CM Punk suffers career-ending injury. - Just kidding, CM Punk thread.

[Xero]

So, has Punk improved at all since coming to WWE? Do you think the ECW title has elevated him at all? Is he ready to be brought up to one of the two "main" brands? How long before he has a shot of leading the company - or does he even have a shot?

[Kane Knight]

Damn you.

Damn you to Hell.

[Xero]

I originally had this set up with a red herring preview about him severing his spine.

I'm a dick, but even I have my limits.

[Kane Knight]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/fearengine_backwhite.jpg

[Xero]

Ok, but before you do, can I take one last piss?

[SammyG]

Damn, was scared for a sec.

[Theo Dious]

I was all kinds of prepared to make a "sorry to hear but really, I don't care" remark. Pfft.

[Heros Welcome]

I think the ECW title has elevated Punk to an extent. Do I think because he was ECW champ he is ready to go over an anchor RAW? Probably not. I feel that his time on ECW is up, and once the draft rolls around I would like to see him go to SD and develop a larger fan base so people will really care when he turns heel. Have him win the US Title and really open up his character with the Straight Edge promos being unleashed. People will probably think that it is more suited for RAW, and in time it will be, but I think if Punk were to go there now he would be lost in the shuffle. Build him up on SD for about a year then maybe move him to RAW.

As for when he could be leading the company...hmmm.....I'll say by 2010 Punk could be the main focus of RAW.

[Mr. Pierre]

ECW was a great starting point for Punk, and they did a nice job building him (yes, even if he did job to Holly, get eliminated first in the chamber, etc etc). He's gotten more of a push than anyone could have ever imagined for only being in the company for a year and a half, and I think he's done a really good job too.

Like Heros Welcome said, I'd love to see him move to SD! and build a larger fanbase, and possibly move to RAW the following year, after main eventing a bit on Smackdown. But, I view Punk as a Jericho/RVD type of character. Meaning that I view Punk more as one of the main "staples" of the WWE rather than the main player. I think he'll get an opportunity to shine, but I'm not quite sure if he'll ever become "the man".

[Kane Knight]

I think the ECW title has elevated Punk to an extent.

But CM Punk outpopped DX. Surely merely having the title could do nothing to elevate him.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Can someone please explain the whole sarcastic "CM Punk out-popped" DX thing? I don't get it.

CM Punk got off to a great start, like a really great start. Then his momentum was interrupted by some shitty WWE-style ECW booking. He then bounced back a bit after a period of several months where he was kind of lost (he even did technically turn heel for like...a week).

Then he really got back on track, and I can only imagine how different things would be if Chris Benoit didn't go nuts. Benoit vs. Punk would have been the feud of 2007.

Anyway, now I think CM Punk is again hitting another snag. He lost cleanly to Chavo, which sarcastic anti-smark people will claim as not being a big deal, but it really is. Chavo normally cannot buy a clean win over anyone but Funaki. I love the guy, but his character is pretty much reliant on heel tactics these days.

However, given that I don't have a clue what the WWE has planned for WrestleMania, I guess they might be going with the Punk ECW Title win at WrestleMania. I consider it a World Title, even though most don't, and I don't even think the WWE currently does. It will still be a win ranking higher on their scales than Matt Hardy presumingly taking the United States Championship.

I think CM Punk is actually fine on ECW, and he can appear on SmackDown! anyway. I'm actually looking forward to Punk feuding with Shelton Benjamin throughout the summer (hopefully with an Iron Man Match and a Ladder Match between the two). I think what Punk needs are some great showings in the ring, to really go with his above average promo skills.

[Xero]

Can someone please explain the whole sarcastic "CM Punk out-popped" DX thing? I don't get it.

I can't find the video at the moment but (at least the root of) it isn't sarcasm. He really did out-pop DX at Survivor Series 2006, so much so that Triple H had no choice than to incorporate him into the "are you ready" shtick.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I can't find the video at the moment but (at least the root of) it isn't sarcasm. He really did out-pop DX at Survivor Series 2006, so much so that Triple H had no choice than to incorporate him into the "are you ready" shtick.

Yeah, I know. I watched the PPV, and I heard it. You see some people talking like it didn't happen, though.

I figured maybe I really was insane and made it up in my head, but you seem to have seen it, too.

[Fox]

ECW was a great starting point for Punk, and they did a nice job building him (yes, even if he did job to Holly, get eliminated first in the chamber, etc etc). He's gotten more of a push than anyone could have ever imagined for only being in the company for a year and a half, and I think he's done a really good job too.

Other wrestlers, namely Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle, have had much, much better rookie years in the WWE than CM Punk. It's all a matter of the WWE really getting behind someone and pushing them up the card.

I also see Punk as the "new RVD" of the WWE of sorts. He's a guy with amazing skill but lacks some of the qualities of the WWE's usual main eventers (i.e. roids). He won't get treated like shit, but he will be booked in the mid-card and upper mid-card, but never the true main event.

[KingofOldSchool]

Punk's improved working the WWE style, but he'll never be a main eventer. As much as I love him, he just not what WWE likes to push. However he might get a main event title push down the line especially if a top guy gets injured.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I kind of disagree that Punk will never be a main eventer. JBL stood up for him at a recent show, and Vince McMahon has listed him several times in the same group as John Cena and Batista.

CM Punk will one day be a main event guy, in my opinion. Probably sooner rather than later.

[Lux]

Kinda wished the thread title was true, don't get me wrong though he's a decent wrestler in his own right but he's basically ECW these days, why bother calling it ECW on SCI FI, just call it CM PUNK on SCI FI, he needs to take a back seat to Shelton, Elijah and Kofi, seriously the guy is turning into the next Bats, last year was basically either he had the belt or he was the number one contender for it, he's one of the reasons i stop watching ECW before he main event because he's always in it.

[Kane Knight]

I wonder if Noid has as much fun pretending that the Punk thing hasn't been explained to him a hundred times as we do pretending that he outpopped Jesus or Hitler. :D

[KingofOldSchool]

Kinda wished the thread title was true, don't get me wrong though he's a decent wrestler in his own right but he's basically ECW these days, why bother calling it ECW on SCI FI, just call it CM PUNK on SCI FI, he needs to take a back seat to Shelton, Elijah and Kofi, seriously the guy is turning into the next Bats, last year was basically either he had the belt or he was the number one contender for it, he's one of the reasons i stop watching ECW before he main event because he's always in it.

At least Punk actually wrestled matches to earn his shots, unlike Batista who just walks up to the ring and tells everyone he is putting himself into a title match.

[KingofOldSchool]

I kind of disagree that Punk will never be a main eventer. JBL stood up for him at a recent show, and Vince McMahon has listed him several times in the same group as John Cena and Batista.

CM Punk will one day be a main event guy, in my opinion. Probably sooner rather than later.

Wow. JBL stood up for him. That = Main Event push...or a 10 minute shower rub-down.

[Lux]

At least Punk actually wrestled matches to earn his shots, unlike Batista who just walks up to the ring and tells everyone he is putting himself into a title match.

Even so i still would rather see other faces on ECW then punks all the time in the main event

[KingofOldSchool]

Even so i still would rather see other faces on ECW then punks all the time in the main event

Nobody else is really over.

[Lux]

True, i'd like to see Elijah pushed a bit thouh, he's been in the main event and his 'New Breed' work was good

[Blue Demon]

ALYAAAAAAAAAALYALYA you.

ALYAAAAAAALYALYALYA you to Hell.

[Kane Knight]

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<hr style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" size="1"> <!-- / icon and title --> <!-- message --> http://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/fearengine_backwhite.jpg

ALYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[Mr. Nerfect]

I wonder if Noid has as much fun pretending that the Punk thing hasn't been explained to him a hundred times as we do pretending that he outpopped Jesus or Hitler. :D

I'm not sure you've ever explained it, actually. Maybe you have and I just didn't come back to the thread, but I've never seen it explained.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Wow. JBL stood up for him. That = Main Event push...or a 10 minute shower rub-down.

JBL is one of the locker room leaders. If you get him onside, then you're going to have a lot of "the boys'" support. JBL is one of Vince's favourites. I'm sure JBL is not at Triple H levels of power or anything, but it's never a bad thing to have people on your side.

CM Punk is one of those guys that I thought JBL would not like. Punk just seems so different to JBL in both approach to wrestling and personality, that I'd expect JBL to think him a bit of a fruit, and an indie guy that should be jobbed continuously. Of course, I don't know JBL, but that was just my estimation of the clash of personality. I was wrong, I guess. Punk must be doing something right.

At least Punk actually wrestled matches to earn his shots, unlike Batista who just walks up to the ring and tells everyone he is putting himself into a title match.

While I agree with you that Punk is nowhere near as tiring as Batista, Dancin' Dave did actually earn a lot of his shots. I mean, usually they were because he defeated the Champion via disqualification, or something, but there was usually a logical reason that Batista would be awarded another match.

Now Rey Mysterio getting into the WrestleMania 22 main event? That's a different story.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Nobody else is really over.

This is sort of true. Balls Mahoney was massively over when he had his shit with Kelly Kelly going on. It surprised me, but Balls kind of proved to be valuable through that. Stevie Richards is pretty over these days, and Tommy Dreamer also gets the pops he needs. Also, Colin Delaney is on his way up.

Of course, Colin is not what the WWE wants for a main eventer, and the others are ECW Originals, so they don't count. Is not having any over guys an excuse, though? Shouldn't the WWE be working on getting guys over? They kind of need to give exposure to them to do that.

Personally, I think that after WrestleMania, Elijah Burke should turn face and feud with The Miz, or something. He's not really over as a heel, despite doing pretty fantastic and consistent work. In OVW, he was damn good at getting face reactions, and I'd believe it, because the guy oozes charisma and personality. Give Burke a face turn, and see how he functions.

[Innovator]

It wasn't more of JBL standing up for Punk, as it was Miz and Morrison being dicks and making MVP, Hardy, Punk, and Noble all look bad

[Mr. Nerfect]

It wasn't more of JBL standing up for Punk, as it was Miz and Morrison being dicks and making MVP, Hardy, Punk, and Noble all look bad

I don't know. I mean, sure, you're right, but JBL could have done nothing. He could have done the Triple H thing, and just bitched about Miz and Morrison, or buried them when he did commentary. That he actively got the boys together, and went to bat for them shows that he is at least appreciative of the work they do.

JBL and Matt Hardy would be buddies from their time as a tag team, Jamie Noble has a good standing within the company (is he still getting two paychecks?), and I guess he just likes MVP and Punk's work, and felt that they deserved better.

It may have been more of an anti-Morrison & Miz thing, but JBL didn't have to do anything.

And besides, Vince McMahon has spoken highly of CM Punk. Vince is the biggest guy to get behind you. Just look at the consistent push of Snitsky, despite no crowd reaction whatsoever.

All I'm saying is that the people in power are not anti-Punk. They speak highly of the guy, and seem willing to stick up for him. The OVW locker room were huge fans of him, too. Now OVW is gone, but I still stand by my point.

Punk is at least not making enemies.