All Hail CM Punk

The WWE just pulled off one of the great storylines in professional wrestling. They gave CM Punk the WWE Title, in a great match at the Money in the Bank PPV. Now, why is this news? The current storyline is that CM Punk’s contract is up, and he was to face John Cena for the WWE title just hours before the contract was to end. That, in the storyline, meant that potentially Punk would leave the WWE with the title. And he used his “what, are you going to fire me?” card perfectly. And last night (SPOILER ALERT) he won the WWE Title in an epic match against John Cena, in which the hometown crowd in Chicago clearly favored Punk over Cena. It’s news because Punk spent the past few weeks ranting against the WWE- on live TV- and their ossified corporate structure. See Punk's "Worked Shoot" promo and Punk vs. Vince vs. Cena

Yes, the WWE is written entertainment, but it’s also very, very, true.

 

The WWE has spent the better part of the last 6 to 7 years forcing a corporate structure down its fans’ throats.  It has gotten to the point where they’ve missed moneymaking opportunities time and time again, and seriously damaged their outlook. Punk has managed to rise to the top of the WWE, only to watch the corporate culture of the company lock him down repeatedly. I’ve seen the guy wrestle personally, in the WWE and in Ring of Honor (ROH). He’s one of the best workers and mic talkers the industry has ever seen- if given the opportunity. And what does he get for it?

He spent the better part of the last two years slowly being dumped down the roster.  Why?

The WWE decided around 2005 (and again in 2007) to push John Cena and Randy Orton. They generally forgot about pushing anyone else in the process. Cena, Orton, Batista, and Edge have won the lion’s share of the WWE Title and the World Heavyweight Championship since 2005. It takes something extraordinary for someone else to win the title (see: The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, and Rey Mysterio). Since 2005, the WWE has not really developed many “top level” talents. And the reason is simple: It’s all been about Cena and Orton.

This is nothing against Cena and Orton; they’re very good wrestlers and put on great shows. But it shows a clear lack of forethought and imagination from the corporate hierarchy in the WWE. In the past two years, they’ve had a chance to build up Wade Barrett, Sheamus, and The Miz. Sheamus won the WWE Title twice last year, but has since spent most of his time languishing in the mid-card, with no real feud(s) to speak of.  Wade Barrett came into the WWE hot as the leader of the Nexus, but then was repeatedly beaten by John Cena and others, and unceremoniously dumped to the lower mid-card. And The Miz main-evented this year’s WrestleMania against John Cena, which he won……and has since been dumped to the mid-card and lost a lot of his luster. 

This is what CM Punk was ranting about. The WWE is too intent upon “playing it safe” in corporate-lingo with their title holders. They fear pulling the trigger on a John Cena heel turn, because of what it might mean for his merchandise base. But CM Punk has a huge merchandise base that’s barely tapped! So does The Miz! This is where they lack imagination. They fear “risk management” like any good corporation. They’re afraid of real change in the product. 

It’s so nakedly apparent to the fans, that people wear “I hate Cena” t-shirts. No one wants to see Cena act as a superhero over and over again. Too often, his matches read as scripted works- the “heel” beats him up and out of nowhere, he hits his finisher, wins, and then act like nothing happened in the match. The fans want to see a challenge, and they want to see trials and tribulations. They don’t want to see the same matches over and over again, just because some 10 year old kids will buy a “NEVER GIVE UP” t-shirt.  They want drama. They want excitement. They want good storylines and honest wrestling. Not a corporate mantra that effectively screams “EAT THIS AND LIKE IT, BITCH.”

As a wrestling fan, I know when they’ve got gold, and I know when they’ve got bronze. I know when we’re seeing something epic and awesome, and I know when they’re fucking with us. So does CM Punk. 

It’s time to change the game, WWE. Good first step. Now make your next move.