WWE veteran explains why issues with CM Punk may benefit Tony Khan in the long run (Exclusive)

Tony Khan could benefit from the ongoing debacle with CM Punk, as the situation could force the AEW President to "be a boss," according to wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell.

Khan suspended CM Punk following a backstage fight between the former AEW World Champion and The Elite after All Out 2022. This suspension, coupled with the multiple injuries that Punk suffered, has kept The Straight-Edge Superstar off AEW programming ever since.

While it seemed the situation was finally dying down, Punk reignited the fire by publicly blasting Dave Meltzer, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and AEW in general via a now-deleted Instagram story post.

According to Dutch Mantell, the difficult situation may work in Tony Khan's favor in the long run. Appearing on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk podcast, the veteran explained:

"Well, this may have done Tony Khan a favor too because he is having to be a boss, which he really hasn’t done that much before. It was all playtime and 'let’s all get along', but now when it comes down to this, he’s going to have to make some decisions, whether people like it or not – or even whether he likes it or not." [From 22:20 – 22:43]

If AEW is to find a silver lining in this incredibly complicated situation, perhaps this is it.

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Dutch Mantell on CM Punk's ego

Having spent over 50 years in the wrestling business, Dutch Mantell knows a thing or two about how the show operates behind the scenes. This includes how the performers interact in the locker room.

Speaking about the backstage relationships between wrestlers, Mantel said the following:

"See, when you go in a dressing room, you face 20 guys. You got 20 different egos. And I don’t give a crap if the guy is on first – he still is developing an ego. And he’s going to try to live up to that ego and try to get as high as he can." [From 22:58 onwards]

He continued, this time elaborating on AEW's current situation regarding CM Punk:

"Punk has a big ego, we all know that, and I think he’s judging this on how he will look as this thing goes forward."

Do you think CM Punk will return to AEW after his recent remarks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.