The returning CM Punk had his first interview since September with ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, an interview which might ruffle some feathers in the AEW camp.

On the eve of his return to AEW television on Collision, CM Punk talked about his All Out press conference, getting injured, the division with certain individuals backstage, his real-life rivalry with Hangman Adam Page, and more.

Punk said that problems with The Elite started in Spring 2022 and prior to that, he had a good relationship with The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Adam Page. He attributed the problems to the group blaming him for the removal of Colt Cabana from AEW, something that Punk continued to refute to this day.

But the problem with Page escalated through a promo before Double or Nothing and then during their match where Punk claims that Page “shot” on him, chopping him in the mouth and chipping his tooth on purpose.

“And I proceed to have what I think is a garbage match because I’m trying to protect myself on stuff instead of actually just working and trying to put on the best performance I can,” Punk said. “I’m keeping an eye out. He chopped me in the mouth one time, and I’m just like, ‘OK, did you do that on purpose?’ You chip my tooth, and I’m like, ‘All right, should I give him a receipt?’ It changes the dynamic. It poisoned everything for me, and it made it all really, really ugly, and that was what set all of this off, and here we are over a year later and ain’t s— been done about it.”

The former two-time AEW champion has said that he did not have any conversations with either Kenny Omega or The Young Bucks since the All Out brawl. He tried, he said, but received messages from lawyers telling him not to contact them.

Punk returns tomorrow and despite everything, he said that there was never any series intention not to return.

“There’s still work to do, and I think I’m excited about a lot of stuff that’s coming up. So, to just throw the baby out with the bathwater, just because of a little boo-boo, I think would be a little silly,” he concluded.