*OFFICIAL* CM Punk/John Cena Thread - Keep It All In Here!

[KoC417]

They brought Punk back in the wrong fashion. What they SHOULD have done is have Punk come in thru the crowd, no music or anything and act as if he were invading the building since he doesn't cut a promo he doesn't need a mic. This would help to further the "question" of has Punk resigned (which he clearly has) but with the entrance music and everything it kind of kills everything.

So you have Punk come in with no music thru the crowd holding up the REAL WWE Championship and you have the stare-down as raw goes off the air with security hitting the ring to sell the "invasion". This isn't a WCW, ECW, ROH, NWA, TNA, SEC, TSA, FBI, CIA invasion. This is the Voice of the Voiceless invasion. This is an invasion by the best wrestler in the world. You could even have Punk showing up on SmackDown! in the front row. You know he "bought" a ticket to be there with the WWE Championship. WWE could have played that story out for at least several events. Oh and then how about this: You have Punk call out the New Nexus, and tell them it's time to go to ROH. Nexus then makes a stand against Punk beating him down. Thus furthering Punk as a massive Face. (Although it didn't really appear that his pop on his Raw return was THAT huge. People were saying it sounded like the building was going nuts..I don't know what show they were watching but watching it via YouTube with the speakers blasting it sounds like the music outdid the pop) WWE has once again essentially blown another HUGE opportunity here. I just hope they don't spoil the remainder of this CM Punk/Cena storyline.

What happens now? Big question with no answer. For once, I don't know what will happen next. John Cena v CM Punk could be an epic at Summerslam. OR an epic fail.
The point is we don't know how to live in the moment; not any more. Punk return felt epic but most of IWC can't live with that because they are too busy guessing what will happen next. And that is a bugger. Internet spoils a lot of things, but for once, people don't know what will happen next and we can't live with that. 'This has ruined the story''He should've been off TV' why? Because you want it to happen? This story is still interesting and with anything possible, it is still intriguing enough.
As Punk said, and I quote, "I don't hate you IWC. I hate the idea that you are the smartest."

What happens now? Simple. Super Cena ends up on top. Unless Punk's merchandise starts selling like hot cakes. Oh and if the ratings don't start to get much higher since Punk has "returned" this storyline will get dumped. It's almost a sure fact that Punk returned EARLY because the ratings were terrible for the WWE last Monday. And let's face it. If they couldn't draw BIG ratings following Money in the Bank, they are DOOMED when the NFL kicks off!

He should have been off of tv dude. You don't have his "contract expire" for only a week! He was "refusing to sign" then suddenly he changes his mind? That is TERRIBLE. Makes Punk look like a joke in a way. Why do I say that? Well because he put all this time and effort into making Vince's contract offers look like garbage, and parading around letting everyone know he is the voice of the voiceless and he has turned down one of the most lucrative contracts in WWE history only to ummm..give in roughly 7 days later? I only hope this storyline picks up, but I'm starting to get the feeling this will just be another HUGE letdown in which WWE could have done something much greater with it and they once again RUSHED things. The IWC wouldn't complain if they drew this out more.

 

[[cL]]

And is anybody else still pissed off about the spinner belt still being around???
BG

More than I can begin to say. I really thought that the reason why they postponed the championship match was because they were going to unveil a brand new title.
as soon as raw came on and I saw that spinner crap belt on the stand I was immediately disappointed.

Ideally, this angle could have been drawn out for at least a month or so.
The tournament could have lasted by having one or a couple of matches each week.
They could have foreshadowed Vince getting ousted by having the wrestlers or even the commentators wondering aloud about Vince seeming even more unstable than usual.
Cena would be "fired" for several weeks, and they could have played his absence as a big issue in the company.
The faces might have lobbied to get him back while the heels protested it.
And then when finally HHH took over, Cena could have been reinstated and got his title shot against the winner of the tournament.

Importantly, Punk could have been making publicity rounds and indy shows badmouthing the company and crapping on the "corporate paper champion".
Then something like yesterday could have happened with Punk coming out to confront Cena.
This would have awesome and milked the storyline in a believable fashion.

However, I think the reason this didn't happen might have to do with the buzz around Punk specifically.
This angle seems to be pulling some fair-weather fans and legit journos back into pro wrestling for a moment ( ESPN is kinda following this to my surprise), and frankly, these people aren't going to wait around if Punk isn't on the show each week.
The also aren't invested enough to watch viral videos and go to indy shows in case Punk shows up.
They just want to see this guy who everyone is talking about right now.
We may talk about how kids have short attention spans, but the pop culture cycle in general have real sped up the past 10 years because of the internet.
The truth is keeping Punk off of tv might have been best for the storylines, but it could have easily eroded his buzz unless he was showing up on talk shows and pushing the angle each week he was gone. And then they might have become redundant. Who knows?

Punk is the hook to get these people to watch the show; the WWE knows the kiddies and the smarks will watch almost anything they put out there.
What's significant about this storyline is that it's gotten the WWE mainstream attention that doesn't involve a scandal or someone dying, so they wanted to jump on things right away, and they weren't gong to do it without Punk.
The trick now is to keep the urgency of the angle going without diluting Punk's character or screwing him over at SS.

Everything that is bolded is great for how this angle could have ran. I commented earlier on another post about how it could have ran and I totally think they were right too. I think to add on to what you're saying, seeing that we know he had already resigned, if they would have had him on talk shows, and doing media blitzes and all kinds of things like that it would have kept him on mainstream radar while feeding the storyline AND keeping him off of WWE shows. I've said it once and I'll say it again, they played it safe getting him back on television so soon. And unfortunately, i'm thinking that they're going to ruin this storyline. Not having a new title belt makes it suck more.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

More than I can begin to say. I really thought that the reason why they postponed the championship match was because they were going to unveil a brand new title.
as soon as raw came on and I saw that spinner crap belt on the stand I was immediately disappointed.



Everything that is bolded is great for how this angle could have ran. I commented earlier on another post about how it could have ran and I totally think they were right too. I think to add on to what you're saying, seeing that we know he had already resigned, if they would have had him on talk shows, and doing media blitzes and all kinds of things like that it would have kept him on mainstream radar while feeding the storyline AND keeping him off of WWE shows. I've said it once and I'll say it again, they played it safe getting him back on television so soon. And unfortunately, i'm thinking that they're going to ruin this storyline. Not having a new title belt makes it suck more.

In a nutshell, that last bolded part is why I'm annoyed. You want everything to be how YOU want it. If it's not, you can't stand it. You don't even know the full story yet and you're complaining. You obviously didn't even ask yourself "what makes good BUSINESS sense" before getting pissed. Seriously, stop thinking selfishly and start thinking critically.

 

[DarkLordFett]

All I saw of Raw was the Mysterio/Miz match and had a mark-out moment when Rey won. I was really excited to see Mysterio hold the title for a while. I really feel that there could have been some great feuds for the belt for a few months, get Cena off the air to heal for a bit and maybe see a great feud once Punk returned after a month or two absence.

Then I find out Cena is the champ again and all that went out the window. I guess someone thought a two week hiatus for Punk was all that was needed. Now we have the same stuff all over again. Cena and Punk will trash talk each other for a while, both laying claim to the "real" title belt and at the next PPV, there will be a unification match followed by 3-4 more PPV's of Punk/Cena. As much as I'm a Cena mark, I'm kinda tired of the same boring matches he's been wrestling for the past couple of years.

Just goes to show you, the more things change (Trips is the "new CEO"), the more they stay the same (more SuperCena)

 

[Trill Co$by]

So like I know that Cult of Personality was his ROH and IWA-MS theme song at one point (Miseria Cantare was better) but the fact still remains that to the random fan who's not familiar with CM Punk's pre-WWE engagements, that song was nothing more than another Stone Cold reference.

And as I've counted that's five encounters/references that the two have had this year alone, and it's just picking up. Maybe, just maybe, the WWE is building CM Punk up for a Punk vs. Austin match at Mania. Now I get it, the chances are slim... very slim, and I'll probably be red repped with some ******ed quoting "Austin's retired" or "CM Punk's not big enough" or even "CM Punk used that song in ROH"... or some other ******ed ass reason that these idiots can think of.

But still, you have to believe that with Stone Cold being the exact mold that CM Punk claims to be better than, WWE has to have it lodged somewhere in their minds to attempt to get Punk over at some time to face Stone Cold.

And maybe this storyline against Cena will be that feud. Seriously, could you imagine if Punk went over Cena and Stone Cold at SummerSlam and Survivor Series before losing it to Cena at say TLC or RR? That would boost his stock up substantially and it would put him up there with the big boys.


Now again, do I think that this will happen? No. But it's a possibility.

a show is nothing without its ending, and i personally think the ending sucked. the song was playing and no one knew what was going on, if this fire burns started playing the crowd would have went NUTS and i really hope punk doesnt keep that song cuz it doesnt fit him at all

How does Cult of Personality not fit him? If you've ever heard the song, it's about someone who stood up and made a statement by his actions that eventually got others to follow him... CM Punk stood up to the WWE management and got the WWE fans to follow him. Therefore, the song fits perfectly.

Besides, who's to say that Cult of Personality is his permanent theme song. Maybe he's doing like Triple H and using this song as his "promo" or "alternative" entrance song. That ever occur to you?

 

[bxbigshow]

People want WWE to keep Punk off tv for months??? And keep the 'buzz' going? In the mainstream media? For months?

Mainstream buzz doesn't last that long. Another week of viral videos could have grown stale. Not to mention that there's a crucial PPV coming up. You're really going to try to sell Summerslam with Cena/Del Rio?

This was the perfect time to bring back Punk, and a great way to do it. I hated Rey winning the title and I hated Cena winning it back, but when I saw the two of them standing in the ring holding their belts, I had to admit it was perfect.

Considering before they had the idea of going with the CM Punk angle at all, Cena/Del Rio was considered for S.Slam. Part of the reason why he was moved to RAW to begin with.

But with Punk gone for months (hell even a month to miss SSlam) it would've made the return more special. Remember...

Punk admitted that even if he did leave, he was just a cog in the machine. The WWE would just move on without him, but they/he/you all will know who the true WWE champ is....thus making anyone they crowned irrelevant.

Vince stated that he could make a new Cena/Punk if he wanted to, implying the same thing...WWE would go on buisness as usual...and Punk will be a memory.

Punk called HHH a "doofus" and implied that he would do no better than Vince when his time will come. Punk denied every offer WWE gave him to resign, basically letting his contract expire on principal.

Cena was to be "fired" by Vince because not only did he lose the WWE Title, he was to be held responsible for letting the WWE Title LEAVE THE WWE.[/I]

But what happens 2 weeks after MITB...

The WWE Machine kept going for a week, holding a tournament to crown a new champ. But immediately resigns the current champ who just railed against the company, making him a more important cog than Punk or WWE thought. WWE loses credibility.

Punk within a week (if kayfabe he was unsigned at Comic-Con) decides to work with the doofus he just railed against, without anything different from the last contract he refused. Actually if you try to add logic to it, he agreed to less considering he knows WWE crowned a new Champion, technically stripping him of the title. Punk loses credibility

WWE doesn't fire Cena, and instead gives him a Title Match against an opponet who just wrestled. Thus making John Cena champion again and basically throwing everyone in a time machine back to July 16th. Nothing changed 2 weeks after arguably WWE's most important/impactful PPV this year outside of WMainia.

Once again, your $40-$50 dollar PPV purchase was rendered irrelevant before you get your cable bill.

**Now, Cena/Mysterio shouldn't even be acknowledged as Champions because if Punk is resigned within his first 30 days of capturing the title, he was never stripped of it.

Even if you use the excuse that Punk said he was gone and not coming back as a reason to crown a new champion, clearly WWE was in "negotiations" with him while this tournament was going.

My biggest gripe is that what started out as new and exciting when Punk 1st dropped tha promo has quickly became standard WWE drivel within weeks of the PPV, when they could've done so much more.

Please tell me honestly, what is new and exciting about this now?

 

[closet_fan]

I get this sick feeling that Punk signed for the money, got a bunch of promises like Mark Madden stated, but he's going to be pushed to the background again and be an upper-tier midcard performer.

If Cena wins, and wins clean at SummerSlam, that's it for Punk. I don't see how he could possibly keep the buzz going.

He'll eventually end up like the Miz.

I don't see Punk winning at SummerSlam. I just don't see it.

 

[THE Great GAMMA]

The trend here is everyone is saying that punk has come back to soon. Remember on thing not a word was said during the stare down it was all physicality (however its been reported that punk said he is back on Raw for good...a jab at the Rock maybe??????)

The look on Cena's face and his body language when Punk pointed to his title before he raised it and got a bigger pop told an amazing story. Sort of like "yeah you may have that belt but it means nothing because you haven't beaten the "Real Champ". this is sort of like what happened between HBK and Razor Ramon to set up thier first Ladder Match. Remember that IWC? that was a great storyline.

CM Punk coming out to his ROH music was a great move. Because CM Punk's character wants to disassociate himself with what is the "norm" in WWE its great. And it does build on the possibility of Colt Cabana and the KOW coming in. But again that is something that only the IWC really know about.

People saying that everything has been rushed are just rushing to a conclusion. Wait and see where things go. Because if the story line turns out to be awesome those same people who moaned probably wont give the WWE credit. (this is the IWC way, moan when things suck but never give credit when credit is due).

Rey Mysterio probably wont get his rematch for John Cena's WWE title. And i think if they want to play it out on tv (which they should) Rey should say "No, i want to face the real champ after Summerslam, whoever that may be."

Let the story play out and lets see where this goes. before you moan and groan......OMG i just got an idea for a thread....

Oh and btw I'm totally enjoying the story line.

 

[Stuntz]

With all the buzz in the wrestling world goin on right now, there is one thing I have yet to see be brought up. Who is responsible for the resigning of C.M. Punk?

VKM: "No Chance in Hell" I mean come on, according to story he tried everything and anything to resign him and still couldnt. It wouldnt make sense story wise to have Vince be the one to accomplish this feat.

HHH: Will Hunter be the one that played the game correctly, and managed to give Punk something that Vince couldn't. To me this wouldnt make sense either. ON 7/25 edidtion of Raw HHH made the Cena/Rey match because he said Cena was screwed out of the belt and opportunity in the Tournament by Vince. Doesnt make sense from a Director of Operations standpoint. My opinion is that Hunter had no clue that he resigned and this is where we will be on next Monday night.

RAW GM: Here is my clear cut pick for this storyline. Whos the one person we havent heard from on the situation.The podium was set up during the tounament but im not sure if it was up on the 25th. As much as we all hate the anonomous GM, you have to admit, this would be the most intriguing way to go with this. The GM for the most part has always been fair for the most part throughout his exhistance. He has claimed he is there for one reason and one reason only and that is to give the people what they want. What do people want now more than anything? More Punk is the answer and I think The Raw GM decided to deliver behind Hunter's back of coarse, since the Gm has been "left out of the loop" on the whole Punk situation. Be a great storyline to help reveale the GM finally and be able to close that off instead of leaving it open like the love to do way to much.

What are your thoughts and or specualtions on the matter?

 

[closet_fan]

I was thinking that there was no way it could be Vince. But with Vince "finished" calling the shots, he could have made re-signing Punk an FU to the people who told him to step down.

The GM makes the most sense since Punk bashed HHH every chance he got.

I just hope they make the re-signing part of the storyline. It wouldn't make much sense to have Punk come out from the back with music, but say he's still unemployed.

 

[MooseMichaels]

Here is what I seen happening.

Punk, Cena, and Rey will be the main event at SummerSlam. Possibly a ladder match. That way Punk can win either by climbing the ladder or if it's just a regular match Punk can beat Rey clean so Cena isn't pinned by Punk clean for a third straight time.

At some point during the match Cena could get "hurt" and take off until right after Vengance so he can be back in time to build up the Rock and Survivor Series.

In fact you could have ADR cash in on Punk at SummerSlam which would put the strap on ADR and have a feud for the next two months between ADR and Punk.

How does that sound?

 

[Christian42]

As of late every hot story line in the WWE seems to fall flat without a real conclusion. For instance the Nexus story line started out as shocking event in the WWE, many people even believed that i was the start of a new era but like i stated before it soon fell short. This happened in other cases like the Rock returning.

At the moment WWE's top stop story line is by far the most shocking story line of this year, but hopefully it stays on top and doesnt fade into obscurity, so what do you think WWE could do with to have it lose no steam at all?

I think that there is only one man that could keep this story interesting, and that man is.... Y2J.....The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla.... The Best In The World At What He Does.....Chris Jericho!, What I think should happen is there should be a unification match at Summerslam with Punk winning in the end. After the match we hear Jerocho's theme bleed from the speakers as he makes his way down the ramp to confront Punk. He returns as a heel as opposed to the face Cm Punk. The feud ends at Wrestlemania for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship main eventing along with the Cena Vs Rock match.

Now for you opinions....Discuss!!!

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

The nexus shouldn't have been the start of a new era. It was a bunch of new guys for fuck's sake, most of them green. Could they REALLY continue that story? No, but because of it, Barrett is a midcarder, Daniel has the MITB, and the rest of the guys who wouldn't be over at all, are now at least acceptable card fillers.

the Rock returning and then leaving shouldn't have surprised anyone.

Why would Jericho return? That's not exactly keeping the storyline exciting, but rather starting a new one. If you just wanted a thread as to how you'l return Jericho then that's fine. But having Punk/Cena ending and Punk/Jericho beginnning doesn't exactly keep Punk/Cena going.

Why is CM Punk a face in your situation? He is CM Punk, just like Cena is Cena. He gets booed by some, cheered by others.

 

[The Universal Re-monster]

I think the best way for them to keep it exciting is just let Punk be Punk. Have him continue to bring the fire on the mic and in the ring. Here's a thought to add to that- why not let some more of your upper/mid card start putting more of themselves in their characters? Think of some very entertaining actors/actresses out in Hollywood; your Depp's, Reynolds' , Daschnele's- they put they're own take on the characters they play. I believe this type of freedom combined with some insight from guys who've been around the business for a while will lead to more entertaining segment/storylines/characters. Just an opinion though

 

[Maddog Lionheart]

As of late every hot story line in the WWE seems to fall flat without a real conclusion. For instance the Nexus story line started out as shocking event in the WWE, many people even believed that i was the start of a new era but like i stated before it soon fell short. This happened in other cases like the Rock returning.

At the moment WWE's top stop story line is by far the most shocking story line of this year, but hopefully it stays on top and doesnt fade into obscurity, so what do you think WWE could do with to have it lose no steam at all?

I think that there is only one man that could keep this story interesting, and that man is.... Y2J.....The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla.... The Best In The World At What He Does.....Chris Jericho!, What I think should happen is there should be a unification match at Summerslam with Punk winning in the end. After the match we hear Jerocho's theme bleed from the speakers as he makes his way down the ramp to confront Punk. He returns as a heel as opposed to the face Cm Punk. The feud ends at Wrestlemania for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship main eventing along with the Cena Vs Rock match.

Now for you opinions....Discuss!!!

I definetly feel as if there's no real way to make this exciting. I mean the high part of this whole Punk thing was probably when he actually won. It was so unexpected and different and people loved it. But I think the only thing they can do is fight to see who actually goes at it against the rock at Wm.

 

[TheCrusher]

I don't mind the idea of Punk and Cena not being defined by heel/face and letting the fans pick which one they cheer for. I have an 8 and 10 year old and need to sit between or separate them during Punk/Cena matches because they have such strongly differing opinions on those two. It only got more intense after the the 6/27 promo and Punk getting more face pop.
I do have two caveats about this, though. First, it only works with guys who are big stars. People actually have their own opinions on Punk/Cena. So, the fans will continue to cheer for/against the major players. Jericho, for example, can be heel or face, and I will always want to see him on my TV and will probably cheer for him either way. Alberto Del Rio, for an opposite example, has to be a clearly defined heel to draw any heat and would need to be a clearly defined face to get a positive pop. Undercard and midcard guys need to be defined as one or the other or the audience will either sit on their hands or go get a refreshing beverage.
My second concern relates directly to Punk/Cena right now. I really feel like as long as Cena carries the second belt, he either looks like a doofus or a heel. It was one thing when Punk was gone, but with him back... Cena will have a hard time playing the "honorable man" and keeping his face status if he treats his belt as legit. Only hardcore Cena fans would be able to see him in a positive light. The only save is for him to drop the belt or for him to be onscreen pushing for unification and saying he can't go on being a "paper champion."
If Cena does one of those things--which are consistent with his current character--and Punk continues to needle him and behave in a manner consistent with his character, then the fans will just split themselves into the camp of their choice.

 

[Jeff]

If you want to keep the CM Punk story line exciting what they need to do is let CM Punk be CM Punk, which is what I am hoping they are doing. I think he will get more freedom then he has in the past, we already seen the return of his own theme music last Monday. The man has all the tools to be a mega star I personally believe. He is so unique and he isn't one of the same main event guys we always see.

As for bringing in Y2J, although I love Y2J, I do NOT want to see him return, or at least return to Raw (maybe on Smackdown since they have NOBODY I care about watching on that brand). Y2J is a legend and one of the greatest of all times, but I just think it is time for other guys to step up and show their stuff. Bringing Y2J to Raw will just take air time away from guys like Dolph, Reilly and Kofi and will absolutely kill their pushes. Like I said before, if Y2J were to come back, put him on Smackdown and make him feud with some guys over there. He could still put over guys, but stay in the main event.

 

[madrox]

I think the best way for them to keep it exciting is just let Punk be Punk. Have him continue to bring the fire on the mic and in the ring. Here's a thought to add to that- why not let some more of your upper/mid card start putting more of themselves in their characters? Think of some very entertaining actors/actresses out in Hollywood; your Depp's, Reynolds' , Daschnele's- they put they're own take on the characters they play. I believe this type of freedom combined with some insight from guys who've been around the business for a while will lead to more entertaining segment/storylines/characters. Just an opinion though

I agree with this.

It's a shame though because after last week's (admittedly poor) Raw I figured/hoped they would've done something like this:

Vince wants to punish Del Rio for not cashing in but decides that since he's the best man for the job, he'll be awarded the title. Triple H comes out and says no, you can't do that, by the way you're relieved of your duties, blah blah. I can't do anything to change the Del Rio decision though, I'll leave it as your last act as Chairman but you're not gonna fire Cena so he'll be added and we'll have the vacant WWE title on the line at Summerslam.

By the way, we still have tournament finals so whoever wins gets into Summerslam and we'll have a triple threat elimination match for a brand new designed WWE title.

Then after 2 months, Punk returns after posting online messages via Twitter, Youtube, maybe even using the fan base to upload videos of him insulting the company to get them involved, really make it a "universe" and not a dictatorship where the company tells the fans who to cheer for and makes things slightly unpredictable.

Anyway, so that's the build, 2 months later (maybe 3-4 if you're not impatient), he returns uninvited with the 2005 design that he won at MITB, teasing fans and wrestlers that he's the real champ. Maybe even uses his powers of truth to get people on his side that aren't or weren't utilised (kayfabe or not) such as Ziggler, Ryder, whoever else you like as a sort of outside unit that sneaks him into the building after he's gotten a "ban" on purchasing tickets to shows.

Those men help Del Rio cash in MITB successfully on whoever becomes the WWE champ in the meantime (lets say he lost at Summerslam) and act as a sort of back up to him even though he doesn't realise, he's too arrogant to see that he had their help to win the belt.

Del Rio defends the title at Royal Rumble and is screwed out of it by distraction of one of the guys who helped him win it in the first place as a lesson in not taking things for granted because the real champ is CM Punk and the belt he held was just a prop. He's talked into joining the cause because even though he's from a famous Mexican wrestling family and amulti-time World champ, most people around the world only know him as the unmasked version he's been since joining WWE. Add some realism and smarkism since they already did before MITB.

Maybe somehow Elimination Chamber on the Raw side becomes full of mostly Punk's guys through cheating to qualify as well as Cena defending the title. They all kick the crap out of him but all of them allow themselves to be eliminated and Cena to retain and win the match (hey, why not, WWE has ruined matches with stupid stuff before that didn't make sense, this kinda does).

Anyway, so Cena retaining was part of the plan, CM Punk not only wants John to remain WWE champion going into WM28, he wants to make it a champion vs champion match to prove he's the real deal and that his belt is the true WWE title while also getting himself involved in the Cena/Rock match so he can beat an icon at the same time. Because as his reasoning would be, beating Cena and Rock in the same match in the main event of Wrestlemania with the WWE title on the line would make him truly the greatest of all time and the best wrestler in the world.

Wouldn't he?

Or am I way off in my fantasy booking?

 

[Ruff Stuff]

Originally Posted by The Universal Re-monster

I think the best way for them to keep it exciting is just let Punk be Punk. Have him continue to bring the fire on the mic and in the ring. Here's a thought to add to that- why not let some more of your upper/mid card start putting more of themselves in their characters? Think of some very entertaining actors/actresses out in Hollywood; your Depp's, Reynolds' , Daschnele's- they put they're own take on the characters they play. I believe this type of freedom combined with some insight from guys who've been around the business for a while will lead to more entertaining segment/storylines/characters. Just an opinion though.

This I can agree with. It reminds me of how the WWE gave birth to the Attitude Era, by making the Characters an extension of the Wrestler's personality. Now I'm not advocating that the WWE needs to rehash the Attitude Era, but I can see similarities between the dawn of the Attitude Era and the dawn of this new Era. I believe on the interview he did with ESPN, CM Punk stated that he wanted to start the "Reality Era". The key is "Reality". The WWE would - in my opinion - explode if they allowed all the other Superstars to do what they've allowed Punk to do, and that is be themselves. I'm now going to quote from Mick Foley's [first] autobiography Have A Nice Day in this passge he describes how the Attitude Era started:

I had just found out a few months earlier about Vince's contention from years gone by that Cactus Jack "doesn't look like a star." I hope that even someone as wise as Vince truly has learned a lesson about judging a book by its cover.
Actually, I believe it was Vince's admission in October that he wasn't always right that allowed the World Wrestling Federation to truly excel. Brian Pillman has tragically been found dead in a Minneapolois motel room a day earlier. Vince called a meeting of all the guys to address Brian's death but informed us that maybe time had passed him by and that some of the old formulas that had been successful for so long were simply outdated. He was a big enough man to shift responsibilty to the wrestlers for much of there character development. That was really the meeting that did away with the ridiculous gimmicks and ushered in a new ear of realistic human beings that people could actually relate to. This was more or less the birth of the Federation's "attitude" campaign.​

Now if the WWE just let these guys be themselves and not who the WWE want them to be, then it would be sink or swim. The guys that the fans can get behind would stay and they one's that have got nothing going on would be cut loose. I'm just thinking on how awesome the build up to SummerSlam between Cena and Punk would be, if the WWE let John Cena be John Cena, as they have done when it's come to Cena cutting Promo's on The Rock.

Just a thought.

 

[The Idiot]

Many people are complaining about Punk returning too soon...that it didn't allow enough time to really build this angle up and make it realistic. I agree. However, the WWE can still save this angle. When I say "save" I don't intend that this is screwed up...but they have a chance to really make this something big.

Having Punk back to feud with Cena in a title vs title bout leading up to Summerslam would be weak. It would all seem rushed and a match we saw just a couple weeks ago at MITB.

Now if the WWE decides to play this angle like the old Sting-nWo-free agent storyline then this could get real interesting. Yeah...Punk was back on TV. Yes he had new music and brought the belt into the ring...but did he ever say he was back? (At least on TV?) No.

So now we can build on this storyline even further by having everyone in the WWE speculate if Punk has re-signed with the company...or if he's still a free agent. They need to keep him off of TV, or at least out of the ring for awhile. Make it realistic and show him sitting in the crowd in his street clothes or outside of the arena....not just a typical backstage boring segment. The fans will be salivating at the idea of CM Punk returning to the ring and when he finally does after a long layoff it'll be huge.

My $.02

 

[LittleJimmy]

OK IWC, calm down. This angle/storyline hasnt been ruined because it isn't over yet. We don't know where this is going but a ladder match between Punk and Cena @ SS with both belts hanging above the ring (a la HBK v Razor @WM10) would be my guess. I dont have an issue with this except if Cena wins (which knowing the WWE, will happen). Cena doesn't need the belt and quite frankly shouldn't have the belt because IMHO he is sliding.

As for what happens next, Punk should come out next week and talk about how the man who claims he "never backs down" did just that, HE BACKED DOWN. They both raised their belts and it was Cena who had the look of doubt on his face and it was Cena who walked away with his tail between his legs. If Punk mentions this, maybe some of Cena's fans will turn on him.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

This storyline between John Cena and CM Punk has been outstanding so far. The match at Money In The Bank actually lived up to the to the tremendous hype, and seeing CM Punk leave with the WWE Championship was one of those shocking moments.

I know a lot of us thought Punk would stay off TV for a long time. I thought he would be gone for a few months, because he didn't want to resign with WWE, and he did "leave with the WWE Championship." But Punk's sudden return this Monday provided a good shock for me. Cena just defeated Rey Mysterio for the gold. It was a joyous moment, but Cena wasn't allowed to bask in his glory, because Punk returned to spoil his celebration. It seemed as if WWE was in the clear. They crowned a new champion last week, Punk was gone, so everything felt perfect and calm. But Punk's sudden return has brought back that chaotic feeling, because now Triple H must fix the double WWE Champions issue.

Punk and Cena should wrestle each other again, and I can't wait to see their next match. There should be another insane crowd atmosphere, when these two wrestle each other again, because Punk's popularity has been on the rise, and John Cena will always receive a passionate reaction form live crowds.

 

[rkoshouldvewon]

The storyline is a victim of poor timing and planning. SummerSlam with a main event that didn't involve Punk was going to be a bad idea. Del Rio isn't ready, Truth is a joke, Miz is lost. I wish Punk would return THIS coming Monday which set up the title vs title bout at SS, but what can ya do?

A big part of me feels like the main event will see a heel turn by Hunter. Possibly during the match, Hunter pedigrees Punk and fires him right then and there. So you can continue the storyline and give Punk his time-off that I'm pretty sure he legit wants.

What is integral is that you have Hunter reveal the GM or announce a new one (Foley, Nash, whoever) earlier on in the show. You need a way or reason as to why Punk would be allowed into the building or on TV as the months progress. A heel Triple H (COO) and a babyface Raw GM would facilitate this. This eventually sets up Triple H vs CM Punk as Survivor Series, Royal Rumble or WrestleMania.

Someone brought up a good point about if DB is going to cash in at MITB and Rock and Cena is a title match, what's the point of the Royal Rumble?

What would be an amazing scenario is to have Punk be gone until Rumble, enter in at #18 or something..have him go all the way to the end with the ring empty..#30 (or 40) hits and its Hunter. Punk eliminates him and wins..but Triple H strips him of the win and there is no one who gets the main event championship match at Mania.

 

[jholcomb22]

It looks like WWE is going to have Cena vs Punk at SummerSlam in a unification bout. That is fine. This thread is not to talk about that.

This thread is to ask if you think their career vs belt match should have been pushed back to SS.

I think yes. First of all, Money In The Bank sells itself for the most part. The ladder matches are the main draw, everything else is just extra (and I know that Cena/Punk was a lot extra and even the highlight of the show).

Second, because WWE has so many PPV's there was not possibly enough time for us to miss Punk and set up the match at SS. If they had the match at SS, Punk could have been gone till Survivor Series at the very earliest. Then the fact that he left can sink in. Instead we know he has resigned and it's business as usual.

Don't take this post as bitching, I'm not. I love the storyline and am eager to see where it goes. I'm just curious if you guys think WWE should have waited a month for this storyline. Certainly they could have talked Punk into one more month on the extension they gave him to keep him till MITB.

 

[martymcfly]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but my biggest problem with this whole feud is that Punk's character (at least the way he was booked) was not very good in the ring. Up to this story of him threatening to leave the company as champion, he had been on a huge losing streak. It's been quite a while that he's actually come out ahead in a feud, and now we're supposed to believe that he is "the best in the world"?

Maybe if they had built him up to be a legitimate main event threat or contender, this would make more sense. And I will freely admit that his match with Cena at MITB was great. But based on his recent track record, his recent title win is more of a fluke that would not have happened if not for the distraction caused by Mcmahon at the end of the title match.

So I guess in the end, right now, he just doesn't seem good enough to be a serious championship holder.