June 13, 2022 Observer Newsletter: CM Punk & Cody Rhodes injured, WWE Hell in a Cell review

Within a matter of days, C.M. Punk and Cody Rhodes, arguably the top babyfaces in AEW and WWE, went down with significant injuries.

Punk suffered an injury that neither he nor the company would detail as far as how and what it was on 6/1 in the show at the Kia Forum. In an interview two nights later on Dynamite, Punk mentioned the injury, saying it was a couple of broken bones and it would need surgery. The belief among talent was that it was a broken foot (Max Caster actually said it in his rap) and while neither the company nor Punk would say that, there have been very strong hints to me that this was the injury. It’s actually kind of strange that they don’t say the injury but as a company, the AEW policy is not to say injuries or illnesses unless it has to do with changing previously advertised matches (which is why injuries to Jeff Hardy and Adam Cole were acknowledged last week but not specified) although Cole was on TV this week and his being hurt was never brought up, while the company has never acknowledged an injury to Bryan Danielson. When they acknowledge injuries, they normally don’t say what the injuries or illnesses are unless the talent releases it themselves. WWE is hit and miss, usually only acknowledging them when it fits with the storyline while New Japan goes into detail as much as possible.

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