AEW Prexy Under Fire From Fan-Favorite WWE Figure For Inaction At All Out Presser

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) continues to deal with the fallout that was the press conference following the All Out pay-per-view, and former WWE personality Theodore "Teddy" Long offered a fresh perspective on what happened behind the scenes.

The former on-screen general manager of SmackDown recently spoke with Wrestling Inc.'s Nick Hausman and said that CM Punk saying what he did was no surprise to him.

"One thing I can say, a lot of people might not like him, might not like what he did but sometimes you have to tell the truth and sometimes the truth hurts, but CM Punk is gonna be CM Punk and I'm not gonna be the one to change him so kudos to him," Long mentioned.

Punk went on a tirade during the presser as he targeted "Hangman" Adam Page and AEW executive vice presidents Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson).

It eventually led to a backstage brawl involving Punk and the EVPs plus a few others, which overshadowed the return of Maxwell Jacob Friedmann (MJF) to AEW programming at the conclusion of All Out.

While Long believes that what Punk did was somewhat expected thanks to his fiery personality, the lack of concrete reaction from AEW president and co-founder Tony Khan further highlighted how much of a greenhorn he was in the world of pro wrestling.

"I think with Tony Khan being new to our business, I really don't think Tony Khan knew what to do. I don't even think he thought about cutting off CM Punk's mic. I think Tony Khan wanted to hear it. I think he was more surprised than anybody," Long noted.

Though he thinks that former WWE CEO and chairman Vince McMahon would allow Punk to say what he would have said, McMahon would have been likely to cut off Punk's microphone if what he said went beyond the boundaries of what was allowed.

"I think Tony Khan was just at a point where he didn't know what to do," Long later added.

Long was not the first among former WWE personalities to criticize Punk and AEW leadership since it all went down as Eric Bischoff placed the blame squarely on the former for allowing his emotions to get the best of him.

AEW has since announced suspensions for everyone involved in the backstage altercation as the promotion has conducted its own investigation, while the AEW World Championship has been vacated.

The pro wrestling world has been continuously monitoring the situation since there were rumors of Punk opting to retire coming out after the suspensions became public.

While having a pro wrestling company that can take on the juggernaut that is WWE is good for the industry, failing to address such problems in the locker room could lead to a future mass exodus of talent and opt for WWE because of Triple H--now head of creative--and his leadership style.