OT- Official WWE/TNA/ROH Thread|Year of CM Punk

[ADRajX]

Updated* (Might as well call this the "Official WWE/TNA/ROH Thread|Year of CM Punk

This promo has been all over twitter... lol
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OS9wZGb_3g[/youtube]

Whether it was a worked shoot(*EDIT* reported late last night to be a worked shoot) or a shoot... as a fan this was probably the best wrestling promo I've heard since the Attitude Era (WCW, ECW, WWF) in the late 90s/early 00s. The product has been stale for so long (since the WCW/ECW Invasion angle imo). It's being compared to Austin's "3:16 King of the Ring" promo.

The references to Colt Cabana, Ring of Honor, NJPW, Hulk Hogan, Dwayne (The Rock), Paul Heyman, John Laurinaitis , and Brock Lesnar were shocking... and the line about Vince dying, and the insults to daughter Stephanie & son-in-law HHH were very ballsy to say the least.

CM Punk reminds me of a modern day Raven. I'm tired of the PG product WWE has been offering. It's been awhile since these shows were entertaining or had anything creative to offer.

Non-kayfabe though, CM Punk's contract will reportedly expire July 17th. He's most likely going to be booked to lose at the PPV imo. It will be a shame to see him go, but I'm happy he spoke his mind and told it like it is in that shoot (worked or not). Maybe he will return to ROH.


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*Update
Here are the important segments from Raw (the first 2 are from the beginning of Raw, and the last 2 are from the end of Raw) [7/11/11]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szkvOcX3RKk[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAf8IucuSZ8[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUVUtA7ccSA[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTiDQ7im36s[/youtube]

[MiracleBZop]

I saw the the promo live, it was brilliant. One of the best shoot mic work I've seen since the Paul Heyman shoot on McMahon 10 years ago. I think the creative team will book Punk to win at the MITB PPV and then the person that won the actual MITB ladder match will be booked to challenge and defeat Punk on the same night. That's just my theory. So then Punk can leave freely with his contract not being renewed, and Cena will get his long awaited break from television until the Royal Rumble PPV, where he will pick up his storyline program with The Rock for next year's Wrestlemania.

[Cammo101]

My guess is that this was all a work and that Punk is going nowhere. It is likely all an angle to get him over as a big time heel. Either way, it was awesome.

[ADRajX]

I saw the the promo live, it was brilliant. One of the best shoot mic work I've seen since the Paul Heyman shoot on McMahon 10 years ago. I think the creative team will book Punk to win at the MITB PPV and then the person that won the actual MITB ladder match will be booked to challenge and defeat Punk on the same night. That's just my theory. So then Punk can leave freely with his contract not being renewed, and Cena will get his long awaited break from television until the Royal Rumble PPV, where he will pick up his storyline program with The Rock for next year's Wrestlemania.

I guess you read the spoilers for next week's Raw lol (about Cena and McMahon). Yeah I don't know if WWE will let their highest grossing superstar (Cena) just go away on break for a while (even though he deserves the rest imo)... but I like the MITB theory, the winner cashing in the briefcase on the same night... but I think it will be on Cena, not Punk.

My guess is that this was all a work and that Punk is going nowhere. It is likely all an angle to get him over as a big time heel. Either way, it was awesome.

Yeah, it's more of a worked shoot than an actual shoot... but Punk did a damn good job on it, it was money... and he told it like is, that's how he truly felt and he channeled those thoughts into his promo, and it made the promo work... can't blame him for telling it like it is... the creative team told him to do it (do a worked shoot promo for the story)... and boy did CM Punk let 'em have it with what's on his mind LOL.

[Cammo101]

Apparently Punk has been suspended from the WWE and his bio on WWE.com has been taken down. Take that for what it is worth.

[ADRajX]

Apparently Punk has been suspended from the WWE and his bio on WWE.com has been taken down. Take that for what it is worth.

Yeah I saw that, and 10 minutes after broadcast, they removed his official facebook page, and then they "unverified" his twitter account lol.

What's funny though is the WWE still list Chavo Guerrero on their roster page and he's legit gone (he asked for his release from the WWE a couple days ago, and they granted it); CM Punk is still under contract for a few more weeks. CM Punk will leave, at least for year or two, like Jericho did. He needs a break. Maybe make some cameos at ROH and do other projects outside of wrestling. I don't blame him, he's burnt out, and his temperament reminds me of a guy who doesn't conform to everyday routines. If he's not happy, he'll take his break (he never re-signed with the company as reported by the wrestling sites) and he'll be proud of his choices in life. I kind of like that (that's why he reminds me of Raven, remember when Raven walked out of WCW during Eric Bischoff's company-wide meeting because of backstage politicking, not being used properly, and not being happy?).

[CraZyPraiZ]

Not much into wrestling these days but they did shut off his microphone. Looked real.

Sent from my HTC HD2 using Tapatalk

[Hon-essim]

They did the shut the mic thing in a previous RAW. (to Punk, same angle, no outside WWE comment)

Notice also how Punk makes an extensive attempt to get cheap heat at the latter parts of his promo by insulting the crowd.

I'm not a regular watcher either but the Miz, the Rock and Wade Barrett have all done some shoot angle on Cena. Not sure if Orton or any other like R Truth did but they've been doing that insult Cena angle like forever. The difference is that Punk was allowed to get Heyman mic time and Punk referenced a lot more things outside the angle where as those previous ones were clearly just feuds.

[MitchellUK]

Yeah, I think this is a work. There are too many little digs at the crowd in an attempt to build some heat, and it's a little too self serving. If he was really pissed at the state of the company, he wouldn't have been ranting about how he was the best and he was being marginalised, he would have been much more general about it.

That said, that was an epic promo. I haven't watch wrestling in a long time - I was completely turned off by the direction WWE went following the Invasion angle - but that's the kind of thing that has been missing. WWE cutting him off and "suspending" him is the perfect way to play it. I'm sure they will find a way to cock up the payoff, though.

[wlcMagic]

In the end Cena is gonna win the match at the PPV its just a forgone conclusion honestly and its quite sad really considering this is generating buzz and would seriously create interest in the product again if Punk actually won the title but they won't do it cause he's supposed to be leaving for real (atleast that's whats being said). WWE just doesn't know how to create star talent anymore like they used to they've literally depended on John Cena and Randy Orton for the past 5 years and its been the same old story while everyone else (like a Punk) who has serious talent and should be a main event player isn't taken seriously whatsoever and is basically left in mid card hell as they say.

[silentsacrifice]

I think this is all a test for Punk's ability to draw. There is no doubt that the buyrate will be up for this PPV on this match alone. But if Punk is able to draw as a heel, and he proves his worth to the WWE then they offer him a larger contract.

[Gerhalt11]

Who?

[MoGrAdY]

Go figure I miss Raw for the first time in years and Punk drops this, thank God for youtube lol.

[AdamTheGreek]

Nice shoot.

[magicman123]

looked staged to me, of course cena is lying on the ground for the full 6min

[ADRajX]

I don't think it was cheap heat at all imo (and of course it's staged lol, that's why it's a "worked shoot", look it up)... what CM Punk said and did was far better than anything Wade or Miz have done in a program with Cena... the thing that made this "worked shoot" amazing, was the fact that he truly expressed his displeasure with the company... it was a known fact (for several months on the wrestling sites and CM Punk's twitter) that CM Punk doesn't like the direction of the company (ex: same thing applied with MVP, Batista, Chavo Guerrero, Matt Hardy, etc...), or how the company was not using him properly (again, same thing applied to those other wrestlers)... so it was a smart idea for the creative team to turn that into a story with the promo (it's not the first time the creative team has turned a real life component into a storyline... remember Hardy/Lita/Edge?)... they basically gave Punk the mic and told him to do a "worked shoot" and say whatever he wanted to say for 7 minutes... well, CM Punk did just that and then some... think back to the Paul Heyman "worked shoot" 10 years ago or the Joey Styles "worked shoot" 5 years ago. It's essentially the same thing... it gets people talking... it gets all these "smarks" excited because they know the "inside lingo" and want to see what happens to Punk, and it gets the "casual fans" intrigued at what's going on and where this will lead to with Cena.

Check out some of these tweets lol:

Stone Cold Steve Austin: “@CMPunk just melted my 52 inch TV with a scorching hot promo…delivery, content, and attitude…one of the best promos I’ve ever seen.”

Shawn Michaels: “2 words 4 @CMPunk- thata boy. Felt like old times. Anywho, back 2 my normal life, tweet u on touchdown:-)”

Jim Ross: “Most compelling, controversial end of Raw in a long time. @cmpunk edgy, attitudinal & full of rage. Don’t know what to think. Wow.”

Mick Foley: “I have no idea where this @cmpunk thing might go, but I know I’ll be watching. Captivating stuff.”

Joey Styles: “Holy crap! I thought I was bad when I was shooting on Vince and the company. OMG! Holy crap!”

Billy Corgan: “@CMPunk that may have been the GREATEST promo i have ever seen…to paraphrase Paul E, ‘you sir, are f’n hardcore’…”

Taz: “Punk did a great job & I always liked him when we were in wwe together and his work! But I must say… There r many of us who were NEVER pushed to the level Punk was & were NEVER allowed to shoot like that, he’s lucky he was allowed to do that. But it was very strong & real!! I liked a lot! Good stuff Punk!”

Colt Cabana: “Colt Cabana’s Trending but @CMPunk should legit trend FOREVER. Coolest thing on wrestling since 1998. Can’t believe theyre gonna let’m walk”

Chris Jericho: “Congrats to @cmpunk and Vince McMahon for doing something tonight that hasn’t been done in awhile…make history.”

Daniel Bryan: “With revolution dripping off his lips with every word, @CMPunk was a god last night.”

Chavo Guerrero: “Did u see @CmPunk promo last night? WOW! If all those things are being said by a guy being used…think how I feel! Good Job Punk!”

Maryse: “@CMPunk for President of the United-States….”

Todd Grisham: “Punk came unhinged tonight. Never seen anything like it in my 8 years @WWE”

JBL: “CM Punk’s promo-shoot or work? Who cares? When you are so good that you can put that doubt in viewers minds you have done your job very well”

MVP: “My verdict after watching the @CMPunk promo, he just had his Austin 3:16 moment. Don’t f–k this one up WWE”

[MagicMadness]

Haven't followed wrestling since the late '90s-early '00s. I've heard of this wrestler before but don't really know who he is or what his gimmick is. Gotta say, that was the most impressive promo I've ever seen. WWE needs something like that. I remember Vince once saying that wrestling has it's cycles...it gains momentum, gets huge, then dies down for awhile. Maybe this is the beginning of a new era of popularity...

I actually might tune in for the first time in years just to see what the hell is going on (bet I won't be the only one)...

[ADRajX]

Haven't followed wrestling since the late '90s-early '00s. I've heard of this wrestler before but don't really know who he is or what his gimmick is. Gotta say, that was the most impressive promo I've ever seen. WWE needs something like that. I remember Vince once saying that wrestling has it's cycles...it gains momentum, gets huge, then dies down for awhile. Maybe this is the beginning of a new era of popularity...

I actually might tune in for the first time in years just to see what the hell is going on (bet I won't be the only one)...

+1 ... CM Punk is really the only good thing going on in pro-wrestling. He is of the same mold/mindset as those old ECW guys back in the 90s, or the Attitude Era WCW or WWF wrestler from the late 90s/early 00s. He is Straight Edge in real life and it is also his gimmick in wrestling (since his inception in ROH in the early 00s).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CM_Punk

He really is the modern age version/protégé of Raven (and Raven was one of my favorite wrestlers ever)... and it's fitting to say that, because Raven mentored CM Punk; and those two had one of the best feuds together in ROH and TNA (2003).

Wrestling needs another Revolution... another WCW vs WWF Monday Night War, another ECW underground scene, and another spark in popularity.

TNA is too dumb to be anything big imo (it's like a WCW nostalgia show, they don't push the X-Division or young talent), ROH is a tremendous company that is very similar to ECW, but it gets overlooked all the time... and WWE is too formulaic and PG, it's a money machine... no creativity or excitement is there; it's the same drivel every week.

Hopefully CM Punk can raise the level of interest in pro-wrestling.

Oh btw, for all those that didn't see Raw last night... Diamond Dallas Page made a cameo to promote "The Very Best of WCW Nitro" DVD with Booker T and Shawn Michaels. It's been years since I've seen DDP on television, so that was cool.

[N4U|Redux]

Wrestling has been dead for years as far as I'm concerned.

I went to Wrestlemania when it was in Orlando but haven't seen one since.

I might tune in next week and begin checking the "insider" sites to see what's up. Interesting stuff from Punk.

[Gerhalt11]

This was pretty clearly a work.

Between the statement on the WWE website (http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2011-06-27 ... pends-punk) and the fact that no one cut him off earlier, this will definitely be worked into a storyline.