Last week on Raw, it took CM Punk nearly six and half minutes to change the way that the audience viewed the show on that particular episode. Fans and even ESPN analyst, Jim Rome took notice of what was not just another wrestling promo. It seems as though Punk said, not only what was on his mind, but also expressed the opinion of a lot of fans. Many people thought that Punk strayed from the script in a shoot promo, but while he probably did express his real life frustrations about the WWE, Punk still hyped the PPV and in the process, created a buzz around the title match, which translates into PPV buys for Vince McMahon. Sure, Punk spoke his mind, but if it was a shoot just to bury the WWE, I doubt Punk would have even mentioned the PPV. Did the WWE know what Punk was going to say before he picked up a live mic? Probably, but even if they didn’t know exactly what he was going to say, it’s not as if Punk didn’t try to sell the PPV while still speaking his mind about the WWE. Something that should be noted here, the promo was done extremely well because usually, shoot promos bury storylines, but the Punk promo really hyped the title match. Take a look at many of WCW’s “worked shoot” promos and how they made the company look like a joke so again, it’s a credit to CM Punk for creating a buzz around the match.
So, is Punk actually leaving the company? According to a statement released by a WWE official after Punk made some comments to an Australian fan, yes, Punk is legitimately leaving the company after the PPV. Another indication that Punk is leaving the WWE is the stipulation that was added to the match on Raw, John Cena would be “fired” if he doesn’t defeat CM Punk at the PPV. Considering that Cena was “fired” during the Nexus storyline, I doubt he will be “fired” again.
It’s been well known for years that wrestling is a show, but Punk’s promo could open the door for a new way to keep the fans guessing and that is, what is apart of the show and what isn’t? The formula applies to both internet fans and causal fans because while internet fans agreed with what Punk was saying, the causal fans took notice, even if they didn’t know who Colt Cabana is or about New Japan. They knew it was something different and just mentioning another wrestling company is something that the causal fans will notice, even if they don’t know about the shoot references.
It should be extremely interesting to see the conclusion of the feud and also the future of CM Punk as Ring of Honor is set to debut on broadcast TV in a few months and a former WWE champion on the show would definitely help the company.
Until next week
That’s My Story and I’m Sticking To It
Dr. Wrestling
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