Punk 365: A Wrestlezone Forums Editorial

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

There's been some talk recently between myself, Sly and Nick Paglino about some potentially cool stuff, that I don't really want to give away because I'm not sure what our supreme overlord wants to talk about yet. BUT, it involves more interaction between Wrestlezone and the Wrestlezone Forums.

So, as a sort of...trial, if you will, I want to do the first ever Wrestlezone Forums editorial. Not a Chris Cash article, Mark Madden rant or Josh Isenberg review...a full-fledged editorial submitted EXCLUSIVELY with the creations of Forums posters. The title, as you can see above in the name of this thread, is "Punk 365", and will probably have a tagline attached like "The Best (and Worst) of the Best in the World". You know, or something better that doesn't suck.

I will playing the role of narrator, introducing the piece, leading in to each page and wrapping it all up with a nice conclusive pink bow. I might throw in an editorial write-up of my own, if we don't get enough response or I feel like something hasn't been covered. Or if I feel like it.

So what I need from all of you people, is your words! In preferably 400 words or less, I want a write-up of either one of the best or worst moments from CM Punk's one year title reign. Here are the rules:

1. Must be around 400 words. It can be less, but it may NOT be more than 500.

2. You can write more than one, but please check to see what others have done, so I don't have to decide between you and hurt your feelings.

3. Your topic MUST (and I can not stress this enough) be from CM Punk's CURRENT WWE CHAMPIONSHIP RUN. Don't waste your time, and my time by giving me a bunch of crap on his shoot promo, or match at Money in the Bank. Survivor Series 2011 to the Raw celebration after Survivor Series 2012. That's it.

4. No bitching and whining if your submission isn't chosen. I'm going to try to include as many as I can, but there's only so much I can do.

5. I may ask you to re-write certain things, or correct portions. Despite what people will undoubtedly say about me, I've tried to be really good about quality control recently.​

The deadline for these articles is THIS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH AT 3PM EST!! That will award me enough time to go through the last minute submissions, get all the editing done, and piece it all together for publication on Monday to get the biggest draw possible.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Some more stuff.

Any questions, let me know in this thread. Oh, and please submit your write-ups directly to this thread. If you have issues with other people reading your work, you can PM me as well, but you're probably going to have issues with several thousand people reading it once it goes to e-print.

I bolded all the important parts for the lazy people, because I'm such a nice guy. I underlined the really important parts, for the people who only want to read a few sentences. Not that those people are reading this...

Also, if you wouldn't mind, as soon as you know what you're going to write on, post your topic here. I don't want people wasting their time.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Upon further realization, this probably should have been in the GSD, not the WSZ. Sorry.

 

[shattered dreams]

Punk is champion? Interesting.

 

[Coco]

1) Can I focus on an over-arching trend or theme, or do you want the submissions to focus on a specific moment? I'd prefer to do the former.

2) How many pieces can I submit? Ideally, I'd like to give you a complete article.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

1) Can I focus on an over-arching trend or theme, or do you want the submissions to focus on a specific moment? I'd prefer to do the former.

2) How many pieces can I submit? Ideally, I'd like to give you a complete article.

Do whatever you want Coco. For reasons I don't yet understand, I trust your judgement. I'm probably NOT going to put out a full article from you though. Probably.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I might give what's left of my dignity the ol' heave-ho and contribute.

 

[Alastor]

Will we get mediawatch and mailbox too?

Ref 365 wrestling version: How to sell being knocked out by a shove.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Will we get mediawatch and mailbox too?

Ref 365 wrestling version: How to sell being knocked out by a shove.

None of that means anything to me. I have no clue what you're getting at.

And please do, Sam!

 

[Coco]

I might give what's left of my dignity the ol' heave-ho and contribute.

The right people need to write the history books on this, Samuel. The right people.

 

[Shotaro]

Hmm... this is interesting, it might be something to do with the fact that I am watching the Punk DVD right now as I read this thread

I might be interesting in making a contribution, if you'll have me. I'll see what topics other people are interested in and go from there.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Bagsy Over The Limit! I'm also working on three essays at the moment so forgive me that I haven't queefed a four hundred word piece out just yet.

 

[Coco]

Yeah, proper work is a major hindrance. Keeps me from doing the things I ought to be doing.

 

[Alastor]

None of that means anything to me. I have no clue what you're getting at.

And please do, Sam!

It was a reference to a soccer website football365 that had those features.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I hate this with a passion, it was like pulling teeth and I don't want it to ever see the light of day - but I don't see myself being able to write anything else:

Three hundred and sixty five days later, we can point at all the things CM Punk didn't do. Punk didn't run off with the title. Punk didn't change the title. Punk didn't change WWE - not more than any other champion can be said to, really. One thing CM Punk did do; broke free from a surfboard, clawed up a kendo stick, swung around and whooped the shit out of Daniel Bryan live on pay-per-view. That right there, CM Punk with one arm and one leg still in a surfboard, desperately smacking the crap out of Daniel Bryan at Over The Limit, was my favourite moment of CM Punk’s year long title reign.

Here you’ve got two guys whose ring styles are similar enough that they could just be pallet swaps of one another; two guys who, despite coming into WWE years apart, came into and up through wrestling as part of the same crowd. OK, so we don’t have Colt Cabana or Austin Aries or, dare I say it, Low Ki – but for two months we had CM Punk versus Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship on pay-per-view. Their second match was particularly brutal (and my particular favourite). It seemed, for one night only, the two decided to throw that homogenous ‘WWE style’ out of the window. This was indie wrestling: thrills, spills and singapore canes. A chant for tables was not only acknowledged but rewarded – with the finishing spot. The psychology of this one was simple – two men playing a game of one-upmanship. Who could kick harder? Who could take more of a thrashing? Who would be the first to go through a table? Who was going to walk out with the WWE Championship on one arm and AJ Lee on the other? The first law of Heymanology: keep it simple, stupid.

I don’t necessarily think his match (or feud) with Bryan was Punk’s best match (or feud) over the last year - that would go to his match (and feud!) with Cena at Night of Champions. What it was was the most significant - proof that you didn’t have to be a six foot eleven, heavily tanned FCW goon to make it to the pinnacle. Want to be WWE Champion? Want to defend the belt against your mate? You can be a six foot two, skinny-fat short order cook as long as you have the talent.

Hopefully everybody else is inspired by the low bar.

 

[shattered dreams]

You inspired me to watch that match once I figure out what match it is. Not sure I agree about them wrestling the same style though.

 

[Con T.]

Sigh...

As a man named Haiku Hogan (as far as you know... After all, there's no such thing as women on the internet, much less a wrestling forum), my shtick here is to boil down my main point into seventeen syllables. Of course, editorials weren't built off the back of seventeen syllables, but at the least, I can sum up Punk's 365 days as WWE Champion in such a way.

Where are all the fans?
Oh... they're waiting for The Rock?
Color me surprised

Perhaps the most telling thing of CM Punk's title reign is how much the WWE has fed to Punk to get the man over, without actually getting results from him. In one year, they gave Punk a sympathetic backstory (family addiction), the hottest girl in the company (AJ), and meaningful wins over the top wrestlers (Cena, Jericho, etc). None of this has yielded the expected results; allow me to share with you the top five worst overrun ratings in the history of the WWE;

1. Punk/Bryan/Ryder vs. Alberto/Ziggler/Miz – 12/19/11 – 2.67 overrun rating
2. Punk/Ziggler vs. Team Hell No – 10/1/12 – 2.7 overrun rating
3. Cena/Punk/Heyman in-ring segment followed by Punk/Foley/Ryback backstage – 9/24/12 – 2.74 overrun rating
4. Punk vs. Sheamus lumberjack match followed by Punk/Ryback brawl – 10/22/12 – 2.89 overrun rating
5. Punk vs. Bryan/Tensai – 5/7/12 – 2.94 overrun rating

Notice a pattern here? This isn't just an overrun thing; two weeks ago, WWE had one of its highest rated segments in months, a 3.38, with Jerry Lawler returning. By the time the segment was over, and Punk, Heyman, and Foley had come out, the segment had actually lost 876,000 viewers.

It would seem Punk's reign marks the first time in history that a wrestler becomes a transitionary champion for one full year. Fans are tuning out, and will return when the perceived bigger stars return. When The Rock returns in January, the WWE will do its best business in months, and it will have more to do that people actually want to see The Rock. A significant number of fans are tuning out with Punk at the helm.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

I'm just waiting to see the end of his championship run since I feel bored everytime he comes out.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Sam. Haiku Hogan. KB.

Two more days to get this shit in guys.

Feed. Me. More.

Oh, and try to do a better job singling out one or two things to talk about. A match. A feud. Good or bad, it doesn't matter. The general discussion pieces about Punk's reign as a whole are good, but I can't print three or four things that are essentially saying the same thing. I will take HH's piece because it's got fun stats to look at, and KB's because he compares Punk to Savage. Don't make me open this up to Twitter!

 

[Uncle Sam]

You inspired me to watch that match once I figure out what match it is. Not sure I agree about them wrestling the same style though.

No, I don't think that either - I just liked the pallet swap line too much.

Edit: In fact, I think I'm going to kill that particular baby and reinstate a reference to Aries/Roode the week before. Stay tuned.

Edit2: And it was their Over The Limit match. Says so in the first paragraph.

 

[Con T.]

HGR, if you'd like, I could include the time I realized CM Punk was never going to be a great champion for business.

Guys, you know how much people bitch about the front site? I know I do; aside from Killam, the front page is worthless. Well, if you've been bitching,nut up and write something.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Punk is always at his finest when it seems like the WWE is coming crashing down upon him. When he is being victimized by a management that doesn't understand him and can only react to the power that he brings over the ring and the fans. He is doubly great when his supremacy is being challenged by another overpriviledged pseudo-celebrity former champion who gets everything handed to despite a lack of dedication living the passion 100% that is professional wrestling.

Of course Punk's finest moment didn't take place in Vince's office complimenting pictures of his grandchildren or hosting SNL with a phony grin on his face. He wasn't spitting out a catch phrase for the sheep to echo, he wasn't kissing the asses of the mothers and children alienating them for their viewership and merchandising dollars, he was where all the greatest talents reach their pinnacle, he did it where Sammartino, Thesz, Brazil, Race, and Rocco did their business, he did it in THE RING.

This particular night seemed to be Punk's last as champion. He already had an impressive run as champion. Longer than most in recent memory and far beyond the norm of any of Vince's recent creations. Management was actively working against him to take his hard fought title. They had set up stipulations and odds that seemed to be the type that were sympathetic to Punk's supporters but still enough to steal away the title that he had worked so hard for and deserved. The moment felt too big for just some Indy creation who came from nothing but a family of substance abuse and meager living. His nemesis was another former champion who cleaned up nicer than our resident hero. Had resources and fame that dwarfed Punk's. He had Punk on the ropes if you will, bent over, then stumbling to collect his legs and even worse his thoughts. It seemed as though the title would taken from him just as the fans feared. Despite the mind, the ability and the passion he possessed this appeared to be our heroes final moment in his rightful place as champion. But just when we were all convinced it was over, he fooled the masses and shocked the world. Just as his title was going to be stripped from his like a simple 1, 2, 3 Punk perservered by showing that he was just pretending to be drunk.

Sports entertainment at it's finest!

 

[aza1294]

Well this could be fun, here's my attempt at it

It was the one thousandth episode of Monday Night Raw with a blockbuster main event between two of the WWE’s biggest superstars. There was a lot of intrigue coming into this match; will Punks surprisingly long reign continue? Will Cena manage to defy the odds for the 1000th time? This was answered in a relatively shocking way, with CM Punk BETRAYING THE WWE UNIVERSE, finally giving the WWE a legitimate top heel. It was all done in good fashion as well, first hinting at Punk turning when he watched Big Show smash Cena around and then solidifying it by hitting the GTS on everyone’s favourite actor Dwayne. Punk’s heel turn seemed to be the start of an interesting summer angle, someone who’s a heel and doesn’t need to cheat to beat Cena! However this quite clearly would not be the case.
WWE had a real chance with Punk to make him a legitimate heel, however being the creative geniuses they are they turned him into the same character as every other heel of the past 4 years, a coward who talks himself up and always cheats to win. We had just come off a very successful face run for Punk and he beat several legitimate stars on the way (scratch that, only real stars he beat were D-Bry and Jericho), but all of a sudden he needs to cheat? Not buying it. Punks gimmick was ‘The Best in the World’ and he lived up to that, but as soon as he turned heel he instantly became a regular bad guy, never beating a real star clean. Is it really that difficult to make a top heel win clean WWE? Punk is enough of a douche that he can get booed through what he says, he doesn’t need to cheat to get people to hate him more.
So that’s my opinion. Best part of CM Punk’s reign- Raw 1000th heel turn. Worst part- everything that followed.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I'll have one done tomorrow morning if it's still within the allocated time, and possibly even if not.

 

[Diet Soda]

What's the cut-off point again? In English time if you would, please? I need to know if I can harvest my crops and have tea and scones before writing it up.