Ex-AEW Star Says Jack Perry's Punishment For All In 'Outweighed The Crime'

It's been nearly eight months since Jack Perry and CM Punk's infamous backstage brawl at AEW All In 2023, and the former has yet to return to the promotion. Perry was suspended indefinitely from AEW for his involvement in the scuffle, while Punk was fired following an internal investigation. Furthermore, CCTV footage of the incident was shown on the April 10 edition of "AEW Dynamite," catapulting Perry's name back into the headlines. Matt Hardy, who recently chose to leave AEW following the expiration of his contract, has shared his thoughts on the matter. 

"It's intriguing, it's very unlike AEW to do this, but I'm not opposed to it," Hardy said on his "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" podcast, claiming that he is someone who has always seen wrestling as entertainment as much as it is about the in-ring action. "I think it's going to be really interesting to see how they follow up to this because I think it could be something that is beneficial to AEW."

Hardy also said that if AEW doesn't follow up on things, it could be detrimental to the company as it will come across as untruthful. However, he highlighted one positive in the midst of everything: bringing Perry back to the company, who Hardy believes was punished too harshly. "I don't think he ever should have been exiled from all that at the end of the day...I feel like his punishment outweighed the crime. That's what I believe when it comes to that, and I think Jack Perry is a big asset to AEW, and I'll be happy to have him back."

Please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.