[2000-09-01-MAW] CM Punk vs Bobby Bambino

[soup23]

As CM Punk’s hair gets longer, we are seeing the evolution that would translate into one of the biggest indie stars on the US within a couple of years. He gives a biting promo before the match that shows he can be quick witted with all the quips from the audience. Bobby Bambino isn’t great but not awful and they have a good match that was engraved with fundamentals. Punk feeds himself into Bobby when needed and also leads the match when needed. Punk gets on the microphone mid match in one of his favorite staples over the years. One of the bigger spots of the match is Punk delivering a That’s Incredible to Bobby. Punk climbs to the top but wastes time jawing with fans and flicking them off. Finish was nicely done as Punk capitalizes on a dive from Bobby that misses and rolls him up for the quick pin. A lot is made of how sloppy Punk is before his WWE run. Now he isn’t Jon Cortex out there but I do think he has better fundamentals and understanding along with better execution than you might have been told especially at this point in his career. *** (5.9)

[Migs]

The promo is starting to get a lot closer to what would become his standard later on. Pretty impressive that he's come this far in the little bit of time we've covered in this project. Bobby Bambino looks very indy in his long jorts, lack of upper body mass and total paleness. What works here is that Bambino is so small that he makes Punk look big, which works nicely for him to play heel. Love Punk's bump off the post and into the crowd. Bambino is pretty generic, but Punk does a really nice job of working with him. The That's Incredible is a great spot. I like the bit of gaga in the finish, and the way Punk cheats to win.

[AstroBoy]

This was proficient and fine but lacking in any kind of strong substance to really make it interesting. Punk is a good heel and does a nice job of utilizing little cutoff moments and selling well but this kind of starts with a whimper of a transition from shine to heat and from there is just kind of goes without becoming anything whole. Sloppiness is not a huge deal in many ways but you get the sense that maybe Punk's mind is ahead of what he can actually put together coherently in the ring at this point. Best part of this is the ref getting bumped and then Punk just casually and unceremoniously dropping Bambino onto the mat. Good simple heel finish.

 

*3/4

[Tim Evans]

Punk keeps getting more confident as a heel and it shows during this match. Between the promo and the way he sells and bashes the fans, you can see the promise of what's to come. Bambino was alright but this was the punk show. The ref bump is a thing of beauty tho. Punk goes for a piledirver and hit the ref as he picks Bambino up with his feet. The ref sells it great. Reminded me of that famous ref/Bully Ray bump from TNA. 

[GSR]

Punk is doing the ‘Straight Edge’ gimmick here, telling everyone how the beer they’re drinking is poison and that it will rot their liver, give them cancer and put them in hospital.  He asks how many of them have promiscuous sex which leads him to seeing if there are any ‘rats’ or members of the “itty bitty tittie committee” in tonight.  As he goes on to say how he is better than all of them, he even gets in a zinger on someone who tries to heckle him.  Bambino has undergone a pretty drastic hair cut since we last saw him in that six person tag, looking unrecognisable.  He’s got some hard knife edge chops that he lays in on Punk after avoiding a cheap shot in the corner.  Not to be denied, Punk does get in a subsequent cheap shot when the ref is between them to break the collar and elbow, only to fail to connect on an elbow drop.  They work things around a side headlock until Punk takes Bambino down with a Sayama inspired drop toe hold, done at about a tenth of the speed mind!  Impressed at his handiwork he then lies across the top turnbuckle.  Punk throws Bambino through the ropes to the floor where Dave Prazak gets a couple of shots in.  Sunset flip back inside and even though Punk cuts Bambino off with a clothesline, a pair of dropkicks later sees him taking to the outside.  He gets hold of the house mic and tells everyone to shut up so that he can concentrate, otherwise he and “the manager of champions, the Sausage King of Chicago” will exit the building.  If he was expecting quiet after his request it never went to plan!  Punk stalls on returning to the ring eventually dragging Bambino out to the floor with him, although it’s Punk who ends up flying into the ring post and then onto the lap of a front rower.  Release German suplex by Bambino.  Punk reverses the tombstone piledriver and hits ‘That’s Incredible’ but takes his time climbing on climbing to the top turnbuckle, arguing with the fans, and misses the elbow drop.  Missile dropkick for a two.  Punk counters the quesadora, face planting Bambino to the mat, however as he picks him up for a piledriver the toe of Bambino’s boot pokes the ref in the eyes.  2000 is fast becoming the year of the unconvincing ref bump!  Prazak goes to clock Bambino with something but ends up accidentally nailing Punk, although does redeem thing for his man by stopping the count.  Punk avoids a flying Bambino who hot shots himself on the top rope and then hooks his shorts in making the cover for the win.

Definitely an interesting period in the development of CM Punk as it’s a clear start to the ‘Straight Edge’ character that would go on to define him.  I’d go as far to argue that he’s actually pretty good now in every aspect bar the wrestling itself.   It’s like he’s got the ideas, but not yet the experience to put everything together which is why his ring work looks so rough a lot of the time.