My time with wrestling and writing has been quite limited due to me starting a new role over here in the good old UK. I have however managed to continue my work with fellow WrestleZone writer Adam Gorzelsky on our Podcast Virtually Reality. So, if you have missed my opinions over the past few weeks then you can always check out the show on VOWLive.com.
So what has happened since the last time I have been lucky enough to grace WrestleZone?
RAW 1000, CM Punk’s heel turn (more on that shortly.), SummerSlam, AW’s release, Tensai’s Tout and most recently Tyler Reks request to leave.
The moment that has stood out with me in the past few weeks has been CM Punk’s apparent heel turn. Unfortunately though, I don’t think this has stood out for the right reasons. I am highly concerned with the current direction with CM Punk and to be honest I have been since that fateful moment where Punk close lined Rock on RAW 1000.
I watched RAW 1000 expecting a cliff-hanger ending and something that would indicate this “big” storyline for the summer. The one moment I thought that could really make RAW 1000 stand out would have been if John Cena turned heel. Granted, I’m not naïve enough to think that this was going to happen but there was always hope. So what did WWE think was the next best step in making a memorable moment? They turned Punk instead, well kind of. When Punk attacked Rock I instantly felt disappointed. Not because I don’t like Punk as a heel but because I was concerned that his stock within WWE had fell. Sounds contradictory I know, especially when in that same moment Punk was standing over Rock and Cena on the mat, but it also signified in my mind that WWE may not think that Punk is capable of becoming one of those top babyfaces.
I understand that Punk being the face champion started to feel a little stale but I couldn’t help but feel that WWE had just erased the last 12 months of Punk’s hard work. His original argument was that of not being treated like the top star that he is and that Cena is the kingpin of the WWE. Punk was starting to become one of those top babyfaces and then suddenly it felt all too similar. It felt like he had just become the heel leader of the new nexus all over again. I felt like I had already seen this character and this was the character that ultimately wasn’t getting Punk over.
Obviously time has passed, and Punk is now demanding respect and using the placement on the card to develop his character. He is only just now starting to show true direction towards the heel character and if you have been listening to Virtually Reality you will have heard Adam and I discuss where this could be ultimately leading. However, Punk still seems to be a character that doesn’t know where he stands, one segment he acts like the face and another he acts like the heel. I have been worried because fans do not know how to take this new direction. His crowd reactions seem unsure and people are seemingly sitting on their hands, unlike Cena who always manages to get a reaction whether it is good or poor. Getting no reactions is something that can kill Punk’s momentum. If he had been the babyface character for longer then I could understand this direction to bring in a change but I still feel that Punk needed more time.
The only saving grace is that Punk can drop more of his pipebombs and that he still remains credible as the ‘best in the world.’
I always revert back to Kurt Angle in his later WWE days. He was a heel character but when it came down to the match, it didn’t matter if you were heel or face, you tapped. Triple H did the same thing with Cactus Jack at the Royal Rumble and many other occasions, he may have been the heel in the build-up but when it came to the actual match he didn’t need to take short cuts to gain the victory, he forced you to respect him even though you didn’t like him. If Punk can develop that aspect of his character then maybe we could be witnessing something special.
However, at this time I don’t feel it’s working very well. As I said, I’m not against it. I’m just not sure that it was the right time for his character to go in this direction. This past week on RAW didn’t help much either with Cena having the far stronger promo of the two and made more sense than Punk’s recent complaints. The other danger in this scenario is now Punk looks like he could be dropping the title. Although he has had a great reign it has been tainted by the fact it’s hardly ever been in the main event and I’m still hopeful he can break the one year barrier at Survivor Series and reveal a new title design. Either way, we will have to see what direction this takes.
Do you think CM Punk’s character is working? Are you interested? Do you think he should have stayed face? Email or tweet me at beansontoastuk@msn.com or @BeansOnToastUK and let me know!
Don’t forget to check out Virtually Reality on VOWLive.com where every Sunday we analyse the biggest stories of the week, respond to your questions/tweets and put an idea forward for the direction that may be suitable and/or humorous for the WWE.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
