Is CM Punk's title reign working?

[Mr. Nerfect]

I think a lot of us agree that the WWE has been pretty silly in the way they have booked Punk recently. The losses, needing help to win, the no contests, never really working in the main event despite being champion. Listening to his reaction on RAW, though, the fans really seem into him.

Now, I've got to be honest, I haven't really watched RAW religiously recently, but I have to ask: Despite the reign not being handled as well as it could be, is CM Punk getting more accepted by the fans? Even if he loses the belt say, tomorrow, would it have been worth it?

[BigDaddyCool]

He isn't the weakest champion, but they sure aren't booking him strong. He just beat JBL again, and King goes on to say that JBL beat JBL in that match. Kinda takes away from one of punks only clean wins. I hate the idea of this scramble match. It is the kind of match that is used to give the vacant title to someone, or to stack the odds against a super strong face fueding with an evil boss.

[TerranRich]

They're booking him like shit, and they really need to stop. I'm sure in a month or two, they'll be saying, "Well, Punk, nobody bought your reign and your reaction from the fans wasn't good, despite our best efforts (giggle) to (chuckle) make you look as legitimate as possible... So we're going to have to take the title off of you."

It's like WWE sabotages the talent they don't like, and then blame it on them when it doesn't work out. Idiots.

[ron the dial]

BUT YOU CAN'T PUSH A HEROIN ADDICT :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Mr. Nerfect]

He isn't the weakest champion, but they sure aren't booking him strong. He just beat JBL again, and King goes on to say that JBL beat JBL in that match. Kinda takes away from one of punks only clean wins. I hate the idea of this scramble match. It is the kind of match that is used to give the vacant title to someone, or to stack the odds against a super strong face fueding with an evil boss.

King's commentary really annoyed me in that match. It wasn't just the "Bradshaw beat Bradshaw" line, but the whole lead-in to it, as well. He said something like "JBL dominated this match." Way to fucking make Punk look like a bitch. The sooner we get JBL kicking Jerry Lawler out of the commentary booth, the better. Just use Lawler for WWE.com shows with Jim Ross, and maybe have him work the occasional match instead of Jim Duggan.

It is not the right time for a RAW Scramble Match. Punk, right now, needs to look as strong as possible. If he "loses the championship," even if he gets it back at the end of the match, he will look really papery. Punk needs to either last the whole 20 minutes champion, looking dominant (which defeats the purpose of holding a match with those stipulations) or he is never involved in a fall when he loses the belt, and then gets it back to his name pretty much immediately after.

There are just too many ifs buts for this match, though.

[Mr. Pierre]

I actually think they are doing a good job booking Punk up until this point.

He won the belt using MITB when he didn't have much momentum at all (losing in tag matches and to Kane on ECW). Ever since, JBL was the #1 nay-sayer about Punk's title reign, and at one of the biggest PPVs of the year, he got a completely clean victory over him.

JBL seems like Step 1 in Punk's title reign, and eventually I think he will have the belt long enough to where he can hang with anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few months they go Punk vs. Batista to headline another PPV and Punk goes over him, just to show how Punk started out as this "survivor" Champion but now he's improved drastically.

If this is a long term reign with some slow build working towards Punk being taken seriously, then I'm all for it. I mean, I think it would be a bit ridiculous seeing CM Punk instantly getting clean wins when his title reign was originally called a "fluke".

But, now it seems like they are slowly crawling away from that, as Punk is knocking off JBL pretty regularly now, and eventually he may hop to Kane, then maybe Y2J or Orton. By the time he faces the latter part of that list (which I really hope he holds the belt long enough to) I think he will be a credible World Champion.

[Kane Knight]

We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgement of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again

The change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fold, that's all
And the world looks just the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they are flown in the next war

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
No, no!

I'll move myself and my family aside
If we happen to be left half alive
I'll get all my papers and smile at the sky
Though I know that the hypnotized never lie
Do ya?

There's nothing in the streets
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Are now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

[Jeritron]

It's working just as well as Benoit's, or Jericho's, or most smackdown title reigns of the past 5 years.

A title reign only works when the title is treated like its a big deal, or THE big deal. When the championship comes secondary to "more important" main eventers, who don't have the title, it suffers. It's not the fault of who's holding it

[Kane Knight]

It's like WWE sabotages the talent they don't like, and then blame it on them when it doesn't work out. Idiots.


It's like it, except Vince likes Punk.

Given that Vince also has a huge hardon for Rey Rey, it's not too hard to conclude that it's not so much sabotage as it is myopia. They seem to think this is a good idea.

[addy2hotty]

Simple fact is, he's not main eventing as the World Champion. Simply because he was not a main-eventer when he didn't have the title. He's still not main eventing now. Edge had been in various high profile feuds when he won the big one. Punk hasn't been in any. Even now. As a result, the crowd don't really give a shit as they all realise he's a transitional champion.

I can see him winning the scramble in a vain last ditch attempt to make him a popular champion but it won't imo work. Even his interviews aren't written particularly well. He even agreed with JBL that he was a lucky champion (well didn't argue the point anyway).

Admittedly, the booking isn't his fault. But that doesn't change the fact that he doesn't have 'it'.

[Stickman]

I'm liking him as champ but agree he could be booked better.

[Jeritron]

Addy2Hot, that's a stupid fuckin remark. You just have never liked the guy and you have a vendetta against him from the start. You seem to deny, or not like, when something positive happens involving him or the crowd. Guys like Benoit and Jericho were main eventers, and would have been if they were booked in it, but instead were given the world title and it was treated like a secondary title.

The WWE title meant as much int he grand scheme as the IC title did when they held that.
When you put a Cena/Batista fued, or a HHH/HBK, or Hogan/Rock fued on the card, and make it more important, then the title struggles. Not the champion. And as a result they are hurt.

[addy2hotty]

Addy2Hot, that's a stupid fuckin remark. You just have never liked the guy and you have a vendetta against him from the start. You seem to deny, or not like, when something positive happens involving him or the crowd. Guys like Benoit and Jericho were main eventers, and would have been if they were booked in it, but instead were given the world title and it was treated like a secondary title.

The WWE title meant as much int he grand scheme as the IC title did when they held that.
When you put a Cena/Batista fued, or a HHH/HBK, or Hogan/Rock fued on the card, and make it more important, then the title struggles. Not the champion. And as a result they are hurt.

Which remark, the last one? Or the one about the crowd?

A 'vendetta' - against a character in a TV show? I can't help but laugh at that comment. The fact that I pretty much agree with you for the rest of it also makes me laugh.

He wasn't built well enough for me to give a shit about him. If I watched Raw and Raw only and didn't indulge in the IWC then all I'd know about him is that he was at Survivor Series once, lost a lot to Chavo Guerrero and won MITB. Visited Raw now and then, mainly losing. He then came to Raw and won the title pretty much immediately in a heel like 'oppotunist' way.

Not really a lot to give a shit about there. Had they built him right and had him on the show beating main eventers then I'd give a shit.

That doesn't take away the fact that I don't think he has 'it'. I didn't think Kennedy does, MVP does or many of the 'new order'.

So how about you get down off your fucking throne and understand that I have an opinion about a wrestler that differs from yours. That's not a vendetta for gods sake, that's a DIFFERING OPINION.

[Jeritron]

Well often times when people are opposed to something, and don't like it, they'll be unfair in their view and treatment of the subject. Yes, you have a vendetta to the person, or character/material, if you will.
You not only dislike him and want him to fail, but because of your dislike, anything that happens you'll find a way to criticize or discredit.

[addy2hotty]

Well often times when people are opposed to something, and don't like it, they'll be unfair in their view and treatment of the subject. Yes, you have a vendetta to the person, or character/material, if you will.
You not only dislike him and want him to fail, but because of your dislike, anything that happens you'll find a way to criticize or discredit.

What rubbish. You are almost describing me as a bully. Way way over the top.

He's not been a good champion so far. Not his fault.

He doesn't have 'it'.

Those are the opinions I have mentioned.

Try harder next time.

[Kane Knight]

Well often times when people are opposed to something, and don't like it, they'll be unfair in their view and treatment of the subject. Yes, you have a vendetta to the person, or character/material, if you will.
You not only dislike him and want him to fail, but because of your dislike, anything that happens you'll find a way to criticize or discredit.

Read: I'm biased, so you must be too.

[Fox]

Punk hasn't done anything impressive yet. No standout promos, no standout matches. WWE isn't helping him at all, putting him as 4th banana last month behind the WWE Title, Batista/Cena and UT/Edge. I'm not saying those weren't good matches (well, the last two), but they don't need to neglect their World Heavyweight Champion like this. Having him constantly jerk the curtain, giving him less air-time than fucking Kane, who is a major loser (no offense to his fans), and basically giving him sugar and water and asking for lemonade. You need fucking lemons, WWE.

Punk has proven in the past and on the indies that he can work the mic, but they don't let him do that in the big time. He's proven he can have a fantastic, lengthy match given a stellar opponent to work with, but they give him fucking JBL and Batista.

Punk deserves better, and call me a cynical bastard, but in the current state of pro wrestling today, this is the best he's probably going to get.

Batista takes the belt at Unforgiven and Punk fades to the mid-card... wait, he's already there.