How Real Backstage Tension Between Bobby Fish and Dax Harwood Escalated in AEW

Bobby Fish isn’t afraid to name names—especially when it comes to real-life backstage tension in AEW.

The former Undisputed Era and Red Dragon member recently sat down for an interview on TMZ’s Inside The Ring, where he pulled no punches talking about a heated situation with FTR’s Dax Harwood that nearly exploded into a parking lot fight.

When asked about his issues with Harwood, Fish didn’t hesitate to confirm the conflict and how close it came to boiling over, “No. And we never made it out to the parking lot.” Fish made it clear that despite the tension, both men were ultimately able to squash it face to face—like professionals.

“Dax and I — I think he and I — there’s a professional understanding between us, and we were able to shake hands and hug it out after.”

Advertising

Advertising

But that wasn’t just about Dax. Fish used the moment to take a not-so-subtle jab at CM Punk, calling out how Punk handled his own locker room disputes very differently. Fish recalled how Punk went directly to Tony Khan instead of handling things one-on-one.

“That’s the difference between maybe Phil and Dax and me… with Dax, we were able to handle it face to face. But with Phil, it became this thing where he went behind my back and got to Tony before I could even speak.”

Fish didn’t stop there. He also referenced the broader issue of locker room dynamics and how Punk tried to insert himself into a leadership role after the FTR conflict—something Fish wasn’t buying.

“That was an opportunity that Phil used to try and take the position in a locker room leader. And in the best way I could, I just let him know, like, bro, take that sh*t somewhere else, ’cause it’s not — it’s not here for me.”

This new context builds on comments Fish made back in August 2022 on his Undisputed podcast, where he addressed the same FTR tension but in more general terms. At the time, he called it “a good kind of tension” and explained how conflict can add to in-ring chemistry if both parties are professional:

“FTR and us, we had a thing, and I won’t really get into the details,” Fish said. “But Dax and I got into it, and at the end of the day, we were both able to be professional, completely professional about it… And still to this day, there probably would be a little bit [of tension], and that’s palpable, and that’s money.”

For Fish, being real matters more than backstage games. He believes there’s still a place in wrestling for that gritty “shoot work” energy, so long as it’s built on mutual respect.

“If you got two professionals, it won’t go someplace it shouldn’t, but it can still go to these kind of weird, ‘shoot work’ sort of places that I think the business is missing nowadays.”

Whether you agree with Fish or not, there’s no denying he’s putting it all out there—with no filters and no need to protect egos.

Are backstage conflicts like these good for business, or do they create too much chaos? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear what you think.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.