By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
CM Punk could avoid the hassle of a lawsuit or dealing with police after swatting a phone out of a fan’s hand in the MGM Grand lobby on Sunday night. The fan, who wants to remain anonymous, told TMZ that he does not intend to sue or press charges, but there’s a catch. “I want an apology,” the fan told TMZ. “Shake my hand. I’m not gonna sue him or put him in jail. I just want an apology.” Read the full story at TMZ.com.
Powell’s POV: Punk may regret the incident and honor the fan’s request. But I wonder if Punk would apologize just to put this behind him if he doesn’t feel it’s warranted. I suspect that most people would grit their teeth and apologize to avoid legal trouble, but it won’t shock me if Punk stands his ground if he feels the fan was in the wrong.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
Honestly, that fan owes Punk, AJ, and Bayley and apology. Not the other way around. Don’t reward asshole behavior or it encourages it. If that guy walks up and nicely asks, I’m sure they would’ve snapped a quick picture.
I’m not condoning what the fan did by any means, but from a legal standpoint, the fan didn’t do anything wrong. The TMZ story even mentioned that celebrities have been arrested in similar incidents for doing what Punk did. So that’s why it probably comes down to whether Punk makes it go away with even a fake apology or stand his ground.