CM Punk chat

[Supremo]

I read this somewhere recently, so I can’t claim it as my own, but every next CM Punk feud is automatically the most exciting CM Punk feud. Roman. Owens. Dirty Dom. Cody. Sami. Jey Uso. Gunther. 

I just hope his body holds up and there’s still plenty of mileage left on his Bump Card. If he retires with some of this stuff still on the table I’m going to resent those Bracelet and Traffic Light matches even more.

[DavidB6937]

Gotta assume he'll cross paths with Big Match John this upcoming year too, right? I'd be surprised if they went for a full feud but at least a nice callback Rumble spot and a one off match somewhere.

[tiger_rick]

45 minutes ago, Supremo said:

I read this somewhere recently, so I can’t claim it as my own, but every next CM Punk feud is automatically the most exciting CM Punk feud. Roman. Owens. Dirty Dom. Cody. Sami. Jey Uso. Gunther. 

To admit to a proper bit of tribalism, this is the thing that pisses me off most about Punk. There are plenty of exciting feuds for him. But I want them all in AEW. I want this healthy CM Punk with his head straight against Bryan and Kenny and Mox and Hangman and Swerve and OC and Big Bad Brody and Powerhouse Hobbs and Eddie again. I want that guy who was having the time of his life in an environment that wasn't Vince's company wearing mad political shit that pissed off all the right people and ripping off spots from the greatest of all the times - The Hitman. 

I was genuinely robbed of some fucking great pro-wrestling in the company that kept me a fan of something I've loved since I was 4 years old. And instead I was turned off completely by ROH and Adam Cole and fucking Ric Flair. 

I don't hate CM Punk in WWE but I do hate that CM is in WWE - if that makes sense. 

And it seems he's still bloody great. The little bastard.

Edited December 20, 2024 by tiger_rick

[TheScarlettChad]

He hated being there as much as you loved him there, it seems.

[d-d-d-dAz]

His overall style should be studied at some form of wrestling university.

I'm not saying its better or worst than any other style, it's just very uniquely his.

I watched a load of his 'full matches' on YouTube recently, and they're fine. The better ones, the ones that have held up are matches like his handicap against The Shield where you could see his mind work, doing things to make it believable without The Shield looking silly; but by and large the matches were just fine. With the steam of the feud passed, they're not THAT special.

But, in the moment they were. Because he's almost entirely story based, he makes people connect with the story and source material and makes them really care. @Supremo makes the point that each and every potential feud is the most exciting, but that's mainly because we're living in the context of how good his current ones are. The matches don't hold up to one off viewing later in the same way a Danielson's might because Punk isn't as athletic, isn't as brilliant an in-ring performer; but his matches are always pretty much a perfect expression of the story he's telling, and at that moment - as it's happening - those stories are usually utterly thrilling, authentic, raw and believable.

I don't disagree with Rick about AEW, but I don't think it could ever have worked there. I think he was always destined to fail, whether that was through his personality or through eventual over-exposure because he would have ended up with too much unedited creative control or would have chosen to wrestle every week in story-less TV matches (which isn't his bag, really).

I think his particular talent is telling good wrestling stories, not necessarily writing them, and his weakness is a thin skin and needing to be treated like a revered elder statesman. The fact he's in the WWE at a time when they're writing very good stories and Papa H has fitted the whole machine up to treat older stars, and retired ones, like God's is probably what's allowing this to happen.

I need Roman v Punk like I've needed little else in my adult life.

[Carbomb]

1 hour ago, tiger_rick said:

That first pic is scary. No-one even has 7 fingers so you can detect it's AI. The others all make Bret look like the son of Chief Jay Strongbow.

Which one has seven fingers? I've been looking, and can't see that anywhere. 

[tiger_rick]

10 minutes ago, TheScarlettChad said:

He hated being there as much as you loved him there, it seems.

Like everything with him, he didn't and then he did. He was having a great time there until he wasn't. Then it ground on him and it was obvious. He's not the sort of lad to just coast along and cause no trouble. I don't mind that. I'm the sort of person who is always going to say something. 

3 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

I don't disagree with Rick about AEW, but I don't think it could ever have worked there. I think he was always destined to fail, whether that was through his personality or through eventual over-exposure because he would have ended up with too much unedited creative control or would have chosen to wrestle every week in story-less TV matches (which isn't his bag, really).

This is all true, I agree. I think working too much and picking up injuries was a massive thing. Maybe without that frustration, it's a bit different but i think the environment was probably something he thought he liked and grew to hate.

I doubt WWE would have had him wrestling a full schedule anyway but the lessons learnt from AEW are clearly playing out and they're reaping the rewards.

AEW EXISITING WINS AGAIN!

AEDUB. AEDUB.

[Harry Wiseau]

8 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

Which one has seven fingers? I've been looking, and can't see that anywhere. 

nobody does, that's the point he's making, in so many AI pictures there's little obvious tells like seven fingers or ears being weird, that picture is too good as you can't tell it's been created by AI which is scary as if that' sthe technology we have free access to whats coming in the future, and what do they have that we don't know about, what can you trust? 

 

Big Phil though eh, tsk!

[Carbomb]

4 minutes ago, Harry Wiseau said:

nobody does, that's the point he's making, in so many AI pictures there's little obvious tells like seven fingers or ears being weird, that picture is too good as you can't tell it's been created by AI which is scary as if that' sthe technology we have free access to whats coming in the future, and what do they have that we don't know about, what can you trust? 

Ah, I mis-interpreted the sentence! I thought he was saying "No-one in real life has seven fingers, therefore this picture is obviously AI". D'oh.

[DavidB6937]

Punk in AEW feels like a fever dream at this point. I don't believe I sat up all night and watched him return live to wrestling in an AEW ring. It just doesn't make any sense. It's the fucking moon landings all over again.

[ReturnOfTheMack]

2 hours ago, tiger_rick said:

 No-one even has 7 fingers

Never been to Rotherham then?

[tiger_rick]

1 hour ago, ReturnOfTheMack said:

Never been to Rotherham then?

That'd be "Ey? Aye".

[The Gaffer]

I know he's already over as he can be as a dastardly midcard heel - and it remains to be seen if anything bigger than that is on the level for him - but reading the list of potential feuds above, I'd love to see Dominik Mysterio be the one to get the bump from Punk before he retires or finishes this run out or headbutts Charles Robinson for being into Jesus or whatever. 

It doesn't even have to be clean. It's Dirty Dom - so it's probably better if it isn't - but it should be something that becomes some sort of "The 1 in 21 and 1" in-built part of Dom's character until the end of time. 

The sleaziest shit of them all being the one to send Punk packing. 

Do it! 

Edited December 20, 2024 by The Gaffer

[Mr_Danger]

I wonder if they’ll ever pull the trigger on Dom in that way. He’s a tremendous heel and he has a lovely moustache but he’s a glorified male valet and it doesn’t feel like they have hopes for him at the top of any cards any time soon. I’m kind of hoping they’re just making the most of his natural heat getting abilities until the rest of the package catches him up.

[DavidB6937]

21 minutes ago, Mr_Danger said:

I wonder if they’ll ever pull the trigger on Dom in that way. He’s a tremendous heel and he has a lovely moustache but he’s a glorified male valet and it doesn’t feel like they have hopes for him at the top of any cards any time soon. I’m kind of hoping they’re just making the most of his natural heat getting abilities until the rest of the package catches him up.

He can wrestle just fine. He was wrestling fine when he started. He was just completely and utterly boring as a face nepo baby.

Focusing on his heel persona is absolutely the right thing to do, but eventually he's got to move on from the Judgement Day stuff and Rhea and Liv etc. THEY ALL DO. PLEASE. Dear god.