CM Punk or Chris Jericho?

[THEpapachamp]

Very simple question, If the ICW had to pick one WWE Superstar to see on WWE Television who would it be?

CM Punk or Chris Jericho?

and why?

 

[TheCanadianBadassJB]

this is tough...but i will say Punk. simply because he has possibly caused more of a stir in the wrestling buisness right now than Y2J ever did

Don't get me wrong, Jericho is great. he's a phenom on the mic, a phenom in the ring, and a true staple in WWE programing over the years. However, has he really ever had that groundbreaking moment where he has completely changed the landscape of the WWE? i can't recall one. not even the undisputed championship win, in my mind, was as impactful as Punk in recent weeks. Punk is on the verge of becoming the next Austin (not quite, but close) he is the next controversial, ground-breaking, anti authority impact player. in the case that punk does resign, i can see him making it his duty to embarrass VKM at any chance he gets, controling and manipulating him in a way that austin would.

Jerchio has been that steady stream of light in the WWE, but Punk is setting off fireworks right now, and those fireworks are what the people remember.

Final answer: CM Punk

 

[Minnesota Connection]

It's all relative.

CM Punk would get today's fans vote where as Jericho's career they only caught the tail end of.

Jericho has won more titles, stayed more consistent and was more dependable then CM Punk. Jericho has done more for the business...

To debunk the "CM Punk caused more stir then Y2J" bogus statement, I would like to remind everyone how he debuted in WWE with dueling microphones with The Rock.

CM Punk is to new to be comparing with a veteran like Y2J. Even though there is great potential... Y2J is clearly the choice.

 

[strike2216]

CM Punk's career is not even close to being as successful as Jericho's. Jericho is in the top 5 all time on the mic and could stand toe to toe with anyone on the stick. CM Punk will NEVER be that good on the stick. In the ring there aren't too many wrestlers that can put on a match as good as Jericho. In Today's WWE, there probably aren't any. MAYBE Bryan Danielson. Jericho also has the ability to play many different types of characters where as it seems as though CM Punk is a one trick pony. Therefore I believe Jericho is more valuable as an overall career and today. If Jericho came back today and VKM had to chose one or the other he'd choose Jericho EVERY time.

 

[H33LTurn]

The IWC would say Punk because they want to see where the whole "Anti-WWE" storyline will go next. They're certainly digging the whole vigilante gimmick that Punk has taken up and since hes doing something thats never been done before he pretty much has the IWC in the palm of his hand.

That being said my choice would be Jericho. Jericho is a genious, and hes been doing the cocky smart narcissistic a-hole before Punk or Miz. Jericho would only come back if he had a different gimmick, so I would love to see what he comes up with next. I would also like to see how he would put an end to his career (probably a career vs career match against Taker at Mania).

 

[TheCanadianBadassJB]

It's all relative.

CM Punk would get today's fans vote where as Jericho's career they only caught the tail end of.

Jericho has won more titles, stayed more consistent and was more dependable then CM Punk. Jericho has done more for the business...

To debunk the "CM Punk caused more stir then Y2J" bogus statement, I would like to remind everyone how he debuted in WWE with dueling microphones with The Rock.

CM Punk is to new to be comparing with a veteran like Y2J. Even though there is great potential... Y2J is clearly the choice.

i didn't start watching wrestling until 2005, so i didn't see Y2J's debut first hand. i've seen it on youtube, but it just didn't feel as impactful as you say it did. i guess i would of had to watch it live to really feel the impact.

i've only been around for about half of Jericho's WWE career, and all of Punk's. during the time i've been watching, Punk has done just as much, if not more, than Jericho has in the same time frame. I realized my opinion is biased if based on this, but i still gotta go with punk.

 

[Terminal Sledgehammer]

CM Punk because I am still used to him on my TV. Jericho is my favorite wrestler but I've gotten used to him not being on WWE TV so I gotta go with Punk. If this thread was in a few months and Punk had left it'd probally be a different answer

 

[stuck2001]

Jericho. He really is the best in the world at what he does. CM Punk has had a watershed moment, but he hasn't shown that he can run with it after the fact. Will we all still be talking about CM Punk in 6 months? Who knows. Maybe so, maybe not. We know Jericho can take the ball and run with it, and can carry a brand for months at a time. As everyone has said, his mic work is ridiculous, his ring work is impeccable, and he's an ambassador for the WWE to the main stream audience. Punk is great, he's the best thing on TV right now, but Jericho was the best thing on TV for years, and I really hope he has a few more years left in him.

 

[Hazardous]

Better on the Mic? Jericho
In ring? Jericho
Entertainer? Jericho
Story teller? Jericho.

Can you guess who my pick is here? I mean, Punk has been around for 5 years, and only now at the end of his WWE run to people jump on his bandwagon.

 

[kcordloh]

I would go with Jericho, I saw almost his entire WWE run and that "Jericho WWF Title win, never happened" moment was just amazing.

Don't get me wrong, Punk's last few weeks have been beyond words, and I dig listening to it and watching and being entertained. I side with Jericho though.

 

[Da Truth]

I'm not gonna be a prisoner of the moment; I lot of us would say Punk because that's who we see right now. Objectively, I would have to say Jericho. He just has a way of getting to the crowd on the mic. He can be the heel without the crowd cheering for him in agreement like Punk. Both guys are very solid in the ring, but jericho just demands a certain amount of respect from his peers. Plus Jericho can boost ratings to a certain extent, the jury is still out on Punk in that aspect. I like them both; I would love to see a feud between those two.

 

[THE AWESOME MIZFIT]

i would have to go with cm punk. he is a personal favorite of mine. although they both have a lot of similarities. they both wrestled all over the world before coming to the wwe. they both have similar mic skills. they both have the talent to be loved one minute and hated the next. they also have similar wrestling abilities. dont get me wrong though i love jericho. jericho is in my eyes they greatest wrestler in history but i would still prefer punk.

 

[iamcountrymusic]

Its a tough decision for me but just because they have similar amazing ability yet have a lot different. But I like Punk more. I ilike how Punk is a "wrestler" but not how Jericho calls himself "an entertainer". Jericho can pull off being face better than Punk. Punk is just too amazing as a heel to turn him more than a tweener. I feel he could be the next stone cold. The badass attitude opposed to Jericho being looking like a pretty boy rocker.
I feel they are 2 of the best of all time and influences of mine but I am a fan of Punk more.

 

[KerryForrest]

Jericho was great as a young brash heel with Ralpus at his side. Jericho was great when he made the jump. He has great versatility, can wrestle any tempo, big guys and small guys, and doesn't give up his offense in either case.

Then he gets on the mic and cuts a promo that leaves you either shocked, stunned, rolling on the floor laughing, or wanting to jump him yourself. Often all at the same time.

Punk just doesn't do it for me. Sure the storyline is sort of interesting, and what he says is shocking at first blush, but then you realize it all had to be vetted. And then you realize there is no way they push a guy like this if he's not coming back. Then you realize that means you will have to watch him do something on TV every week. And you wish you connected with him somehow to make it bearable.

I wish Y2J was back, I wish Punk was really leaving

 

[THE SWAG]

i am leaning towards jericho right now because he has been around longer, but you can't compare right now you would have to do it, when they both put the same amount of years. we would have to wait for punk to put in the amount of years he put in. plus jericho had benoit, guerrero, dean, rey, and hhh, hbk, to thank for his careers. punk is still working on his legendary status, by the time it is all said and done, he will be right up there

 

[KerryForrest]

Is that what I'm missing. Everyone is so desperate for the next Stone Cold, they turn to Punk praying he'll deliver? I don't see it. Stone Cold was special, he had that quality that made you like him when he did bad things you wish you could do.

I'm just not going to buy a bad boy living the straight edge picking up that mantle, no matter how much you desire it. And if Punk was going to be the next SCSA, wouldn't he have done it already? Why would it take a threat to leave to get him to the next level?

 

[Magma101]

Obviously Jericho. Y2J is the best wrestler there is today. He's in that top-tier group and with Bryan Danielson and Kurt Angle. Punk is nowhere near as good as Jericho on the mic. These past few weeks, however, Punk is greatly improving on the mic, almost matching Jericho. I'd have to go with Jericho.

 

[d_henderson1810]

i didn't start watching wrestling until 2005, so i didn't see Y2J's debut first hand. i've seen it on youtube, but it just didn't feel as impactful as you say it did. i guess i would of had to watch it live to really feel the impact.

i've only been around for about half of Jericho's WWE career, and all of Punk's. during the time i've been watching, Punk has done just as much, if not more, than Jericho has in the same time frame. I realized my opinion is biased if based on this, but i still gotta go with punk.

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If you didn't see Jericho's WWF debut appearance at the time, you really m issed something. You saw it on Youtube, which wouldn't do it justice. You see, when it happened, it was back in 1999. There was no internet, or spoilers, to alert you beforehand it was going to happen. For weeks, they had this clock, as they went to ads on "Raw" saying "Countdown To Y2J". I suspect most people were like me, and never suspected it meant Chris Jericho. Sure, rumours were going around that Chris Jericho from WCW had signed with WWE, but that is all they seemed at the time, rumours.

You have to understand, that this was during the middle of a Rock promo. Firstly, that indicates how much faith WWE had in him, to have him interrupt one of the main guys in the company. The Rock was talking, when the clock appeared on the Titantron. It then started counting down from ten to one. You could hear the crowd wondering what it was all about. Then when the word "JERICHO" appeared on screen, and everyone knew who it was, there was a pop like few I have ever heard on "Raw". What followed was a great tate-r-tate between two of the greatest stick-men in WWE history.

Also, Jericho is more adaptable. He played a comical face, and got over with his long hair and sparkling pants. He played a petulant heel. Then he also played a serious, dark heel, who cut his hair, wore a suit, and called everyone "galatinous tapeworms". He slugged HBK's wife in a memorable promo at "Summerslam", and had, with HBK, the best feud (promo and ringwork-wise) on "Raw" since the Attitude Era IMO. So, my pick is Jericho.

 

[The Future Rises]

Well lets face it, Chris Jericho isn't in his prime anymore, he isn't in the best shape of his life, and I personally would rather watch Punk over him cause Punk is in better shape and because Punk is in the prime of his life, besides lately we have seen a new side of CM Punk, he already became one of the most memorable names in WWE history by cutting one promo, why would I want to stop there? So I personally would prefer CM Punk over him at this stage of their careers.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Is that what I'm missing. Everyone is so desperate for the next Stone Cold, they turn to Punk praying he'll deliver? I don't see it. Stone Cold was special, he had that quality that made you like him when he did bad things you wish you could do.

I'm just not going to buy a bad boy living the straight edge picking up that mantle, no matter how much you desire it. And if Punk was going to be the next SCSA, wouldn't he have done it already? Why would it take a threat to leave to get him to the next level?

I agree with this. It seems like people and the WWE are trying to find the next Stone Cold its almost falling flat on their faces. This is not just for CM Punk but Randy Orton. Who seems to have been given traits of Austin but Orton lacks the natural charisma to carry that persona.

Even John Cena (yes JOHN CENA!!!) was initially made to be come the next Austin. If you look at his 2004 to 2006 run you could see booking trying to make him the next Austin. From him being a face despite cheating (his feud against the Big Show), him doing FU's on Benoit and Teddy Long on Smackdown, and his feud with an authority figure (Eric Bishoff). Suffice to say it was a complete failure which is why the WWE has patterned Cena over Hogan as opposed to Austin.

For Punk he's not the next Austin but if Austin was in his prime today or if Punk arrived at 1998, Punk would probably be the greatest heel in the WWE. Punk's character is so seething with his straight edge personality persona he would have been the perfect arch nemisis of Austin back in the day.

While McMahon hating Austin with him drinking beer and raising hell was considered fun and amusing, Punk would have turned it into something psychological and demented; it probably would have went to ECW like insanity taking it to the "extreme" personal level.

If this happened then Punk would have been the greatest heel even in the WWE. However without compelling faces to create compelling feuds most of Punk's rivalries do come a bit empty with some exceptions (like his feud with Jeff Hardy).

If you didn't see Jericho's WWF debut appearance at the time, you really m issed something. You saw it on Youtube, which wouldn't do it justice. You see, when it happened, it was back in 1999. There was no internet, or spoilers, to alert you beforehand it was going to happen. For weeks, they had this clock, as they went to ads on "Raw" saying "Countdown To Y2J". I suspect most people were like me, and never suspected it meant Chris Jericho. Sure, rumours were going around that Chris Jericho from WCW had signed with WWE, but that is all they seemed at the time, rumours.

You have to understand, that this was during the middle of a Rock promo. Firstly, that indicates how much faith WWE had in him, to have him interrupt one of the main guys in the company. The Rock was talking, when the clock appeared on the Titantron. It then started counting down from ten to one. You could hear the crowd wondering what it was all about. Then when the word "JERICHO" appeared on screen, and everyone knew who it was, there was a pop like few I have ever heard on "Raw". What followed was a great tate-r-tate between two of the greatest stick-men in WWE history.

Also the pop was something not seen for a guy who was never in the WWF to make his debut. It was a loud pop and imagine this was a crowd of diehard WWE fans but they KNEW who Chris Jericho was despite being part of the competition.

This was symbolic for me and the first time I realized that WCW was f***ed. Jericho was a guy who was barley used in WCW normally in the cruiserweight division and having throw away lower card feuds with guys like Perry Saturn. Considering being held back in WCW ... once his name appeared in the Titantron the crowd went "Insane".

This meant two things (1) people who weren't WCW fans knew who Chris Jericho was ... imagine if he was a headliner in WCW, how many people would have tuned in to Nitro over Raw if eventually if they just invested in him and (2) This was truly the point of no return of WCW, with that debut of Jericho and the pop he got and him being a focal point of the Attitude Era ever since, WCW made the biggest f*** up ever by letting this guy go. This was even bigger than The Big Show or X-Pac's defection to WWE, as it showed from day 1 Jericho is destined for Superstardom.

If I had to choose between the two then I'd pick Jericho because of reasons stated above and more so.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm a big fan of both of them and have been for a long time.

Right now, CM Punk is about as hot as anybody can possibly get and I think it's perfectly natural for people to sort of go overboard a bit with what's happening. Punk is causing a huge stir right now and he's FINALLY had that career breakthrough moment that's put him on the next level. I just hope he does wind up staying with WWE. Punk has always been a high quality wrestler in my opinion and is really someone that I think, without a doubt, has been ready to be a long term main event player for a couple of years now.

Chris Jericho is one of those extremely rare wrestlers that is able to apply high quality to everything he does and to whatever angle or storyline he's involved in. For over a decade, Chris Jericho was arguably the best overall wrestler on the WWE roster. He had the charisma, the mic skills, the in-ring talent and the ability to make anyone look good. Even if Jericho lost and no matter how often he did lose, he shined like a brand new penny.

In the end, I think I'm going with CM Punk. As I said, CM Punk has only just now finally broken through to the next level and it's causing a huge stir. CM Punk is still in his early 30s and potentially has a long and brilliant career ahead of him as a main eventer. Chris Jericho is still great in my view, maybe as good as he's ever been, but Jericho is at a point in his life and career where he doesn't need WWE or wrestling in general. He's got all these other things going on like touring with his band, appearing on tv shows, etc. and that's great. Jericho is officially in his 40s and while he's in great shape and has managed to avoid serious injury, maybe he should just hang it up while he's ahead. I'd love to see him come back, don't get me wrong there, but it just seems that there's so much more for CM Punk to potentially do and accomplish at this point than there is for Chris Jericho.

 

[Mustang Sally]

The IWC would say Punk because they want to see where the whole "Anti-WWE" storyline will go next.

Yes, that's a valid point. The thing is, it's strictly a short-term effect and the company can't keep it going forever. In many ways, Punk is a one-trick pony; he's got this "Take this job and shove it" program and he's running with it. That many of us suspect it's based on his real feelings adds a "Matt-Lita-Edge" reality feel to the angle that's irresistible. Right now, we're anxious to see how it winds up.

Over the long term, though, there's no one I would rather see than Chris Jericho. The guy re-invents himself as he goes along; his flexibility of character gives you the feeling you'll never know what's coming next until it gets here. He can go it alone or work with others. He can be a monster face or a monster heel. He can talk, he can emote.....and he sure as hell can wrestle. He's a complete package, good for the long run and guaranteed not to tarnish.

But it's that wrestling ability that sets Jericho apart from Punk. No one performs better in the ring and that's reason I'd rather have Jericho back than Punk.

 

[jai151]

Just like everyone else who's been watching at least since his debut, I gotta choose Jericho.

Punk's got all the tools, don't get me wrong, and I want to continue to see him on TV. Jericho, though, will always be my pick, just like I believe he will be to all fans of his generation.

And that's what you'll see happen in this thread. People who watched Jericho will pick Jericho, people who haven't been around as long will pick Punk. Jericho just isn't old enough to have the "classic" appeal so fans who have seen only part of his career retroactively inflate talent and worth of the unseen rest while Punk is currently on TV, so the new guys pick what they're familiar with.

 

[Miz_Mark]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you didn't see Jericho's WWF debut appearance at the time, you really m issed something. You saw it on Youtube, which wouldn't do it justice. You see, when it happened, it was back in 1999. There was no internet, or spoilers, to alert you beforehand it was going to happen. For weeks, they had this clock, as they went to ads on "Raw" saying "Countdown To Y2J". I suspect most people were like me, and never suspected it meant Chris Jericho.

Dude... it was ALL OVER the internet that the countdown was for Jericho. You may not have been aware of it at the time, but there was a vibrant IWC thriving, and it was well known the countdown was for Jericho. And that definitely reached the mainstream crowd at the time. Remember, there were dozens and dozens of Jericho signs all over the arena that night. Yes, there were a handful of Jericho signs on WWE on any given show previously, but nowhere near that volume. A very significant percentage of the fanbase knew full well it was Jericho's debut.

That being said, it was truly one of the most epic debuts of all time. Excellently executed, to still a phrase from the Hitman.

Having seen both live, in terms of immediate impact, it's close between Jericho's debut and Punk's "shoot." Jericho's probably put more of a smile on my face, but was nowhere near as stunning as Punk's. I think ranking the 2 moments will only really be possible over time. Remember, as amazing as Jericho's intro was, he quickly fizzled. No insult to Jericho, he is one of my favorites of all time, but he fell victim to the Jericho Curse of taking time to adjust to a new environment, and also his booking was not the best ever. Will Punk's amazing angle fizzle as well, or will it lead to greater things? The jury is still out.


As for Punk or Jericho... I honestly don't know if I can decide. Jericho is one of my all time favorites, but CM Punk has been one of the best things on TV since his heel turn, and is currently absolutely on fire. There are other factors in play, too. Are we talking a 1 time choice or going on into the future? Jericho is going to be a more sporadic attraction as he focuses on his other endeavors, and has fewer years left in his career, making Punk a potentially more attractive long term bet... I think I'm going to cop out and say both as the new 2 Man Power Trip.

 

[Yesiamaduck]

The thing I've noticed recently is that I don't actually miss Jericho all that much, sure about 6 or 7 years ago I would of but nowa days I think I've seen him so much that unless the is a drastic turn in character I won't ever feel that emotionally invested in Jericho again. I 'm sure he would still put on a couple of very good matches and I wouldn't mind to see him back but I don't find myself begging that one day Jericho returns, CM Punk may not have had as many moments in the WWE as Jericho as of yet but in this present day and time I will take him over Jericho any day, his character recently has been on fire and I don't think as it is Jericho could read these heights & Punk could be one the future faces of the company, I'm far more interested in where CM Punk career takes him then Jerichos at this current moment in time and that's why I choose Punk.