Mark Henry Refutes Idea That CM Punk Is 'A Cancer' In The AEW Locker Room

Nearly six months after "Brawl Out," CM Punk's current AEW status remains unclear. Tony Khan hasn't released him, but has "no ideas to use" Punk at the moment. He's nothing if not divisive though, and WWE's Seth Rollins recently labeled him a "cancer." But Mark Henry, who currently works for AEW as a commentator, coach, and talent scout, doesn't agree with that in the slightest. This week on "Busted Open Radio," Henry emphasized how important Punk is to professional wrestling.

"He's not a cancer. He's opinionated, but he's also a teacher and supporter," Henry said. "I've seen him do stuff he didn't have to do. He just did it because he loved the business and he wanted to make that wrestler better." The former two-time AEW World Champion hasn't appeared for the promotion since the infamous All Out media scrum last September. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks have all since returned, there's nothing currently on the table to suggest Punk will be doing so. Henry hopes that changes. "I think that he's good for pro wrestling," he continued. "At the end of the day, he's good for business. He's good for the education of those young wrestlers he took a liking to."

Of course, the scrum and subsequent brawl needs to be addressed. Henry emphasized that Punk and The Elite need to have a 'Come to Jesus' moment that doesn't involve anybody else. "They're gonna have to sit together without Tony, just them guys and not throw hands," he added. If and when it comes to that, it's something he'd love to help with. "I love all parties involved, I would love to mediate the situation. But keep the issue on the issue, and not make it personal ... Make it about wrestling. Make it about the issue at hand, and not the individual. Then you can solve it."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.