June 27, 2011: Maxim's "Truth" About The Night CM Punk Changed Pro Wrestling

[D-Man]

The majority of readers seem to be pretty convinced that it was a work. Not that I can blame any of you; supposedly, ALL things that happen in professional wrestling are scripted these days, right?

I just want to add a citing from NoDQ.com in regards to the Punk rant:

Sources report that CM Punk’s entire promo at the end of RAW this week was improvised by Punk and not scripted. Nobody in the back knew what Punk was going to say until he said it live on RAW.

WWE officials told Punk to go out and say in his own words why he was leaving the company, why he wanted the WWE Title and why he wanted to leave with it in his possession. There was a discussion that when officials felt Punk was going too far, they would pull the plug on the segment and cut his mic.

It’s said that Punk was upset months ago when Triple H came back to feud with The Undertaker and while some of his comments on RAW towards Vince McMahon were well thought out to appear not as a shoot to the average viewer, most believe that Punk’s comments towards Triple H and John Laurinaitis were strictly a shoot.

Word also is that Punk had some notes for his speech jotted down on his wrist tape.

As far as his contract status, Punk’s deal apparently expires the second week of July but he signed an extension to work through Money in the Bank. Still with last night’s new storyline development, sources maintain that Punk is leaving at Money in the Bank.

The way I see it, (and this was portrayed in the documentary, Beyond the Mat, as the Rock cut his pre-match promo against Mankind back during Royal Rumble 1999,) the WWE gives their pro-wrestlers an idea of what they're going to be talking about during their promo. They cite specific points that they want their guys to hit in order to advertise what they're selling and to stay on-topic within the feud. The rest is up to the professional wrestler.

(Start at 1:34 to see what I mean)


Knowing this, how can everyone be so sure that the promo was 100% scripted? Who's to say that Punk used his direction as a technicality in order to speak his mind without repercussion? He knew his contract was up, at the time... (according to reports) he knew that it really didn't matter if he was fired or not... so why would it be so far-fetched if he used that moment as a platform to lay it all on the line?

 

[RicoLen]

Knowing this, how can everyone be so sure that the promo was 100% scripted?

That's kind of how it goes in wrestling, you're right. Wrestling ISN'T scripted, it's storyboarded. They're given talking points and events that will take place, all in order, and it's up to them to adlib and bring the storyboard to life. That still makes what is said a work rather than a shoot. A shoot is only an out of character discussion that isn't "scripted" (storyboarded).

so why would it be so far-fetched if he used that moment as a platform to lay it all on the line?

It's not, and that's part of what made the promo so great. No one really knows 100% for certain. However, it's pretty clear that the following week on Raw that CM Punk had signed a renewed contract, if not long before that, and they were just working the renewal into the story because the original contract ended and it sounded like it'd make for good TV to talk about it. By the following week on Raw Vince comes down and all but assures us that everything is under Vince's control and everything is going according to his plan.

 

[Martin Gabriel]

What can we say that hasn't been said before. This promo broke barriers with the mainstream media that pro. wrestling hasn't been able to break in years. ESPN personalities wanted Punk on their shows to continue his rant. In essence, they wanted Punk to help make WWE, and pro. wrestling as a whole, more of a joke than they already see it as. And this is something I've been wanting to get off my chest for a while.

CM Punk's promo, while good for business and us smarks to hear, really did nothing good for WWE or pro. wrestling. I believe the casual fan didn't understand one damn concept he was talking about. I believe the casual fan just saw a man rambling on stage about his position in the company and the one time they paid attention to him was right after he said "After Vince McMahon's dead" because it's taboo to speak about anybody's eventual death. CM Punk's promo was good, great, and grand... To us smarks. Because he was saying what we wanted to hear. But was the casual fan really listening? After Punk's promo, does the casual fan understand us smarks' views now?

What I'm waiting for, in wrestling, is for a feud to become so epic that every fan, casual or smark, becomes so emotionally-invested in it that they buy the PPV to see it, they empathize with the wrestler they're behind, and when the feud is over, they'll be talking about it for years to come. A feud that during and after gets media attention. Genuine media attention and not paid-for media attention. And the wrestling company didn't have to reveal one damn thing to the audience about the wrestling business to make it all happen.

But we don't live in those days anymore so I understand that a promo like CM Punk's is what we need nowadays. Because the internet has changed wrestling forever.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Punk LOVES to work people. He works anyone and everyone he can. I don't even honestly believe he believes a lot of what he says in his shoot. He's incredibly smart, he knows his audience and he knows what you guys think. there's a story he tells where he worked a former employer while he was still on the indies into thinking he had like a chemistry or biology degree or something.

Pro wrestlers also, in general, love to work people. Why do you think they rib each other so much? They don't just work the audience, they work each other, they work magazines, etc.

Even if most of the other wrestlers didn't know, the people who needed to know for this to happen knew about it. WWE worked Maxim. Punk and a handful of people momentarily worked everyone else.

Also, as Headman said, how did the promo really change anything? It was a way to get Punk over. They STILL used Cena to get Punk over and really cement him. Cena is STILL the measuring stick. The only thing that changed is that Punk is now a megastar, which is the goal of any push.

Another thing that has been said, there were two raws taped. In fact, a sports show I was listening to said "and so this guy does the best acting I've ever seen in pro wrestling but THEN.....it's time to tape next week, and you realize it was all bogus and fake". (Which is how most people saw it, this garbage about Punk being so talked about is lunacy, it wasn't that big of a deal)

 

[Brahma_Bull9]

I haven't followed wrestling in awhile but then I turned on USA the other night or whatever channel Raw is on during the boring MNF game and saw The Rock was on.... so I watched. I will watch wrestling no doubt if The Rock is on, so I'm going to continue paying attention here and there.

A few things I would like to say as an outsider, and take them for that. I could be wrong, I could be right. First of all, no one knew about this promo outside of the WWE. Really, I mean no one. I know who CM Punk is and if I hear the word shoot, I'm going to look it up youtube.... which is what I've been doing lol. Anyways, after watching it all... I don't think it was a shoot. I mean Vince is at the Raw when CM wants to negotiate a contract? I could be wrong but from the CM promo I saw it didn't look like this was something he said before he got the suspension. Secondly, look at how Vince did Brett Hart, who the hell is CM Punk. He would have just been sidelined his remaining three weeks before Vince would go ahead and let him leave with the Championship. All the things I'm seeing in it just leads me to believe it was all a setup. Again, I haven't watched in awhile but I feel like it isn't the first time I've seen someones mic cut off...

 

[rge2010]

I'm from the UK, I believe we are better judges than the Americans. We all knew Jerry Springer was staged...

The promo was a worked shoot. Plain and simple. It was a copy cat of Paul Heymans infamous and better worked shoot 10 years previous. As for changing pro wrestling - purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrlease.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I don't know if it was a work or not. THAT IS HOW IT SHOULD BE.

That's the point. I don't know that there's ever been an entertainment company that's kept their audience legitimately guessing as much as WWE. They are an acting troupe, albeit ones with athletic ability, who keep the show going no matter what. They perform live, without the luxury enjoyed by filmed productions of having the director yell "Cut!" if something goes wrong. Instead, they carry on with the show and when a wrestler suffers a real injury, we can't tell it from a kayfabe injury because it all looks the same on TV.

Now, C.M. Punk. Before he actually "resigned," I couldn't for the life of me decide how much of this was scripted, but a key to the notion that it was all planned came when he returned to the company after missing just one week of TV. Wasn't one of his big points that he needed an extended vacation? At that point, I figured Punk's emotions and feelings were probably real, but the whole scenario was discussed in advance with Vince McMahon and the Creative team.

My feeling is that McMahon simply wouldn't allow his employees to get away with blatant disrespect for his company; he simply wouldn't allow it to happen. In Punk's cross-legged speech, his mic would have been shut off the moment McMahon heard him significantly deviate from whatever the company had planned for the segment. Instead, it wasn't cut off until he had elaborated all his cogent points. It was part of the program and no one in management was caught by surprise. The performers backstage might have been unaware of what was planned, but Vince McMahon knew. Hence, the reaction from Beth Phoenix and the others was probably real.

Did Punk really have these negative feelings toward WWE? I suspect he did, but C.M. Punk himself isn't important enough to the company to be allowed to get away with what he did...... not without prior approval.

I'm enjoying what Punk is doing, with his "Voice of the Voiceless" routine. But it's just a routine; after all, how much have TV ratings changed since he "re-joined" the company and started his new era in wrestling? Face it, only the wrestling community is blown away by what he's done.......but he ain't no John Cena, and he never will be, not as an attraction.

 

[D-Man]

I'm from the UK, I believe we are better judges than the Americans. We all knew Jerry Springer was staged...

The promo was a worked shoot. Plain and simple. It was a copy cat of Paul Heymans infamous and better worked shoot 10 years previous. As for changing pro wrestling - purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrlease.

So, your reason behind this theory is that you're from the UK and can judge this better? Seriously? Next time, don't even both showing up.

This whole black and white way of thinking about angles in professional wrestling is laughable. Everyone is totally convinced that EVERYTHING is a work. If you read my posts, you'll realize that only part of it is a work. Wrestlers have a lot more control over their promos than all of you think. So you all make up terms like "worked shoot" in order to back up this claim. But isn't a "worked shoot" still a shoot?

 

[harrythem]

So, your reason behind this theory is that you're from the UK and can judge this better? Seriously? Next time, don't even both showing up.

Simon Cowell.. That is all! lol

Either way I think a lot of what Punk said was ad-libbed but I still think management knew he was going to ad-lib and let him run with it. There's no way it was a complete shoot as it's easy enough for WWE to cut his mike (which they did of course.) While there was some majorly cool points he made, there's no way they'd have made it onto the air if Vince wasn't okay with the whole thing.

Even knowing (now at least) it wasn't the complete shoot I hoped it was, it is still the most powerful shoot-style promo I've seen in wrestling since Paul Heyman's back in 2001 (and, to me, I still prefer that one).

 

[Headman]

Work, worked shoot... SAME THING! I keep seeing people try and out smart eachother, but it all boils down to the WWE told Punk to go out there and "Speak his mind" and they would cut his mic and fade to black at the exact moment a re-run of White Color was scheduled to air. I don't think anyone is saying the WWE wrote Punk's promo for him, but that doesn't make it a shoot. He said what he said to get the storyline over not to hurt the company. Hell, he didn't even come out of character because THAT is his character. As far as I know doing what you're told is not shooting, no matter how shocking said action turns out to be.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Good Lord, I hope this does not lead to completely unscripted promos. TNA is a company that prides itself on the fact that they do not script their performers' promos and as a result we have seen some horrible promos come out of their product even from the likes of Mick Foley, Ric Flair and Raven. And these three guys are legends of the business. The likes of Ken Anderson and D'Angelo Dinero are a more painful story.

Coming back to the point of the thread, no I do not believe Maxim is lying. The superstars did not know what Punk was supposed to say but I refuse to believe that it was unscripted. I think Vince more or less told Punk what NOT to mention like Benoit and TNA. It would be too much of a coincidence for Punk not to mention the biggest controversy to have come out of the WWE and its biggest competition presently. Also, note how John Cena makes a TNA reference just 3 weeks later when he threatens to quit WWE and join TNA. Vince would have known that two TNA references in such quick succession would not have had the same effect and Cena would have come off as a guy trying to copy Punk. I know that people do not think that Vince is that smart but I would not put such tricks beyond him.

Also it had to be a worked shoot. Why? Because, in all probability Punk does not feel that way about the WWE. He may have been upset with his treatment but he could not have possibly wished Vince's death on national TV. We know Punk is an intense guy, but he isn't mad. The material was Punk's, maybe even part of the feeling was but it had to be Vince's plan all along. Or at least a combination of Punk and Vince's minds.

 

[ABMorales787]

When Samoa Joe ranted at TNA and Scott Hall, people could tell it was real because everyone was visually upset. Their match was horrible no matter it's spun, but the off-timing through the match,the announcers were speechless and Eric Fucking Young was headlining a PPV in 2007. When he was a lowercard comedy guy. Simply put, the fact that everything was improvised was on full display that night. With Punk though, no. I loved the promo and all, but given how WWE has fallen victim to so many things and has given it's own share of lowblows in it's history that there is just no humanly possible way or reason to believe Punk just grabbed a mic, name dropped a ROH wrestler, mentioned the political aspect of WWE's backstage and everyone was powerless to stop him with all they could do is turn off the PA. The same company that had the balls to throw a match away and screw Calgary Alberta, Canada for life was powerless to send security to restrain CM Punk. Sorry, not buying it. Maybe the workers were left in the dark, but not the "offended" parties. If anything, the fact that Maxim Magazine bought it all as real shows us that one good plan to build one good feud.

 

[TheGamea]

This is the problem with professional wrestling; it's so hard to tell what's real and what's in 'WWE world'.

On one hand, for everyone to suddenly turn around and hug Punk because he went out there and said something he shouldn't have, then get a huge push from Vince as a result seems a bit farfetched. If iwas real, why would such an offensive (to the company) promo be allowed to go on for as long as it did? And wh would someone who went behind the companys back on national TV be praised and rewarded for it?

But, on the other hand, it made a fuckin' huge impact. As you said, we're still talking about it now, and it was ages ago. Maybe Punk did decide to just throw his cards down on the table and go all in. And maybe after Vince saw it, he thought of how to capitalize on it. I hope this is the case, I really do. Like you said, I cannot see a reason for a magazine to do a deal with WWE as to keep their kayfabe in check. If they asked Del Rio about if the promo was legit or worked, they're pretty much breaking the kayfabe wall in that question, so why continue under the pretense of false reality?

I doubt this is the opening for guys to give their own promos. At least, to fully give their own promos. Maybe once a guy is established, he will be given some leway on the stick (at least more than at the moment). But I doubt any more than that.

Gotta hand it to both Punk, for having the balls to say it either way, and potentially being the mastermind behind this new 'era', and the WWE, for either making something that seems so legit, or for turning a shoot into a compelling storyline and helping make a star out of Punk as a result.

I totally agree with you, I dont see in the wwe or any company where to do what the boss wants and you get a raise, I beilive part of the shoot was improvised part was "planned" and we will not know which and I like it that way...

 

[rge2010]

So, your reason behind this theory is that you're from the UK and can judge this better? Seriously? Next time, don't even both showing up.

This whole black and white way of thinking about angles in professional wrestling is laughable. Everyone is totally convinced that EVERYTHING is a work. If you read my posts, you'll realize that only part of it is a work. Wrestlers have a lot more control over their promos than all of you think. So you all make up terms like "worked shoot" in order to back up this claim. But isn't a "worked shoot" still a shoot?

Yes, because we arent over the top, dont believe everything we see and we aint as naive.

If you believe this was even a worked shoot then you are crazy. It was scripted to hell. He got the ok on everything he said. I dont even understand why the promo was so 'amazing'? He mentioned an idiot called Scotty Goldman who nobody cares, he mentioned Brock Lesnar (who is in a WWE game) and mentioned another wrestling organisation that Matt Hardy did exactly the same with in 2005. Oh, he called Triple H a 'douche' aswell....WOW!!!!

 

[ABMorales787]

The majority of readers seem to be pretty convinced that it was a work. Not that I can blame any of you; supposedly, ALL things that happen in professional wrestling are scripted these days, right?

I just want to add a citing from NoDQ.com in regards to the Punk rant:


The way I see it, (and this was portrayed in the documentary, Beyond the Mat, as the Rock cut his pre-match promo against Mankind back during Royal Rumble 1999,) the WWE gives their pro-wrestlers an idea of what they're going to be talking about during their promo. They cite specific points that they want their guys to hit in order to advertise what they're selling and to stay on-topic within the feud. The rest is up to the professional wrestler.

(Start at 1:34 to see what I mean)


Knowing this, how can everyone be so sure that the promo was 100% scripted? Who's to say that Punk used his direction as a technicality in order to speak his mind without repercussion? He knew his contract was up, at the time... (according to reports) he knew that it really didn't matter if he was fired or not... so why would it be so far-fetched if he used that moment as a platform to lay it all on the line?

See that's kinda the problem. He was given the full green light to do as he pleased. Whether it was a for of compensation for his work up to that point or to convince him to resign, it doesn't have the kind of impact of "holy shit he fully broke character" as moments like the Motreal Screwjob or Samoa Joe's 2007 shoot on Hall and TNA management. Yes, it was a spectacular promo at caliber of Austin 3:16, but that says more about who WWE places their confidence on rather than a change in norm in which the roster get's to go out and freely express themselves at all times as long as they are on context.

I'm not sure people's issues are that the promo was scripted. It certainly wasn't scripted. What most people say is that even though it was what most smart marks feel as well as wrestlers, it was still all part of the game of WWE storytelling. McMahon simply allowed Punk to vent his troubles for various possible reasons. Pushing the story, trying something new, convincing Punk to re-sign or even to pump up backstage moral. Nothing was wrong with the promo and there is no reason to derail it simply because there is belief it was scripted. It did it's job perfectly. But there is just no way to believe it was all Punk by himself for himself. In the end he still got the license to shoot.

 

[AngryCenaFan]

​

That video is titled "CM Punk's worked shoot promo". We all know that pro-wrestling is "fake", right? WWE has writers, wrestling veterans, agents, producers, and all sorts of other people whose jobs are to create a fantasy world that we all watch on television where men and women compete in a violent sport called professional wrestling. We also know that Vince has such a stranglehold on the product to the point where many wrestlers are unhappy with the fact that they have little to no control over how their characters act or have to be portrayed on television.

This past June, CM Punk came onto Monday Night Raw, grabbed a microphone, and started saying things that only internet smarks dream about hearing. He seemingly broke the business down to its bare bones, busted through the proverbial "fourth wall" and delivered a promo that will probably not be forgotten any time soon. He said harsh things about the McMahon family... about the WWE's way of portraying pro-wrestling on television... about the business as it is today. He pulled no punches. And we all sat back, allowed our jaws to hit the floor, listened to everything he had to say, agreed or disagreed with it, and even four months later we're still writing about it. Kudos to CM Punk but also to Vince and the writing team, right?

I know it's been speculation for quite some time as to how much of that promo was scripted and how much of it was ad-lib. Now what if I told you that Punk's promo wasn't scripted? What if I told you that he walked out into that crowd, got completely fed up with everything and decided to use live television as a platform for his brain to throw up for all of us to hear?

I just finished reading the November 2011 issue of Maxim Magazine that contained an article on CM Punk and had a major, focal point on the infamous Punk promo. In the article, a few wrestlers were quoted, cited, and gave their thoughts about Punk's promo. Alberto Del Rio was quoted saying:


In addition, the article explains how Punk and Beth Phoenix have been dating for the past year. Beth recalled the events that evening by saying:


Punk said that when the promo was finished (after his mic was cut and the show went off the air), he entered backstage through a side door, coming up behind the gathered wrestlers. They formed a circle around him. Punk said:


After that, instead of punishing him, Vince decided to push him and have him feud with Cena for the title... and the rest is history.

Maxim Magazine is a public magazine that prints their own articles and news. I see no real reason why they would be in any kind of agreement with the WWE to "stick to kayfabe" in their article on Punk. This being said, it really makes Punk's moment that much more memorable, meaningful, and heroic. If what Maxim says is true, CM Punk is solely responsible for this current "Reality Era" of professional wrestling. And now we get to sit back, relax, and see how much more of the curtain the WWE wants to pull back in order to keep their audience and continue to entertain us. Will they continue to control wrestlers' promos? Will they give them a platform to speak their own minds in the form of a promo? Only time will tell.

Am I an idiot or does this have some validity? Trust me... I'm not one to fall for the WWE's smoke and mirrors but you have to admit, this really makes you all think. What are everyone's thoughts on this?

wait wait wait? what fucking reality era?

WWE, is still the same old bullshit it's been for 5 years, Punk is the only relevant thing on that god damn roster because he "Gets it". Honestly do people care about much besides him in relation to WWE? I find myself changing the channel alot when he's not on, opening the "real" door, exposed the business for how fake alot of it is, so what was good for Punk, isn't good for the likes of Miz and Cena, who in comparison, look highly contrived.

Love Punk, but the overall product sucks

 

[H33LTurn]

I dont know, but I will say its highly unlikely that he just decided to walk out there and rant. He had someone's blessing, probably Vince's to do that, or else it simply wouldnt have made it on television. I could be horribly wrong because again, I'm the same guy who thinks it was a little too convenient for Bret Hart to be doing a documentary exactly when the most memorable part of his career happened, the screwjob. I dont hail Punk a hero or anything because when you have guys who've given blood, sweat and tears just to win a midcard title and Punk whilts in after a main event rivalry, complains that hes not getting properly used, and is handed the silver spoon it makes the WWE looks extremely greedy. But I dont blame WWE, if the fans want something that bad and Vince can make money out of it then Vince is going to do it. Its the fans who get incredibly behind something and then all the sudden when it gets old, but still makes a profit and therefore sticks around, the fans begin to nag about it constantly.

 

[BK Styles]

I'm from the UK, I believe we are better judges than the Americans. We all knew Jerry Springer was staged...

The promo was a worked shoot. Plain and simple. It was a copy cat of Paul Heymans infamous and better worked shoot 10 years previous. As for changing pro wrestling - purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrlease.

Well I'm from the UK, and...you serious, bro? Nationality has fuck all to do with judging anything. What a ridiculous comment. Don't be such a generalising moron.

ANYWAY...I know I've already posted on this and gave my views, but this is, in my opinion, how this promo went down.

- Punk most likely went to Vince to talk about the script he had, and suggested changes. Then he may have suggested the idea that Punk, as he is leaving, doesn't care anymore and goes off on a rant about all the things he doesnt like about WWE. Vince likes, and gives him the green light. (The idea may also have come from creative. I know we don't give them much credit, but you never know)

- the other WWE superstars only knew Punk was making a promo; probably the usual 'i'm better than you' jargon.

- other than Vince and Punk, only select members of the tech crew behind the scenes knew so they wouldn't cut off Punk's mic immediately...only for them to do it later on, to make it look like a shoot.

As for whether it's created a new era...debatable, but I think WWE is changing. One obvious example is the introduction of more realistic superstar weights as opposed to their 'billed weights'. But remember, the Attitude era wasn't built in a day, it took time to evolve.

The key point of this promo however, is not that it spawned a new era. It is that it spawned a new superstar. After this promo, CM Punk went from being midcard who likes to pretend he's main event calibre, to actual main event calibre. It turned Punk into a believable character, meaning when he beat Cena, it wasn't like when he beat Edge or Jeff Hardy, where we weren't sure if we could suspend our disbelief; we actually bought that he could beat the top dog in the company.