Tony Khan Shares His Thoughts On AEW Fans Booing CM Punk

Earlier this month, CM Punk made his long-awaited return to the ring during the premiere episode of AEW Collision. The following week, he competed at Forbidden Door in an Owen Hart Tournament match against NJPW star Satoshi Kojima. Punk was victorious in the bout, but not all fans were thrilled to see him advance in the tournament.

RELATED: CM Punk And The Elite Kept On Opposite Sides Of The Building At Forbidden DoorCM Punk made his AEW return in his hometown of Chicago, where he predictably received a massive ovation. However, fans in Toronto were not as welcoming. In the eyes of AEW owner Tony Khan, this didn't come as a surprise.

Tony Khan Not Surprised To See CM Punk Booed In Toronto

During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Tony Khan discussed the fan reception to CM Punk at Forbidden Door in Toronto. Wrestling News Co. has provided the following transcription:

I wasn’t surprised about that at all given that we were in Canada and given some of the things that had happened in the lead up to the show and in particular since the last time he wrestled, so I think as we go on the road, we are going to get a lot of great responses, but just like a sports team, it depends on where you’re at. Some sports teams are really popular in home cities, and then when they go on the road, it depends, and definitely I thought this was a road game for him. He did great.

It would perhaps be helpful to note that Kenny Omega, one of the men Punk has had conflict with, is Canadian, which might have swayed the Toronto crowd's feelings.

Time will tell how CM Punk's second run in AEW plays out. Some fans believe it would be best for AEW to turn CM Punk heel ASAP in order to try and get ahead of crowds booing him. However, others believe that fans will forget about any resentment toward Punk soon and that a heel turn is unnecessary. We'll just have to stay tuned and see what happens.