Punk To Lose Strap Over Ratings?

[Arsenal]

The ratings are declining because the overall product is absolute garbage. CM Punk is one of the few bright lights remaining in a cesspool of mediocrity. It just shows the idiocy of the WWE if they pin the blame on Punk instead of examining all the ways their product sucks these days.

 

[TheMainMan32]

I tell you now, I have stopped caring. I have been a loyal fan of the WWE since I was a kid. But they are not even trying anymore. And why should they? They have no competition to force them to change, they make a profit no matter what they do, they are USA's highest rated show so they are never in danger of being canceled, and half of their audience thinks that everything is fine and dandy.

So instead of being disappointed every time the WWE drops the ball, which is every chance they get, I'm going to do what I did to 'Heroes', 'The Event', 'Lost', or any other bad TV program- stop watching. If it gets better, maybe I'll come back. But right now I don't find the lack of a storyline, or boring, cookie-cutter rasslers (they aren't sports entertainers because most of them aren't entertaining) compelling. I'll still check to see who is coming on 1-2-12, and anytime Foley, Austin, or Rock is back on TV. Other than that, forget it.

 

[Arsenal]

I tell you now, I have stopped caring. I have been a loyal fan of the WWE since I was a kid. But they are not even trying anymore. And why should they? They have no competition to force them to change, they make a profit no matter what they do, they are USA's highest rated show so they are never in danger of being canceled, and half of their audience thinks that everything is fine and dandy.

So instead of being disappointed every time the WWE drops the ball, which is every chance they get, I'm going to do what I did to 'Heroes', 'The Event', 'Lost', or any other bad TV program- stop watching. If it gets better, maybe I'll come back. But right now I don't find the lack of a storyline, or boring, cookie-cutter rasslers (they aren't sports entertainers because most of them aren't entertaining) compelling. I'll still check to see who is coming on 1-2-12, and anytime Foley, Austin, or Rock is back on TV. Other than that, forget it.

You're not alone judging by the abysmal ratings these days. I'll probably join you soon. It's tough to watch the current WWE after you've seen it when it was really great (Golden Era and Attitude Era). I can watch old WWF YouTube clips for hours, back from the days when wrestling was awesome. I can only hope it reaches those levels again some day.

 

[Xumer]

Any problems with Punk getting stale started when HHH had to jump in there when Punk was on fire. Punk jobbed to HHH in a completely meaningless loss as the angle was booked with a totally idiotic finish. Here's punk riding high on the anti-establishment angle against HHH as COO and they make punk job while HHH was going to lose his COO position anyway. THEN they book punk and HHH being all buddy buddy afterwards (which again makes no sense) just to give his old buddy Big Kev some spotlight time.

 

[The Architect of Anarchy]

Punk and Sheamus and have been extensively pushed this year as top faces of the company. Sheamus hasn't sold much due to lack of boost, he has been given a kick this year but not like what Punk's gotten.

Ever since the introduction of Johnny Ace (Senior Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Monday Night Raw) it's been non stop boredom. I know it's his role to be boring as a cooperate clown but he needs ro some charisma as like other people have said - people just won't care!

The most important is substance - which includes wrestlers and storylines. Not one feud this year has apealed to me. If one has, please reply cause I'd like to know?

 

[Da Solo]

If all that were true then why did this not happen a year ago? Why didnt this happen in 1999?

WWE in 1999 was a totally different environment from WWE now. 1999 is considered to be the Attitude era (or some would consider it right after the attitude era), which was one of WWE's highest peaks, business and ratings wise. And the same ratings slump did kinda happen last year.

Punk has gotten boring, he has already gotten plaid out and stale because his gimmick is so watered down. Right now i would actually prefer John Cena because that shit Punk did to start off the show on monday was lame and ridiculous as hell and the most exciting part of the night was the Cena/Kane segment.

Seriously? You'd rather have the strap on Cena right now? I respect your opinion, but I doubt you'd stick to that if it actually happened. And that segment worked because A. Cena isn't playing superman and Kane is kicking his ass, and B. Kane just had a badass comeback, so of course it's going to be mesmerizing. He made that segment.

BUT this has been going on for a few years and the ratings have never had a negative spike like this so I agree to take the title off punk but only when they find a replacement.

WWE has been through worse times. This shouldn't be treated as apocalyptic. If you say this has been going on for years, then how can we blame Punk? He JUST got the title. Management can't be so quick to lose faith in someone (i.e. like they did with ADR and the Nash/Truth/Miz stable) and go running back to Cena, or else they will get too dependent on him and no new stars can come forward. Sometimes, chances must be taken. CM Punk has already proved he's worth taking a chance on. Look at all he's done for the WWE just this year in terms of generating interest? Sure, his booking might be in a slump like I explained in my last post, but that's Creative's fault. There is a myriad of factors leading to the ratings dip, and I doubt Punk is a major one.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Not that I am a CM Punk mark, but I refuse to lay the blame on the man currently holding the WWE Championship. .

That's a reasonable statement, but I think the powers-that-be are worried about the ratings peaks and valleys that apply to individual matches and segments. When they see the Punk segment lose thousands of viewers, they start getting panicky; probably with good reason.

How to feel about this? It really depends on whether you view the entire "Punk Experience" as real or kayfabe, doesn't it? We still don't really know whether his whole "leaving WWE" stuff was real or contrived, do we? If we presume, for a moment, that he really had one foot out the door and told management that he'd stay only if they let him "turn the business on its ear," then there's an almost delicious irony in the notion that ratings drop when he appears. Anyone that sees himself as the savior of the business has to eventually deliver the goods, no? Could it be that the "Voice of the Voiceless" didn't know what the hell he was talking about?

Of course, that's only if Punk was truly leaving the company if he didn't get what he wanted. If that whole program was scripted, then it's the WWE machine that should be blamed for overestimating Punk's appeal, not Phil Brooks himself.

For the sake of WWE and the wrestling business as a whole, I hope Punk really has the impact he claims to have. I certainly don't want to see people changing their TV channels when Punk comes on. It's illogical.....and damaging as hell.

 

[Arsenal]

One man can only do so much. A LOT of things need to change for the WWE to regain the appeal it had during it's two peaks (Golden Era and Attitude Era). To expect CM Punk as champion in the current setup to automatically turn things around, with no other changes made, is the height of idiocy.

 

[XXJJ]

Nothing Punk has done has increased ratings. Raw ratings dropped after his shoot promo. Summerslam buyrates were down. Vengeance had an all-time low buyrate. Punk/HHH had the most tv time going into Vengeance.

Its funny when ratings or buyrates would drop people couldn't wait to bash Cena. But Punk is net darling so people are making excuses for him.

I'm a fan of Punk, and I dont blame him for the low ratings. Just like I wouldn't blame Cena, Orton, HHH etc. Because they are the few wrestlers who the current fans care about. But I think its funny seeing the different iwc reactions for those guys. People would say Cena is stale and everybody is sick of him if ratings dropped.. but with Punk its not his fault its the rest of the WWE.

 

[Thepiedpiper]

Any excuse to take the belt off the fella! There should be more than a few at the top any way, they need more variety of wrestlers, they have a big enough roster, so use them! Same people all the time....boring and predictable. The only thing I am excited about is the WWE Network and the prospect of extra programmes with more variety than just Supershow Raw and SD as they are no longer seperate entities. Having FCW as part of the Network programming will be interesting and we will see the future talents getting brought up!

 

[The Eighties]

Punk/Triple H and Punk/Cena segments did the best any of the three guys had done in years, simply because the angles were compelling. Now Punk is working with heels that are barely over and can't spar with him on the mic.

The Laurinitis problem isn't that he's boring, it's that a lot of Punk's jabs at him are lost on most casual fans because it's all insider stuff and references to Ace's wrestling days that most aren't even aware of.

The biggest hit to Punk was when Triple H didn't turn heel and become everything Punk said he'd be, instead Triple H was just pushed to more glory and the angle ended in Ace taking over as opposed to someone of some status being behind the things that got the roster to walk out on Triple H.

However if Jericho is the guy returning on next weeks Raw then Punk has his rival, if that fails to do good numbers then there may be a problem.

 

[rge2010]

LOL, Punk isnt a draw. He never has been and he never will be. Punk is good for TV but he simply cannot carry a show or sell tickets. I think this is where all his bitterness towards 'Dwayne' comes from. I would really like Rock to say something on Twitter but he has more class than that. Said it all along, Punk will be a solid main eventer but never a star like Austin, Cena or Rock. No chance.

Blame the writers all you want kids but you could blame them for anyones failings.

 

[Superbeast_85]

LOL, Punk isnt a draw. He never has been and he never will be. Punk is good for TV but he simply cannot carry a show or sell tickets. I think this is where all his bitterness towards 'Dwayne' comes from. I would really like Rock to say something on Twitter but he has more class than that. Said it all along, Punk will be a solid main eventer but never a star like Austin, Cena or Rock. No chance.

Blame the writers all you want kids but you could blame them for anyones failings.

Punk ISN'T a draw? May I quote The Miz? "Really? Really?" His feuds in the past were solid and his most recent feuds with Cena and Triple H were awesome. Are you telling me that poor writing and lack of storyline don't contribute to the failing of the show? THAT is stupid. You can't expect people to watch a show if it isn't entertaining. Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio? Del Rio can't even hold a candle to Punk in-ring wise or on the mic. The Miz likes to pretend that he's over as a heel but he's just as bad. Give Punk someone of his caliber and watch him shine.

 

[ITALIAN NYC]

Punk ISN'T a draw? May I quote The Miz? "Really? Really?" His feuds in the past were solid and his most recent feuds with Cena and Triple H were awesome. Are you telling me that poor writing and lack of storyline don't contribute to the failing of the show? THAT is stupid. You can't expect people to watch a show if it isn't entertaining. Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio? Del Rio can't even hold a candle to Punk in-ring wise or on the mic. The Miz likes to pretend that he's over as a heel but he's just as bad. Give Punk someone of his caliber and watch him shine.

While I dont believe punk isnt a draw, I disagree with the part you bring up about Alberto Del Rio. When you have a true superstar, it doesnt matter who they are in the ring with. They bring the best out of the other person and people will watch it no matter what. Del Rio and Punk put on great matches and Del Rio can work in the ring.

In the end, the main worker of the show has to be the one to put asses in the seats. If the ratings go down, or if the shows are not selling out, HE TAKES FULL BLAME. That is how its always been since WWF/WWE started. The champ has the company on his shoulders. Weather its his fault or not, thats the way it is.

 

[LittleJimmy]

LMAO!! I love these comments about Punk being stale, are u guys serious??? He is by far the most entertaining guy on the roster. He comes up with different stuff every week. The Slammys promo with the Johnny Ace video...PURE GOLD!! And him announcing the winners of TLC, great stuff. He is NOT the issue, the whole product is. We have seen this year some good storyline go by the wayside with no conclusion because the writers hit a road block. Is that Punk's fault? HELL NO!! The other major issue is that there are really no superstars that can keep up with him right now. Del Rio cant deliver a promo to save his life, the Miz seems to be running in circles lately and Cena....now there is a guy who is the very definition of stale. Also, the NFL just hit its flex scheduling the last few weeks so they put the best games on Monday night. As much as I love the WWE, even I was more into the Saints/Falcons game to see if Brees broke the record. Now that MNF is over, the rating will see an increase....that and the return of Y2J.

 

[The Eighties]

On the point of a top guy drawing no matter what, that isn't true, if you don't have a good angle with a story that has a hook then no matter how over you are interest will wane. Del Rio is crap on the mic and has never been booked as credible and uses a gimmick already done better by two other guys, how was Punk meant to do anything good with him? he can't make him say anything interesting, he can't make the fans hate Del Rio and bring heat, that is Del Rio's job.

 

[Peep]

All of this irrelevant starting next week. No MNF and the climax of the 1/2/12 pumping. If it's Jericho and he's coming after Punk, ratings are going to go through the roof in the entire month of January. Then have the Royal Rumble fallout, the road to Wrestlemania, whatever the Kane-Cena angle is about, all leading up to Wrestemania 29 and Rock/Cena.

Everyone needs to chill. Everything will be fine. You're about to see a big popularity spike around the WWE starting with next Monday's Raw.

 

[JohnJohnson]

It's being reported that the reason why CM Punk was denied entry into Madison Square Garden for the 12/27 WWE house show event is because a security guard did not recognize him and "didn't buy that he was a wrestler." A second security guard, who recognized the WWE Champ, then saw to it that Punk got into the building.

Lol I have seen this argument made before, and have said so myself. Punk doesn't look like a professional wrestler, yet alone the World Champ of the top wrestling company in the world. It's just not very believable that he suddenly became untouchable just because he cut some decent promos.

 

[Philly88]

Punk is the only reason I started watching again. His promos in the summer were killer. They can't just have Cena with the the strap forever.