CM Punk: Greatest Promo Ever

[smkelly]

 

Yeah, probably.

[Johnny Sorrow]

Or, ya know..it was a house show that doesn't matter.

 

At all.

 

Edit: Well, I'm wrong. It showed that the idea of Punk as a face is definitely there.

[kjh]

Also, it shows that for the moment at least they're protecting Punk.

[Boondocks Kernoodle]

I know many of you guys are skeptical if not outright dismissive of such reports but, in case anyone was wondering, Dave said on Observer Radio that HHH beating up Punk was in the first four drafts of the Raw script and Punk was the one who talked them into changing it. Dave seemed very frustrated at the idea that nobody on the writing team knew enough to veto this in the early stages.

[NintendoLogic]

They could have just been too terrified to voice any objections.

[sek69]

It seems Punk isn't afraid to speak up and lobby for something he feels is right and to argue against something he feels is wrong. A lot of the ex writers on Lagana's podcasts mentioned they'd come to him with that week's terribly scripted promo and he'd politely accept it, then after skimming he'd say "not doing it" and go out and do his own promo. If he's willing to do that to the extent he apparently had to lobby/argue with Vince repeatedly to make sure his angle kicked off the way it did, I can't imagine he wouldn't be able to do it with HHH either. Hunter may be just as petty and thin skinned as anyone, but it shouldn't be overlooked that Punk has been able to pretty much get every promoter he's worked with to do things his way. He's smart in ways many guys aren't when it comes to getting things done the way he would like them done.

[Matt D]

Presumably Punk wasn't going to resign unless he was either getting a huge payday or had some confidence that they wouldn't totally mistreat him in the angle.

[rovert]

So afraid we will get a redux of Vince McMahon resigning Matt Hardy for the fans

[kjh]

It's hard to see Punk fluffing the big promo like Matt Hardy did.

[flyonthewall2983]

Well that was lame.

[Guest hack myers]

Further evidence of WWE closing the door on something great.

[sek69]

Man, it seems like some people are really rooting for this to fail in order to justify their cynicism towards WWE/HHH.

[Ditch]

I gave the angle a chance but the pacing on this is all over the place. Way too much, then not nearly enough. The resolution for Punk leaving Chicago with the title is so BORING. They're WWE! They can do anything! And they... have him come back because of a title tournament and a hot-shot switch? Not very dramatic.

[Sean Liska]

The more I think about the Punk angle, the more I come to the conclusion that it's really tricky to book this angle in today's environment.

 

I think almost everyone wanted Punk to disappear for a while and have the storyline be Punk holding the belt hostage and everyone chasing after him. The problem is the 2nd or 3rd biggest PPV of the year is two weeks away. What's your main event if Punk is gone and there's no belt? Orton-Christian?

 

I've heard the suggestion that you could have had the Cena-Mysterio tourney final at SummerSlam instead while stretching out the Punk angle.. But if you crown a new champion in a PPV main event, where's the drama with Punk being out with the belt? He's already been forgotten and everyone has moved on.

 

The beauty of the original Summer of Punk angle is that Punk was teasing leaving for WWE with the title, but he still worked every show. It was a really unique and original deal. I've read the fantasy booking with Punk taking the belt to ROH shows and being chased around by Cena, but that doesn't do much for RAW and their PPVs.

 

So my enthusiasm for the angle isn't what it was a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure what the ideal booking would have been. This isn't an easy one like Nexus or the Invasion.

[MikeCampbell]

I gave the angle a chance but the pacing on this is all over the place. Way too much, then not nearly enough. The resolution for Punk leaving Chicago with the title is so BORING. They're WWE! They can do anything! And they... have him come back because of a title tournament and a hot-shot switch? Not very dramatic.

Agreed on all counts. I wouldn't minded seeing Rey and Miz's decision match saved until the end of RAW and then Punk making his return to cause a non-finish. Then cut a promo declaring himself the only WWE Champion.

 

Did anyone else notice tonight that the tag champions had their own music and didn't have any arm bands on? It looks like Nexus is officially dead.

[cm funk]

I gave the angle a chance but the pacing on this is all over the place. Way too much, then not nearly enough. The resolution for Punk leaving Chicago with the title is so BORING. They're WWE! They can do anything! And they... have him come back because of a title tournament and a hot-shot switch? Not very dramatic.

Agreed on all counts. I wouldn't minded seeing Rey and Miz's decision match saved until the end of RAW and then Punk making his return to cause a non-finish. Then cut a promo declaring himself the only WWE Champion.

 

That would have been the better way to go based off how tonight played out. And to keep Cena busy last week and involved in the storyline put him in like a multi person #1 contender match of some sort at the top of the hour with the winner to face the Miz-Rey winner at SummerSlam. Cena wins that, then they do a 3-way Cena/Rey/Miz for the title shot on tonight's show because Punk is back. Sure, it's contrived as hell, but it makes more sense than what they ended up doing.

 

I did not enjoy tonight's booking at all, and my faith in WWE to break out of their self-imposed creative boxes was misplaced yet again. I refuse to be a cynic, because they manage to get a lot of things right, but when they drop the ball on angles like this it really sucks

[rovert]

Yeah this really needed a Cornette to do the detail work.

 

 

WWE cant seem to pay off angles but what is it about Punk where his angles start so awesome only to peter out even before the midway point.

[Loss]

On a positive note, the scripting of the lines themselves is really good at the moment. "What is this, Career Day?" I really liked. And it will get old, but all the impersonations are fun for now -- Punk doing his HHH voice, Cena doing his John Laurinitis voice, etc.

 

I credit the soap opera writers for that.

 

And yeah, the overall vision has some problems. HHH still acts too much like a wrestler, and not in a Walking Tall Bill Watts kind of way. He needs a ... milder theme song that is more fitting for a guy in a suit who isn't supposed to get physically involved. Right now, there's a disconnect.

[Loss]

Also, LOL at Cena's logic. Punk beat him so he's the champ and Cena thought he was about get stripped of his title. Does that mean that because he beat HHH at WM 22 he can strip him of his COO title? What???

[Matt D]

They should give him the My Time theme again.

[cm funk]

I did like the, "I'm not Hunter now John, I'm your boss." line, foreshadowing the inevitable "Mr. Helmsley" character

[sek69]

My favorite moment was when HHH's theme interrupted Punk's promo, to which he responded "apparently it's time to play the game" as deadpan as possible.

[Log]

Also, LOL at Cena's logic. Punk beat him so he's the champ and Cena thought he was about get stripped of his title. Does that mean that because he beat HHH at WM 22 he can strip him of his COO title? What???

Cena was uncharacteristically whiney in that final segment. That struck me as a little strange.

[MikeCampbell]

I hate that they're putting Laurinaitis on TV, but at least he's not being used in any real capacity. I got a kick out of him introducing himself and explaining his job, and then HHH just butts in with "What is this, career day?"

[Boondocks Kernoodle]

Is it a bad sign that Cena got heavily cheered over Punk last night? I know that's to be expected, because Punk never really made a face turn, but I still got Royal Rumble '94 flashbacks. I could imagine people backstage watching that and thinking, "see, he's not that over." If the same thing happens next week, I expect Cena to win at Summerslam.