>>16414127This. By all measures, what we saw post-Brawl Out WAS Tony siding with Punk. He suspended the Elite despite their neither starting nor participating in the fight. He gave Phil total creative control over two hours of weekly TV, which Phil still resented because he was the one stuck with the B show.
What we saw WAS Tony trying to do a Punk/Elite feud. He just failed miserably. He had probably already failed the moment he'd suspended the Elite, and any measures that he could've taken to side with Phil enough to get him to stay, like giving him creative control over Dynamite, would have led to a lockerroom massacre.
And based on what we saw, Phil likely would have left anyway. He only signed with AEW for the money and the fame. WWE has more to offer there than AEW ever did. He was always more likely to side with Stamford than Jacksonville, especially with Vince out the picture.
