Did CM Punk's promo on RAW go too far?
 

There was a bit of a debate that didn't really take off in tonight's Raw thread, so I thought we could revisit it here.

Do you guys think that CM Punk making fun of Jerry Lawler's heart attack in his promo was going too far?

Personally, I don't. It was the best promo I've seen in ages.

What do you think?

Fuck no.

Whoever complains needs an injection of vitamin chill the fuck out.

No, I'm sure Lawler was okay with that (That shit is so Memphis Wrestling). The fact that they not only filmed ACTUAL video of him almost legit dying (in HD NO LESS) and aired it is unforgivable and disgusting. That is some carny ass bullshit that has absolutely no rhyme or reason. Vince is a fucking scummy bastard.

It's pretty sad that they have to resort to this because Punk is such a ratings killer and nobody gives a flying shit about this vanilla midget.

I saw this, and love it. Had a Bossman-Big Show vibe to it. I was rolling because it was condoned by Lawler and he even made cracks about it throughout the night, like when the ambulance showed up. Good stuff on Raw for once.

It does sort of smack of desperation.

I can see that side of it, but at least they didn't completely ignore the fact that Punk and Lawler already had beef before the heart attack.

I kind of wonder if King's cracks, like the "Here's my ride." (which had me nearly in tears laughing for some reason) may have been a subtle way for him to show he was okay with it. Off topic but did anyone else notice Cole was still trying to be nice to King for a bit then shifted gears back to "business as usual"?

I think it was in poorer taste for Ryback to say "you're dead" to Brad Maddox and then do the British Bulldog's running powerslam.

I'm sure Lawler was ok with it too, but it did bother me a little bit.

"Who cares about the number of minutes someone was dead for???" and "You show some respect to Paul Heyman. He just had a heart attack. I brought him back to life." made me laugh out loud.

:lol:

CM Punk, not really.

Heyman, yeah- it's fucked up mocking a heart attack. Even if he was okay with it, people lost loved ones and don't need to be reminded of that shit via mockery. I wouldn't 'ban it' but it's fucked up and low.

Such a DAMNinstor post

CM Punk should be more sensitive to all the people killed by the GTS and their families.

Dumb kids doing dumb shit doesn't qualify.

It was lame. Cheap heat.

I hate Punk, but can admit he is good enough promo wise that he doesnt need to resort to that shit It just came across as desperate.

He doesn't have to you're right. That's why it makes him even more of a heel for doing it.

Punk is gonna show up next week on Raw wearing a rival teams jersey

Cheap heat can have its place. Its just that instances like this, just like the Bossman/Big Show saga, just didn't feel right and went that bit "too far" beyond entertainment into touchy subject territory

Who are the rivals for people in Dayton, Ohio Gertner?

Well I remember the Dayton Bombers ECHL hockey team had a FIERCE rivalry with the Cinninati Cyclones.!!!!

lmao I love Gertner. When he's not being overly racist.

AlGertoooooooo Dellll Rioooooooooo

Too far? Nah. He did what he was set out to do, cause controversy. At first I didn't believe they were going there, being "PG" and all. I'm going with Thrilla here, best promo in quite some time, pissed off everyone and got people buzzing. I wouldn't be surprised if an outlet like TMZ picks up on it, or something stupid like that.

I'm offended by Mick Foley coming down and trying to make himself relevant again.

I thought it was in pretty bad taste really. Even if King said he was fine with it we don't know if he really was. Same thing as when they turned his mother dying into a storyline. Takes a lot to say no to Vince and a team of writers with all that pressure on you to say yes and then if you say no you get accused of being selfish for not putting the company first, etc. But whatever, it's done now and back to business as usual. Nobody will even remember him having a heart attack or this angle in a month's time.

I was a little uncomfortable once Heyman started faking the heart attack. The worst part was WWE airing the footage and the sounds Lawler made. In the end I was ok though.

Don't care about the taste, but it was pretty dull until Foley came out.

Was only watching Raw to see what they did with Maddox and then... Nothing happened. I don't know why I bother getting intrigued by their plans anymore.

I guess betting a million dollars on Ryback beating a scrawny wimp is better than betting 100 million dollars that a Republican can beat a Democrat in CT.

Sort of thought they would have a SummerSlam 1993 reversed decision after Ryback gave him the meat-hook outside the ring. Or had a ref DQ in the match for Ryback breaking the rules.

That match did nothing for Ryback in my opinion. Don't think the story is over yet though because of whatever the meeting with Heyman was about. Maybe Heyman planted steroids in Rybacks locker.

He got his brains beat out........ What do you mean nothing happened?

Am I the only one that was waiting for shell shock on top of the ambulance that never came?

I didn't think the promo went far enough. It needed Katie Vick.

Nothing interesting I mean. Thought something would happen, especially when Heyman talked to him. Then... Just a straight dull squash. They may as well not have bothered other than to fill some time.

I loved it, but it was definitely in poor taste overall. Can see why others would be put off by it.

It was certainly Lawler's call at least. No way they would have done that without his consent...hell he probably requested they do something like that. Timing couldn't have been anymore perfect either, zero chance they would have done that a week ago right before the election.

This. I was very entertained by 85% of the segment, but the Heyman heart attack was a little much (though I loved Punk's reactions after), and the actual Lawler footage was WAY too far.

Overall, though, it was a great TV moment between Lawler, Punk, and Foley.

Yeah I kept waiting for SOMETHING to happen, and Ryback to get screwed over somehow. Instead it ended up being more like Ultimate Warrior vs. Larry Jones from WWF All-American Wrestling.

Larry Jones was awesome!

lol if I was a heel I would do that every week.

Jerry is alive so no it did not cross any lines. I was bored by the segment though.

Somebody had to get the Lawler heat.

Look, would you rather have Punk come out and get desperate/cheap heat with Lawler, or have Cena come out to try to get desperate face heat with Lawler?

WWE universe, (boooooooooo), I know you all have a lot of differing opinions about me (boooooooooooooooooooooo), but this isn't about me, this is about Jerry Lawler (serious face)

I am here to rob a face pop from you. (salute) LET'S HEAR IT FOR JERRY LAWLER!

(ryback comes out)

Oh shit, it's Ryback, one of my opponents this weekend! Everyone, cheer for Ryback! (double point) Feed! Me! More! Feed! Me! More!

REMEMBER THE FALLEN

never forget

You're being a queer right now. Consult a girlfriend.

If you watch it again, before Punk starts to get absurd, Punk pauses, and for a split second looks like he can't believe what he's going to say.

Yah, AT is acting like a 10 year old who doesnt know wrestling is real right now. What in the fuck seriously.

Was nothing really, I have a sick sense of humour anyway like when Orton said Eddie was in hell a month after he died.

:y:

It was brilliant. The close of the show with Cena/Ryback playing Tug of War with the belt and CM Punk looking like they were raping his kitten and eating his sister was amazing. Make it where they hate the bad guy, tease the bad guy getting his comeuppance, he gets a dose of comeuppance on free TV to entice you to order the PPV to see him get what he finally deserves...BOOM.

The actual video of the timeline stuff was a bit "intense", but I imagine they did that to hammer home the point that this was not only very fucking real, but that Jerry Lawler literally cheated death.

That was a different in that Eddie was DEAD and the emotions of that were still very fresh and flowing. For example, if CM Punk had done this promo the week after Lawler's heart attack I would have found it unacceptable. Timing and context are everything.

Did you even read my post? I thought it was great.

No I think showing the actual footage of Lawler almost dying was worse considering that wasn't really needed at all. They could have started at Cole and JR welcoming back Lawler and it would still have achieved the same result of making Punk look like a real asshole without needing the actual video footage being shown.

Heyman faking the heart attack was bad but part of their mockery against Lawler.

Not at all.

Jerry Lawler obviously knew beforehand that Punk would bring it up, and so I see nothing wrong with it. The fact that we are talking about it means that it can only be a good thing.

Back in the early 90's, Sgt Slaughter was an Iraqi Sympathizer for fucks sake, lol.

I believe when Paul Heyman faked a heart attack, that really made me sick to my stomach. Punk's promo was decent, but Heyman took it too far, in my eyes.

The idea of someone acting like they're having a heart attack for the sake of a joke makes you sick to your stomach? Or the fact that they pretended to do it in a malicious way?

Heck, I can respect that.

cheap heat
http://blog.johnmanno.com/wp-content...ds/Matches.jpg
They put an old lady through a table, had multiple miscarriages, a fake gay marriage, two lesbians getting beaten up by two big ass Samoans, had a snake bite a man on tv, tombstoned the wife of the owner of the company, threw two people into a dumpster that got pushed off the stage, hijacked a funeral, ruined multiple weddings, lit people on fire, made fun of alcoholics.... did Punk's promo go too far? No. It's a show, not a shoot. It was meant to get heat. Besides, there have been far worse in the industry. Flair getting put in an asylum, Fritz VonErich faking a heart attack, Vince McMahon's fake death, Abdulah the Butcher getting thrown into an electric chair, Judy Bagwell on a pole... it's just cheap heat.

Everyone is missing the biggest question of all.

After their history leading up to Lawler's heart attack,

HOW THE FUCK COULD PUNK NOT GIVE THAT PROMO???

If you don't understand that simple bit of business then you have no idea how wrestling works, plain and simple.

Lawler was allowed to go out and give his heartfelt promo. The opening chords of "Cult of Personality" were the announcement that the show was about to continue. Only thing I didn't like about it was that Heyman's act went on too long when it was obvious what was happening.

Also, FourFifty, you forgot defiling graves, abducting and attempting to forcibly marry women, staking a child's custody on the outcome of a match, devil worship, killing pets, testicular electroshock, attempted vehicular homicide, putting God in a tag team match, forming a fraternal organization around salad tossing, crucifixion, and David Arquette. None of those things particularly bothers me in the theater of the absurd that is wrestling, but any one of them is easily worse than "ha ha you had a heart attack."

Haha, god in the tag team match is classic. Wonder if he gets into the HOF? xD

Wow. You would think someone like him would be understand the work-side of the angle..... then again, I guess that is why WWE is as big as it is, and JJ is where he is.

Like Eric Bischoff's book is titled "Controversy Creates Cash".

And on the "cheap heat" thing. So what? It might be cheap but it's easily understood by that receiving crowd too.

No one bitches about "cheap pops" from faces, unless it is Cena doing it.

Bingo.

And as much as it wounds me to invoke Jim Cornette, he never wrote the sequel entitled "quality creates cash."

"Paul you gave me a heart attack". :rofl:

I thought the whole segment was great. Lawler got his heartfelt speech in, Punk cut one of the most malicious, sickening promos a heel could cut, and Foley showed that he can still bring intensity to a promo like no one else.

The whole segment did drag on a bit, but I was hooked the whole time, anyway. I wouldn't say it went "too far", just that it went a little "too long".

But anyone offended by that segment need to stop being pussies. It's a fucking show. There is nothing, and I genuinely mean nothing, funny or entertaining about Lawler's heart attack. But he survived. He's with us today, and in the wacky world of professional wrestling, anyone with half a braincell would realise how easily something like this could be used to benefit someone.

I mean, look at it this way. He survived the heart attack, yay, good for him, we can all go home happy, OOOOOOOOOORRRRRR he survived the heart attack, now let's see if we can put that to good use somehow, and try to make the most out of a bad situation.

QFT :y:

I thought punks promo was great, the shit with Heyman, I didn't think it was too far, I just thought it was stupid, although it did make Punk's interactions with Foley funnier. Foley needs to retire. He looks ancient. And fat.

Out of shape fat, not Foley fat.

What I don't get is how this is all supposed to be PG. No swearing, blood, sex, etc...

So why do they do this kind of shit then? I find this to be a whole heck of a lot worse than some of the stuff they are trying to take out of the program.

It just pisses me off because they pigeon hole themselves SO MUCH because of things they can't do and then they do something like this?

There was actually both blood (Brad Maddox) and the notion of sex (the AJ scandal) on last night's show as well.

Thing is, it didn't offend me- I just thought what Paul did was screwed up. I like the guy and get the idea behind him being this evil guy. It's still not entertaining to see if somebody recently died. I mean imagine seeing your mother have a heart attack, a few days later RAW comes and you think you'll just chill out and see that shit? Just saying.

And the WWE says one thing about losing sponsors, banning most head shots, most blood, toned down language... but faking a heart attack won't piss off some people they care about?

And what about TEH CHILDREN? BAH GOD!

Seriously though, that might not be cool with way more people than some blood or a swear word here and there.

Looked like Regal's chest was bleeding a wee bit as well.

\

Yes, WWE and all forms of entertainment should avoid any and all situations that may potentially offend or bring back bad memories to any viewers. WWE and all forms of entertainment should avoid causing any emotional reactions other than joy or apathy.

Besides memories, I think flipping the bird every once in a while isn't nearly as bad as mocking someones almost death and if they could do that without caring about pissing off sponsors- I'd like to see a step into more edgy programing/dialog.

Yeah, the guy who has the best mic delivery of your entire company (when Rock's in Hollywood) should retire even though he's not wrestling.

He was the bright spot for me of the entire show.

I think WWE should apologise to all the old ladies who have been put through tables.

Disagree. Wasn't into Foley at all while he was out there. Maybe it's because he doesn't have the freedom he used to with his promos, but I didn't enjoy it.

They should also apologise to anyone who has been mugged by multiple opponents, only to be saved by someone they used to have a huge rivialry with.

I don't know what the fuss is all about :-\

He saved a man's life. #CPR

In all seriousness, I did feel a bit uncomfortable but I cannot deny the fact that it was ridiculously shocking. It captivated me (and my roommate) for a while.

Besides, CM Punk is known for going to terrible heights to gain heat. This wasn't as good as Punk singing "Happy Birthday" to Rey Mysterio's daughter.

I love intense Foley a lot more.

Doug Dillinger behind that guy?

REMEMBER THE FALLEN

What about "crucifying" SCSA

Let us not forget all the people who really have been forcibly humped by Viscera.

Big Show riding the casket of his father with Bossman driving away was also perhaps a bit distasteful.

And put on poles as a prize in a sporting event.

If it happened in a movie, would you find it as bad?

Unless you just meant "distasteful in a broad sense but who cares?" in which case, yeah.

Lol I agree with what you're saying.

My comment was a subtle attempt at being tongue-in-cheek in a DrA like fashion. :p

Big Show riding his dad's casket and Bossman forcing his mom to admit his dad wasn't his real dad before looking in the camera and saying "You hear that! You're a big, nasty bastard and your mama said so!" were both fucking hilarious by the way.

And the tragedy of all those dogs served to their owners.

RIP Pepper.

Stick to your QUESTIONS, buddy.

nothing will ever make me feel more awkward than watching mae young try to put together a coherent sentence.

Nothing? Nothing at all?

If anything, Punk didn’t go far enough...