AEW’s new official history chronicle of its first five years, This Book Is All Elite: The Inside Story of All Elite Wrestling, acknowledges CM Punk by name and credits him as part of the promotion’s history — but as many fans have now noticed, the book conspicuously omits any mention of his backstage controversies or abrupt 2023 departure from the company.
The book’s author Keith Elliot Greenberg has addressed the absence directly. He explained that he was commissioned by the promotion to write a “tribute-style” history — a celebratory narrative of AEW’s rise — rather than a full exposé of every backstage drama. According to him, the controversial moments, including the incident leading to Punk’s firing, simply “did not belong” in a tribute book.
Still, the book is not entirely superficial. It delves into numerous behind-the-scenes stories — for example, the origins of signature events such as Stadium Stampede, the formation of teams such as The Acclaimed, and early backstage shaping of the promotion’s identity. Greenberg insists that those positive backstage narratives provide “real depth” and that the book does not suffer from omitting Punk’s exit.
But this editorial choice has not sat well with a portion of fans. Some argue that by skipping over Punk’s dramatic exit — one that ended in a high-profile backstage altercation and contract termination — the book presents an incomplete and sanitized version of history. In particular, one fan comment on reddit aptly summed up the sentiment:
To readers hoping for a full, unvarnished account of AEW’s turbulent early years, the omission is a glaring flaw. The departure of someone as prominent (and controversial) as CM Punk was a pivotal moment — shaping locker-room dynamics, company reputation, and future creative directions. Leaving it out feels like deleting a chapter.
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