"Zero end goal" - Former WWE star questions Tony Khan's motive for releasing AEW All In 2023 footage (Exclusive)

Modified Apr 17, 2024 19:09 GMT

Tony Khan — Photo credit: AEW's YouTube Channel

Last week, AEW aired the controversial backstage footage of CM Punk's altercation with Jack Perry at All In 2023. Since then a lot of people from the wrestling industry have reacted to the segment, including a former WWE star, who questioned the motive behind Tony Khan's decision to release the footage.

EC3 has had two stints in WWE. The first one began in 2009 during which he competed in FCW and NXT. However, he failed to make a name for himself and was released from the company in 2013. Ethan Carter gained recognition during his days in TNA Wrestling and in independent circuits before returning to Titanland in 2018 where he began competing in NXT. However, his career failed to take off after his promotion to the main roster and he was eventually let go by the promotion in 2020.

Last week on AEW Dynamite, Tony Khan aired some unseen footage from AEW All In 2023, and during the latest episode of Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Outlaws, Vince Russo criticized Khan's decision and noted that the footage proved Punk was right. EC3 agreed with the veteran and commented on the decision, stating:

"I completely, 100 percent agree with those words. I find it baffling and quizzical that a grown man could fear his life based on to be like a great school dust-off I had with Ryan. How in an immaculate conception where I did. I mean, I didn't just choke him. I actually shoved him a little bit and he fell into a dumpster. So, it was real nothing burger. I'd say but I think it was vindication. Not vindication so much, but like CM Punk told the truth pretty much exactly as it happened."

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The former TNA World Champion added that he doesn't see any end goal behind airing the footage.

"He's, I kind of call him the reverse Patrick Clark in that scenario... Yeah. It's literally right there. I don't know the end game. I don't know the reason why I mean, I understand controversy creates cash. I believe Eric Bischoff said that I think I say that every week now, but I don't see this cash being cashed in considering there is zero end goal business for this whole kerfuffle." [From 04:19 to 05:35]

Vince Russo believes that Tony Khan thought AEW All In footage would boost viewership

Since Tony Khan decided to release the footage from AEW All In, several fans and critics have weighed in on the situation. Vince Russo is the latest to give his thoughts.

During the same podcast episode, Vince Russo claimed that Tony Khan believed the CM Punk footage from All In would increase viewership.

"Let's talk facts and numbers cause I just pulled them up. Last week's viewership count was 752k. Bro, keep in mind, a year ago, it was 866k. Okay, so this week it was 819k. So they had 67k more people watch the show, where you know well next week it would go back to 750k because that footage certainly didn't hook anybody. But I guarantee you, Khan thought, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was gonna pull a million viewers. I guarantee you he thought that was gonna pull in a million viewers," said Vince Russo. [From 06:45 to 07:37]