The WWE Champions Video: A Thaw In Relations?

[THTRobtaylor]

WWE.Com recently posted a video celebrating 50 WWE Champions, with Jinder being the 50th guy to lift it (not sure if that's an honour or not) and featuring all their WWE Champs...

Yes... ALL including acknowledging/showing CM Punk for the first time in nearly 5 years on a new piece of WWE footage. Until that point he has been very much "persona non grata", chants for him have been met with derision by Steph and others and basically he's been "deleted" much as Benoit.

Of course they'd be slated if they'd not included him, so it could just be a grin and bear it moment... BUT...

With ratings in the toilet and no more "legends" to draw on... could it be that there is finally a thawing in relations between Punk and WWE? Or perhaps this video is a signal that WWE wants to end the feud?

Let's face it, right now there is a lot of upside from WWE's perspective in mending bridges. Even rumors of a return would spike ratings, as people would watch to see "if it happens" and the Hardyz return has proven that these things can happen at relatively short notice and get a big reaction.

With McGregor v Mayweather upcoming, getting Punk back in some form would help WWE cash in on that...assuming as we all expect that Connor loses, then Punk could be a way to get him into WWE for a match.

From UFC's perspective, Punk is clearly an expensive mistake and the longer we go until his "second fight" the less likely it becomes. There has even been talk of using him as an announcer... if that's the case then they're better just cutting his deal.

Of course Punk himself has a lot of issues with WWE that need resolving.

The lawsuit situation needs sorting, in a way that he doesn't look bad nor throws Chris Annan under the bus. A settlement makes sense for both parties but someone has to "make the move". Punk would also want a sweetheart deal to return, even for just one match... in reality, he'd want it contractually obligated that he gets his Mania main event/close the show match.

WWE would likely have to do some asskissing... particularly to AJ, who arguably got the short end of the stick in the whole situation and her wedding day messed with to boot.

Most importantly, Punk would need to be given that live mic again to vent...without filter which would be a risk... if he was allowed freedom and an NWO/Austin style gimmick where he is at odds with the company, that might appeal enough to want to give it one more run.

Of course it's "just a video" but for the first time in years, CM Punk is "in the conversation" when it comes to new WWE material.

WWE clearly needs SOMETHING to boost them as they are in real danger for the first time of ratings dropping below the 2.5m mark for both shows. Once that happens, there's no way back for the company... no magic bullet they can use to get it back up.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Yah, it's just a video. He frequently appears on the website in photo collections. Appearing in a video doesn't mean a thing.

He'll come back one day. They all do. And he'll be what he complained about.

 

[dalenichol]

Honestly, I think you're over thinking it.

It was a video package highlighting the 50 WWE Champions, there would be no point in leaving him out of that, it would make absolutely no sense and would drum up some negative press.

The lawsuit is still ongoing, CM Punk is under contract with UFC and seems to have no interest in coming back. WWE aren't going to do any ass kissing to get him back, no do I think they're overly interested at this point, I think Conor McGregor is probably much higher up their list at this point in time.

If Punk comes back, he comes back. Whilst it's an interesting proposition, I don't think it's going to have the explosive, revolutionary impact that people think it would.

 

[d_henderson1810]

WWE.Com recently posted a video celebrating 50 WWE Champions, with Jinder being the 50th guy to lift it (not sure if that's an honour or not) and featuring all their WWE Champs...

Yes... ALL including acknowledging/showing CM Punk for the first time in nearly 5 years on a new piece of WWE footage. Until that point he has been very much "persona non grata", chants for him have been met with derision by Steph and others and basically he's been "deleted" much as Benoit.

Of course they'd be slated if they'd not included him, so it could just be a grin and bear it moment... BUT...

With ratings in the toilet and no more "legends" to draw on... could it be that there is finally a thawing in relations between Punk and WWE? Or perhaps this video is a signal that WWE wants to end the feud?

Let's face it, right now there is a lot of upside from WWE's perspective in mending bridges. Even rumors of a return would spike ratings, as people would watch to see "if it happens" and the Hardyz return has proven that these things can happen at relatively short notice and get a big reaction.

With McGregor v Mayweather upcoming, getting Punk back in some form would help WWE cash in on that...assuming as we all expect that Connor loses, then Punk could be a way to get him into WWE for a match.

From UFC's perspective, Punk is clearly an expensive mistake and the longer we go until his "second fight" the less likely it becomes. There has even been talk of using him as an announcer... if that's the case then they're better just cutting his deal.

Of course Punk himself has a lot of issues with WWE that need resolving.

The lawsuit situation needs sorting, in a way that he doesn't look bad nor throws Chris Annan under the bus. A settlement makes sense for both parties but someone has to "make the move". Punk would also want a sweetheart deal to return, even for just one match... in reality, he'd want it contractually obligated that he gets his Mania main event/close the show match.

WWE would likely have to do some asskissing... particularly to AJ, who arguably got the short end of the stick in the whole situation and her wedding day messed with to boot.

Most importantly, Punk would need to be given that live mic again to vent...without filter which would be a risk... if he was allowed freedom and an NWO/Austin style gimmick where he is at odds with the company, that might appeal enough to want to give it one more run.

Of course it's "just a video" but for the first time in years, CM Punk is "in the conversation" when it comes to new WWE material.

WWE clearly needs SOMETHING to boost them as they are in real danger for the first time of ratings dropping below the 2.5m mark for both shows. Once that happens, there's no way back for the company... no magic bullet they can use to get it back up.

"Ratings dropping below 2.5m mark for both shows. Once that happens, there's no way back for the company".

Oh boy, here we go again. The ratings are down so WWE is doomed.

Heard it before, will hear it again, even bought the T-Shirt.

You really think that if WWE drop below 2.5m on both shows, there is no way back.

Guess what? WWE has been in worse spots before. In 1993-97, the shows were worse than this, and RAW lost 83 weeks to WCW Nitro. Guess what, the Attitude Era happened, and turned things around. That was a magic bullet.

WWE has turned around slumps before, and they will do it again. They always do. Ratings don't mean as much now, with people streaming and using their devices to watch shows rather than on TV. As long as the advertisers and TV stations are happy (and RAW and SD Live are still amongst the highest-rating shows on their network) then it will continue.

I also laugh that you think that C.M. Punk is the answer to all the WWE's ills. Stop being such a mark!

 

[The Perfect Max]

I highly doubt it. CM Punk has been featured in so many video packages and editorials on WWE.com and other related outlets and so it seems that WWE are just accepting the fact that Punk did make somewhat of an impact (varying depending on your view) during his tenure, particularly on top.

As for the ratings issue, I'm sure that Punk has SOME drawing power, but I'm almost ready to guarantee that John Cena's upcoming return won't make any difference, and neither would Punk's. The ratings are in the toilet for a whole bunch of reasons beyond the issues in creative and booking. But Punk's return, like Cena's, Lesnar's recent return, Goldberg's last year, and most others to come and go the last few years, would change nothing. I can't see any real evidence to the contrary right now. People consume their media in different ways, and wrestling isn't at it's peak like it was years ago. That's natural. If Punk ever returns, nothing changes. People will just get excited for a few weeks. And I would like to think that WWE knows this. Therefore, no thawing. Most likely.

 

[Wildcat66]

No man, no. This isn't leading to anything. If there's one thing WWE knows more than anyone else, it's their history. And whether they like it or not, eventually history comes back to them. Chris Benoit's finally being mentioned in WWE Network after all these years, Hulk Hogan is slowly and surely finding his way back into WWE, this is another one of these 'history coming back' moments.

As for the ratings, i'm not going to be the person that tells Nielsen what to do, but at some point; they're probably going to start factoring in the people that watch the shows via the internet. The way people consume media has been changing for quite a long time, and really; there are other factors that play in that have nothing to do with creative or booking. It's possible wrestling is entering in it's own little niche and heading it's way out of pop culture. Which, yeah; it sucks. But that's how evolution works, you lose some things from your past, you gain new things in turn.

 

[Navi]

WWE.Com recently posted a video celebrating 50 WWE Champions, with Jinder being the 50th guy to lift it (not sure if that's an honour or not) and featuring all their WWE Champs...

Yes... ALL including acknowledging/showing CM Punk for the first time in nearly 5 years on a new piece of WWE footage.

I would have been more of a story if he had been excluded to be honest. I think it is wishful thinking on your part having Punk come back. Even though Vince said on the Austin podcast, he hoped that maybe one day things could be different, as long as HHH is around it won't happen.

Punk isn't going back to UFC, Dana White has already said Punk will not have another fight. Also add that to the fact that Punk apparently doesn't need the money or the attention anymore. The guy seems to be quite happy with his life after wrestling.

Maybe one day a long way down the road, we might see Punk step into a WWE ring again, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[d_henderson1810]

I would have been more of a story if he had been excluded to be honest. I think it is wishful thinking on your part having Punk come back. Even though Vince said on the Austin podcast, he hoped that maybe one day things could be different, as long as HHH is around it won't happen.

Punk isn't going back to UFC, Dana White has already said Punk will not have another fight. Also add that to the fact that Punk apparently doesn't need the money or the attention anymore. The guy seems to be quite happy with his life after wrestling.

Maybe one day a long way down the road, we might see Punk step into a WWE ring again, but I'm not holding my breath.

Good thing that it wasn't the history of the last 50 World Champions, or they would have to revise history again and leave out Chris Benoit, and skip over that reign (even though it happened).

(Pretending Chris Benoit's achievements BEFORE he supposedly killed people, when there was no way of WWE knowing that Benoit would do that, somehow endorses said murders is akin to not doing documentaries on Hitler because some advertiser for the show may think it means that they endorse the Holocaust).

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Well, Cass supposedly had a lump of a baseball ball on his back. If they are not afraid to use that it means they are still sour over Punk. So dont think they will "bury the hatchet" anytime soon. Maybe it would be different if his career in UFC kicked in. Then if he decided to get back(and Punk is very heavy and stubborn man so dont think it will happen either way) then he could have leverage. But now he is just a joke in second grade storyline in WWE.