CM Punk allegedly responsible for AEW benching 6 ft 1 in star

Former WWE Champion CM Punk allegedly influenced AEW's decision to bench a popular star. The claim was made in the lawsuit filed by the talent.

Ryan Nemeth recently filed a lawsuit against Tony Khan and CM Punk regarding how he was treated during his time in the Jacksonville-based promotion. It was mentioned in the lawsuit that Phil Brooks (aka Punk) allegedly confronted Nemeth in the locker room, and no action was taken against him.

The lawsuit also alleged that Ryan Nemeth was benched for two months in All Elite Wrestling despite being assured by the company's attorneys that he would be featured on TV. It was also mentioned that Nemeth was not booked for a match after his conversation with commentator Tony Schiavone.

Nemeth's income stream from the Tony Khan-led promotion seemingly dried up after he was sidelined for weeks. Later on, when the six-foot-one-inch star complained to the AEW legal team about being punished for no reason, he discovered that CM Punk apparently influenced the promotion to bench him.

The lawsuit also alleged that Tony Khan didn't say no to Punk regarding Nemeth's benching because the promoter admired The Second City Saint.

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CM Punk will be in the Elimination Chamber match

After failing to win the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble match, CM Punk defeated Sami Zayn on RAW a few weeks ago. In the process, he qualified for this year's Men's Elimination Chamber bout, where he will face Drew McIntyre, Damian Priest, Logan Paul, Seth Rollins, and John Cena.

The winner of the Chamber match will go on to challenge the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41.

Since his WWE return, Punk has consistently expressed his desire to main event WrestleMania for the first time in his career. It remains to be seen if The Best in the World manages to achieve the feat by winning the Chamber match this year.