run he had been on up to that point.
