Tony Khan did not allow CM Punk to relinquish the AEW world title

As previously noted, AEW world champion CM Punk announced during the June 3rd 2022 edition of AEW Rampage that he is injured and will need surgery. An interim AEW world champion will be crowned at the Forbidden Door PPV and will face Punk in a unification match once he is cleared to wrestle again.

During the AEW Road to Kansas City, Punk clarified what was said during his promo on Rampage…

“I probably wasn’t as clear as I should have been. I offered to relinquish the title but Tony [Khan] told me that under no circumstances was I allowed to do that. It means a lot to me that this place as a whole believes in me enough to let me just go get fixed.”