TPWW Forums - View Single Post - I feel like something's "missing" with CM Punk right now...

**Mr. Nerfect** · 04-23-2012, 10:22 AM

I entirely get what the WWE is going for. Punk just wanted it to be about who was the better wrestler, but Jericho upped the ante by trying to psyche Punk out as part of his game; and now Jericho's a bitter loser having tapped to Punk at WrestleMania. But I feel that the WWE either needs to go one of two routes with Punk and commit:

1) CM Punk beats Chris Jericho at Extreme Rules and kicks the living shit out of him. This would be a moral victory for Punk in his hometown and reinforce that he's "The Best in the World" and we should all buy his t-shirt. The only thing is that with Punk having done some despicable things in the past (and the WWE having a pretty interesting article about it on WWE.com at the moment), he should try and capture some of that edge back that Stone Cold himself believes is missing by going after Jericho some more after kicking his ass. Have Punk insult Jericho's family, and really rub salt into the wounds of Jericho. No, not as a double-turn; but just as a babyface who does not take shit from anybody, and for whom merely winning a battle in the war is not enough.

Of course, this goes against usual babyface morality, and the WWE is probably very reluctant to do that; but Punk's audience has always been that audience that appreciates "grey areas." The WWE can either embrace that or try to widen Punk's appeal, in which case:

2) CM Punk shows some vulnerability to Jericho and has a reason to drop "pipe-bombs" and generally be an unpleasant guy. It shouldn't be clean, but if Jericho stole the WWE Title from Punk, then it'd give Punk a gripe and something to chase -- and babyfaces are usually better in the chase. Punk losing to Jericho would give Jericho something to hold over Punk and give us that old story of redemption against the tyrannical villain who usurped the throne.

Either way the WWE goes, I think a reason people aren't feeling "connected" to CM Punk at the moment is really because his story is at a path where it can go one of two ways, and the WWE hasn't really committed to either, yet. Well, actually, I think it will go down a third path of Punk beating Jericho and then acting like nothing ever happened -- which I think would be a lateral move for the character.

04-23-2012, 10:22 AM	#13
Mr. Nerfect Posts: 61,634	I entirely get what the WWE is going for. Punk just wanted it to be about who was the better wrestler, but Jericho upped the ante by trying to psyche Punk out as part of his game; and now Jericho's a bitter loser having tapped to Punk at WrestleMania. But I feel that the WWE either needs to go one of two routes with Punk and commit: 1) CM Punk beats Chris Jericho at Extreme Rules and kicks the living shit out of him. This would be a moral victory for Punk in his hometown and reinforce that he's "The Best in the World" and we should all buy his t-shirt. The only thing is that with Punk having done some despicable things in the past (and the WWE having a pretty interesting article about it on WWE.com at the moment), he should try and capture some of that edge back that Stone Cold himself believes is missing by going after Jericho some more after kicking his ass. Have Punk insult Jericho's family, and really rub salt into the wounds of Jericho. No, not as a double-turn; but just as a babyface who does not take shit from anybody, and for whom merely winning a battle in the war is not enough. Of course, this goes against usual babyface morality, and the WWE is probably very reluctant to do that; but Punk's audience has always been that audience that appreciates "grey areas." The WWE can either embrace that or try to widen Punk's appeal, in which case: 2) CM Punk shows some vulnerability to Jericho and has a reason to drop "pipe-bombs" and generally be an unpleasant guy. It shouldn't be clean, but if Jericho stole the WWE Title from Punk, then it'd give Punk a gripe and something to chase -- and babyfaces are usually better in the chase. Punk losing to Jericho would give Jericho something to hold over Punk and give us that old story of redemption against the tyrannical villain who usurped the throne. Either way the WWE goes, I think a reason people aren't feeling "connected" to CM Punk at the moment is really because his story is at a path where it can go one of two ways, and the WWE hasn't really committed to either, yet. Well, actually, I think it will go down a third path of Punk beating Jericho and then acting like nothing ever happened -- which I think would be a lateral move for the character.