THE "OFFICIAL" CM Punk thread

[FearedSanctity]

Although I do think he will be leaving, I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed.

All I know is either way, I win. He can go on to have great matches and find a way to continue this story in the indies, or the story could continue in WWE and who knows? Maybe lead to even better things

Although my money would be on them to fuck it up eventually, as usual

[Mr. Nerfect]

Imagine this:

* Money in the Bank, a babyface wins the Money in the Bank Ladder Match on the RAW side. I think Kofi Kingston would make a fine choice to elevate, because I feel he's got the natural likeability and charisma to match appropriate ring skills and promo ability to fill the role; but a safer choice would probably be Rey Mysterio -- who is still capable of churning out great matches, and moves a lot of merchandise.

* CM Punk takes out Mysterio backstage prior to his WWE Title match. "There's no way you're taking my title from me tonight, Rey!"

* CM Punk and John Cena is the match we all expect it to be. Vince McMahon marches down to ringside. He orders the referee that this is a No Disqualification Match. He grabs a steel chair and Cena tells him "Not this way," and Vince backs off, but when Cena goes to pick up Punk, Vince nails him in the back with a steel chair. A GTS later and CM Punk is the new WWE Champion. Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler & Booker T don't know what to make of this. Vince then gets on the mic and screams in John Cena's face "You're fired!"

* On RAW, CM Punk and Vince McMahon come out together and Punk essentially lets us know he played us all for fools. He proved that we are fickle, will cheer or boo anybody, and have no clue what we really want -- something he and Vince understand completely. Vince says that he and John Cena were never friends. He and Stone Cold Steve Austin were never friends. He and The Rock were never friends. Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan? Never friends. He saw them all the same way he sees John Cena -- as an investment. But WWE stock is down, PPV buyrates are down and television ratings are down. The man that helped him realise that is CM Punk -- a bankable man if there ever was one. The Cena era is over, and the Punk era begins! Punk says that this current WWE Title belt is against everything he believes in, and represents an era so corrupt it needs to be purged. He tosses down the current belt, and unveils a new one. Vince and Punk shake hands, and Punk assures us "Don't worry. You'll all be cheering me again whenever I decide to get on this microphone and tell you that I was only using this old bastard."

* John Cena then rushes through the crowd and jumps the barricade, but security immediately jumps on him. Punk tells him that this isn't a Nexus-style firing. This is for real, John. You're done. Security is holding Cena and Punk nails him in the head with the WWE Title belt as Cena is unable to defend himself. Punk then tells security to let him have it, and they beat-down Cena. Punk then tells them to take Cena to the top of the stage. Punk says that this is all his now, and tells Cena to get the hell out of his company. He then tosses Cena off the stage.

* Cena gets the time he needs to rest up his injuries, before finding a way back into the company to challenge Punk and McMahon, while Punk goes on a tear as the biggest heel in the WWE for a long time.

[Rock Bottom]

So what is everyone most afraid will happen on Sunday in contrast to your hopes?

The worst thing I can think of is just total abandonment with some big fat AA pinfall, Punk leaving, and Cena saluting and running down to the ring turbo charged on RAW, cutting a promo about how he hustled, loyaltied and respected during the whole CM Punk issue and then accepting Dolph Ziggler's challenge for the WWE Title at SummerSlam.

[Tazz Dan]

Why is this unstickied now?

[seapig4]

I know this probably is in another post somewhere but do you guys think that punk may leave and then "invade" wwe with colt and the kings of wrestling?

I don't really think it will happen and personally think that punk will be gone for at least a year to get some R and R, but after reading reports of the big E's possible interest in these guys it seems like an idea the E could use.

[Londoner]

There's an "OFFICIAL" Punk thread for a reason.

[seapig4]

Originally Posted by TL There's an "OFFICIAL" Punk thread for a reason.

Couldn't be bothered to look sorry

[Tom Guycott]

Originally Posted by seapig4 I know this probably is in another post somewhere but do you guys think that punk may leave and then "invade" wwe with colt and the kings of wrestling? I don't really think it will happen and personally think that punk will be gone for at least a year to get some R and R, but after reading reports of the big E's possible interest in these guys it seems like an idea the E could use.

Answer:

Originally Posted by Tom Guycott I see this a little differently. It's time to cue up: [wishful thinking] Punk does "leave", in the same manner that Daniel Bryan was "fired". He takes the belt (i'm not going to paraphrase Vince Russo from Bash at the Beach again, but you get the idea) and we don't see it again. He gives it that re-design he touched on in tonight's promo gold. Possibly chucks the spinner off the "Roody-Poo Bridge". Punk actually gets to "leave" with the belt in the way Heyman described the "Sandman's blind" angle, where Sandman stayed home to sell it. He gets to defend it in a way similar to how the whole Tazz/Awesome thing went down over the ECW belt. This sells he's actually "gone from WWE", gets the internets abuzzed with "how much of this is a shoot?" and an "embarassed" Vinnie Mac eventually "re-signs" Punk, Cabana, and possibly by the sounds of things, The Kings of Wrestling. Cena gets "fired" (read: they finally give their workhorse a well deserved gorram vacation) to have The Rock come back, close to next year's Wrestlemania, of course, to get him "re-hired" for that match. And we see a return of the WWE Ice Cream Bars. [/wishful thinking]

[Londoner]

Originally Posted by seapig4 Couldn't be bothered to look sorry

Was only the first thread on the page! But whateva.

[Innovator]

CM Punk Interview with GQ. Everyone read it.

GQ: One of the things you said last night was that you made the WWE socially relevant, that the only times it's socially relevant are when you're talking and when somebody dies. Do you care to expand on that?
C.M. Punk: I think pro wrestling—for some reason, our company doesn't like to call it that, but that's what it is, so that's what I call it—it doesn't seem to get a lot of mainstream attention until somebody dies. There's a negative connotation to that, but Randy Savage just passed away of natural causes. The poor guy was driving his car, and he had a heart attack. I think that was the last time we got any mainstream attention. And then all eyes are on the program, to see whether they're going to do a memorial. Are they going to forget about this guy? Are they going to pretend he didn't contribute to their product? It's not just the negative stuff with stupid wrestlers dying in stupid ways. Savage was all over ESPN. Local news reported it. It was a big news story. They don't report what happens on every other "Monday Night Raw."

GQ: Why do you think that is?
C.M. Punk: Pro wrestling has always been ingrained into American culture. It was one of the first things that was ever on television, so everybody watched it. Countless people tell me, "I got into wrestling because my grandfather watched it." It was always there. No matter how much people want to pretend that they're embarrassed by it, that they don't watch it, everybody knows about it. It's truly, I believe, one of the only art forms that America has actually given to the world, besides jazz and comic books. The media, no offense, likes to latch onto negative stuff. They're not going to report that—there's no truth to this story; I'm just using it as an example—that John Cena and his wife just had an eight-pound baby. But you'd better believe that if somebody dies, they're going to report it.

GQ: But when a story comes along that captures people's imagination, like what you're doing now, it does become relevant. How does that not happen more often?
C.M. Punk: That is a fantastic question. I don't have the answer. If it happened more often, it wouldn't be as special, right? I hear a lot of people compare what I did three weeks ago to Stone Cold Steve Austin. Everyone's just waiting for that next polarizing character. I think that's why this worked. I've been saying I'm that guy for five years. Different people are afforded different opportunities. I've been given some awesome opportunities, and I feel that I've always knocked them out of the park. But I've always been scaled back after that. This time, the genesis of it is that I'm leaving. I'm done. I'm tired. "What are they going to do, fire me?" That's been my attitude for months and months now. That finally resonated through the television screen. And that's something that everyone in this economic world can 100% relate to.

GQ: Is that parallel to Austin why you wore a Stone Cold Steve Austin T-shirt when you were delivering that promo?
C.M. Punk: I do a lot of weird little things like that because people talk about it. I don't think it's any secret; I think the biggest match any wrestling company can do right now is C.M. Punk vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin. I've thought that since I was 15. I'm straight edge. I don't drink. I don't do drugs. I don't smoke. And that is the perfect protagonist or antagonist to Stone Cold Steve Austin, depending on how you want to spin it. It writes itself. You would have to try really, really hard to fuck that one up. The idea of being on television is to wear your T-shirt so people see it and maybe buy it. I had gone out previously in the night and wrestled. You throw your T-shirt on the ground, and I don't know what the hell happens to it after that. I came to the back, and I was looking for another T-shirt. I sent somebody to go and get one, and they came back with a XXL. I was like, "I'm going to be swimming in this thing." And it's always creepy when you're wearing wrestling trunks with a shirt because it doesn't look like you're wearing any pants. I had a Stone Cold Steve Austin shirt in my bag, and it fit me. I chuckled to myself and put it on. Am I planting seeds? I don't know. I can't guarantee to anybody that that match is going to happen. Do I want it to happen? Absolutely.

GQ: In pro wrestling in general and especially with you right now, it's hard to tell how much of what's on TV is a storyline and how much of it is actually happening. But you're really done with the company for now?
C.M. Punk: How much is real? That's 100% real. That's not to say that there are still not negotiations. It's not like I'm leaving and they're like, "Good. Go fuck yourself." I think that's why this whole thing works. I'm not doing my job if people are like, "What you do is fake." And literally people on the street are confused, generally, for the first time. That's a great thing. The funny part about it is that you're going to have your staunchest critic who says that it's all scripted. It's not! Dusty Rhodes told me a long time ago that the best promos come from the heart. You watch anybody who's ever cut a meaningful promo, and it means something to them. Everything I've said isn't somebody else's words that they put on paper. They tend to hand me things like, "Here, say this," and I'm not saying any of it. If I went out there and laid an egg, if what I did was boring TV and nobody cared and nobody was talking about it, somebody would probably be pissed off. But I went out there and seemingly turned the place on its ear, and I have yet to hear one negative thing about any of it. I don't really think Vince McMahon cares. The bottom line is making money. I'd like to think that that's what I did. Whether it's real or not is almost irrelevant, but I think people can see through it and realize that yeah, this guy's pissed off, this guy's fed up. They can relate to that.

GQ: Are you at all surprised at the enormity of the reaction?
C.M. Punk: Yeah. I'd like to go out there and do that all the time, but that's just not the case. So to actually strike that nerve is tremendous. Right after that night in Vegas, we hit the ground running. We flew to Australia the next day, and that's a 15-hour flight, so that's 15 hours of everybody talking about what I did. And when I landed in Australia, I wasn't really turning my phone on because of the roaming charges. People started emailing me and texting me. Jim Rome wants me on his show, and all these ESPN people are talking about it. Bill Simmons is writing about it. I wasn't on the nine o'clock news or anything like that, but it seems like I made it socially relevant for the first time in a very long time.

GQ: You've talked a lot about your treatment within the WWE and the way the company generally runs. How could it be done better?
C.M. Punk: A lot of the people who are in charge—and this isn't a negative thing—are old. They have a wealth of experience, yes, but there's no youth that's involved in anything. The youngest people there are all performers. I don't envy their job, trying to get inside somebody's head and figure out who they are and what their character is. It's a nerve-racking thing when you first get there. If you're like me, this was your dream job; you worked 13 years to get to where you are. The normal course of action is mouth shut, eyes and ears open, not stepping on toes. But that's how you get ahead. A squeaky wheel gets the grease. If something sucks, I've always been completely vocal about it, and I've been punished many, many times because of that. But I don't think I'd be in the spot I'm in right now if I wasn't me. I've always just been me. I don't think we should be looking externally for talent; there's plenty of guys and girls in house that are super-talented that we don't do enough with. A guy like Evan Bourne, who's a fantastic high-flyer, does the most fantastic stuff on the roster. I could go on: Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Beth Phoenix. There's Nattie Neidhart, Tyson Kidd. Tyson Kidd is a fantastic wrestler, maybe not the greatest promo. So let's help him. Let's teach him to get better instead of signing someone from Europe who failed at Euro football. I could talk about this forever. Part of it is that there's no territories; there's no place for people to learn. And the places that people can learn aren't the best, and they're completely looked down upon. Like independent wrestling. It's easy to shit on people from a great height, but it's another thing to pull them aside and try to impart knowledge. And I've been on the other side of the coin where I try to help somebody out and they blow me off like they know everything.

GQ: When you say you've been punished, what does the company do?
C.M. Punk: We have dress code violations. For a while, the big thing was that people who wear suits get ahead. I'm not a suit and tie kind of guy. I wear a suit once a year, for the Hall of Fame, or if I have to go to a funeral or something. It's just not me. And I think our travel is ridiculous enough. When we go overseas, it's sometimes two flights to get to where we're going, a three-hour bus ride, and then you're in a hotel for four or five hours. You have to eat and try to work out, and you're lugging your bags around. And you're getting the crap beat out of you on a nightly basis. The last thing I'm worried about is wearing nice, uncomfortable shoes. I've never worn a dress show that's been comfortable. I've always just worn dress shoes. On more than one occasion, I've heard that a champion should dress like a champion. But I'm a champion because of who I am. Who I am is not that guy. If everybody wears three-piece suits, everyone looks the same. When you hear "C.M. Punk," what do you think of? I'm covered in tattoos. For a while there, I had a crazy hobo beard. And you want me to shatter that illusion I'm projecting by wearing an Armani suit? Not only am I not that guy; that doesn't make sense business-wise for me.

GQ: When somebody like you comes from the indies, how do you even get a shot in the company at all?
C.M. Punk: I'm a very goal-oriented person. In 2004, I was working for [independent wrestling company] Ring of Honor. I didn't create the place, but I'm proud to say I'm one of the guys that made it a hell of a place to work, for young guys to learn. We did a lot of awesome stuff there, and I helped out. And I was really bored. I'd done everything: Been to Japan, been to Puerto Rico, wrestled in Europe. Every company that I was ever in, I'd become their champion. And I have a very strong bond to the old school. I'm friends with a lot of legendary wrestlers that I respect, like Harley Race. I look at what they did, and what they did is so drastically different to what an independent wrestler did in 2004. Me and my friend Colt Cabana were working four days a week, which is insane and unheard of. But then you look at guys like Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair, who wrestled every day of the week, twice on Saturday, and twice on Sunday. I craved that. I always said that I was born 20 years late; I would've thrived in the territory days. But I was bored. I needed something new. I set the bar high: Working with the WWE. I figured out that if I went to work there then, they'd say I'm not big enough, so I kicked my own ass and got into mega-shape. I ordered my own gear. They contacted me, and I said, "Give me three months to get into shape, so when I go there, you can't say no." That's what I did. In any situation, the cream rises to the top. I didn't have an easy go of it; they hired me and sent me into their developmental system. But I've always worked my ass off. I'm never satisfied. It's like that now; that's what keeps driving me. And I think that's how I worked here, because I don't take no for an answer.


GQ: When you look back at your time with the WWE, what were your proudest moments?
C.M. Punk: I will always say that my proudest moment was just being C.M. Punk. When I started wrestling in the backyard with my buddies, I was C.M. Punk. When we didn't know anything about the wrestling business and decided that we needed to run shows because we were awesome, when we built a wooden ring and eventually bought a ring and started running shows—these untrained goofballs that we all were—I was obsessed with being the best wrestler. I think it's an awesome story, that I've been C.M. Punk since I was 15, and that I went from rolling around in the backyard to Wrestlemania. I'm extremely proud of that. I've always been me. The last three weeks of my career, I've cut some of the best promos I've ever cut, and I do consider myself to be a promo guy. Winning the Heavyweight Title for the first time, when I cashed in on Edge, was awesome. The fact that I can work with anybody, from Undertaker to Big Show to Rey Mysterio.

I don't want to sound egotistical, but I'm egotistical to an extent. If you're in this business and you don't think that you're the best, or want to be the best, then I don't know what you're doing. I would never be happy with just coming to TV tapings, not working house shows, and just getting by, staying in the shadows. I'm proud of the fact that I can turn chickenshit to chicken salad.

GQ: What are some of your lowest moments in the company?
C.M. Punk: I'm not Superman. Eventually, the grind gets to you. If you're away from your friends, you're not traveling with anyone you like, and you're doing stuff that doesn't creatively stimulate you, that's when it becomes a job. Sometimes, I think it's easy to see who's talented and what works. Oftentimes, they go the other way, and that's frustrating. I was really bummed when Cabana got fired. I didn't feel like it was my fault, but maybe there was something that I could've or should've done to prevent it. He's a super-talented guy. I'm brutally honest; he knows that. I can look at him and be like, "Maybe trim up, work out harder, do more cardio." But when he's in the ring, he's the most entertaining guy. A company slogan is "We put smiles on people's faces." That's what that guy does, and he does it with his wrestling style. It's amazing. I was so bummed when he got fired because I want the best for my friends. If I could somehow trade places with him, I probably would, just so he could experience what I have. He deserves it. My buddy Luke Gallows got fired; that sucked. I was with the company when Chris Benoit's murder/suicide went down; that was a pretty fucking low point in everyone's life. I still can't explain that one. A lot of people don't like to talk about it. It still blows my mind.

Professionally, what bums me out is not feeling like they ever really got behind me. My fan base, how I became popular, was really despite them. It was very organic. Instead of giving me the ball and letting me run with it, they would give me the ball to keep it warm for somebody else. I always just want to be the guy.

GQ: When you finished up your big promo and went backstage, what was the atmosphere?
C.M. Punk: Gorilla position is our central base of operation, right behind the curtain. It's called that because that's where Gorilla Monsoon, a legendary wrestler, used to sit and watch all the matches. That's where the wrestlers come in and out. I cut that promo, and my mic was cut off. I knew we were on the air, and it didn't make sense for me to walk back through there. There was going to be a lot of angry people waiting for me. So I jumped off the ramp, double birds in the air: "Fuck this place, I'm leaving." I walked out a side ramp, and I actually walked past this gigantic group of people who were all waiting at the bottom of the stairs in Gorilla to see me coming out. I walked out and got to see everyone's legit reaction. It wasn't like, "Oh, he's coming," stone-faced. I walked behind people, and they had their hands on their heads, eyes wide open, looking around like, "Did you hear that?" I loved it. It couldn't have been any better. If I can do that with employees, I was immediately thinking that maybe we did that with the live audience. And you couple that with the millions of people watching on television throughout the world—somebody in Egypt is probably sitting their, hands on their head, mouth wide open, calling their friends. By the time I left the ramp and got to my phone, I had more than 200 text messages. It's a great feeling.

GQ: What kind of reactions have you gotten from your co-workers?
C.M. Punk: Nothing but positive stuff. Everybody wants to say what I said. There's a lot of unrest. There are a lot of people who are unhappy. I don't want to say I'm their hero, but a lot of people have said that. It's not like we work for a tyrant. It's like this in every job, I think. There's certain people who are afforded privileges and maybe, maybe don't deserve them.

GQ: When you do these promos, you weave in a lot of subtle references and inside jokes. Do you plan all these out?
C.M. Punk: No. Planning stuff out sucks. If you plan stuff out, you wind up talking in a very monotonous, unnatural way. For some reason, talking is easy for me. Practice does make perfect; I've been doing it for a while. Being out there in a high-pressure situation with a live audience and a live TV camera on you, it brings something out. It's very organic. Obviously, I think about what I'm going to say. But no matter what I think I'm going to say, Vince McMahon or whoever I'm out there with could say something, and it would have zero relevance to what he just said. I don't know an actor in Hollywood that could do what we do. For all of our superstars and divas who need improvement, they're still light years ahead of anybody in Hollywood. I don't think you could grab a Tom Hanks, and five minutes before he's supposed to go on television, hand him a five-page script. That's a meltdown. It's what I do. I can't explain it, really.

GQ: It was interesting watching you talk with McMahon. There seemed to be a little feeling-out period for the first couple of minutes...
C.M. Punk: And then it opened wide. I've always wanted to be in the ring to do stuff with Vince; I don't think there's anything bigger than that. But I've never been given that opportunity. So I'm not slowing down. Last night was that situation. I was going to go out there and do nothing but hit a grand slam.

GQ: Is he someone you feel comfortable talking to?
C.M. Punk: Yeah. He intimidates a lot of people. I'm certainly not intimidated, but he does have a very strong presence. If you ask for five minutes, he'll say he's got a TV show to write. But he's not really blowing you off. He's got a TV show to write. Only a few people can really command his attention, and I certainly couldn't do that when I first got here. I can definitely do that now.

GQ: What made you demand the return of WWE Ice Cream Bars last night?
C.M. Punk: If I have Vince McMahon over a barrel and he wants me to re-sign—If I'm Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James, everybody wants me, I can get whatever I want, and I'm this prick douchebag—I'm going to ask for ridiculous stuff. The idea came from those crazy rock and roll riders: "I need a football field of green M&Ms." But I actually love those ice cream bars, and I would love to see them come back. And I'm always trying to crack up whoever I'm in the ring with. I think Vince subscribes to that theory, too. He's calling me "Phil." But that's the chemistry. It's just fun.

GQ: You always hear backstage stories, like about people like the Undertaker or John Bradshaw Leyfield being hardasses who keep everyone in line. What do you think your reputation is backstage?
C.M. Punk: I don't know, and I would hate to assume. I would love to find out, though. Obviously, guys like Bradshaw and the Undertaker have been with the company for decades, and they're good at what they do. They don't suck. They're fucking awesome; that's why they're here. If they have something to say, I would like to think that somebody's going to listen. I'd imagine I fall somewhere in between hardass godfather type and the who-the-fuck-does-this-kid-think-he-is guy. There's a lot of times when I'm throwing a fit because everyone has completely destroyed the locker room. I'm in these locker rooms more often than I'm sitting in my living room. To get back from working a main event match, where you're hungry and tired and hurt, and everyone's already left the building, there's luggage bag-tags, half-eaten food, sweaty wrist-tape, shit strewn all about—I'm that guy who says, "Hey everybody, we're going to have a meeting, and I'm going to tell you to clean up the fucking locker room." It never gets done; it's one of those things. I would think that is the genesis of adapting a leadership role in the WWE. I don't think the Undertaker was like that when he first got here. Imagine him when he first walked in the building. There's Jake Roberts, Jimmy Snuka, Hulk Hogan, all these guys. They're probably looking at him like, "Who's this new kid? I gotta put him over tonight?" I'm sure he was quiet, too. But then eventually, all these people fall to the wayside. I'm the old guy on the road now. We were just in Australia, and somebody on the babyface bus comes up to me and says, "Cena was at an appearance this morning, so do you know who was on the babyface bus with the most seniority? Kelly Kelly." Your ascension as a locker-room leader is one of those things that naturally happens. I would like to think that, instead of being the guy who yells at them to pick shit up, maybe they look at me as a leader. But maybe that's premature in my career.

GQ: So there's really a babyface bus and a heel bus?
C.M. Punk: Absolutely.

GQ: Which one has the better atmosphere?
C.M. Punk: I don't know, depends on who you ask. The business has changed a lot. It used to be about bragging rights between the buses, about who partied harder. Now, I'm the only heel who's awake on the bus; everybody is passed out asleep. I can only comment on the heel bus. I wouldn't set foot on that other bus.

GQ: Who do you hang out with on the bus?
C.M. Punk: I miss Luke Gallows. There's really nobody I hang out with on the bus.

GQ: In Australia, somebody caught you on camera calling a ringside fan a "homo." When it went public, you apologized for it immediately. What brought that on?
C.M. Punk: It was just me doing my job, being a bad guy. I'm glad you mentioned something. When I saw that TMZ picked it up, because what a salacious story, I was legit embarrassed. My best friend Chez, ever since I have known her, has tried to curb anyone around her from using any gay slur. It's something that slipped out, more in reference to the guy's faux-hawk. It's not like he said anything that made me mad. It was just a back-and-forth that everybody was enjoying until I slipped and said something that could potentially damage somebody. I wasn't proud of it. I have gay friends, and sitting there in Australia, I was immediately thinking, "What are they going to say? Are they going to be disappointed?" Before I even talked to anybody in the office, I went to Twitter, and I apologized. It wasn't a public relations statement. It was just that I fucked up.

GQ: Now that you're ending your time with the WWE, do you have any plans for the future?
C.M. Punk: I have no plans. Cabana was fired on a Friday and wrestling on a Saturday. That is not going to be me. I haven't talked to anybody. Nobody's contacted me. I'm positive that people will try to contact me on Monday, but I just want to sit on my couch. That's kind of the idea. I've been doing this for a long time with no break. Especially over the last year, I had an elbow surgery and narrowly avoided hip surgery, so all my downtime's been used up by rehabbing so I can get back in the ring. And I never missed a beat; I was doing commentary with my cracked-up hip. That wears on you after a while. I'm looking forward to not setting an alarm, not flying anywhere, not having a schedule. I think everyone's dream is to do nothing. I want to have time off and not be injured. I want it to be summer vacation, where I don't have anything to do for three months. I can do anything.

GQ: Are you set for life? Could you never work again?
C.M. Punk: I don't know if this sounds bad, but I am set, yeah. I don't spend my money. I don't buy cars or have an expensive drug habit. The only thing I've ever bought with the money I've made is my house. My car was paid for in 2005. I don't like having debts. I don't like buying anything that I can't buy in cash. I didn't have a credit card until about a year ago. I'm not going to say I'm fortunate, because I've sacrificed a whole ton, but I'm set.

GQ: Does that have any appeal for you? Never working again?
C.M. Punk: No. Everybody jokes with me that I'm going to go crazy in the first week, and maybe I am. But maybe that's what I need to experience. I've never not done this, whether it was because I needed to pay bills or because I was so passionate and obsessed about it. But I think I'm reaching a point where I can step away and where I need to step away for a while.



Read More http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/20...#ixzz1SCrddmYR

[Rammsteinmad]

Interesting read. This whole reputation he has of being 'honest' certainly shows in how he handles himself.

I'm gonna wait until Sunday to see what happens. The stuff he said about sitting around doing nothing sounds legit, but at the same time this is CM fuckin' Punk. The guy isn't stupid, and that could just as easily be him further playing into the whole 'I'm done with WWE' thing.

[Poit]

Originally Posted by Innovator We were just in Australia, and somebody on the babyface bus comes up to me and says, "Cena was at an appearance this morning, so do you know who was on the babyface bus with the most seniority? Kelly Kelly."

I don't know why I'm finding this so funny.

[Emperor Smeat]

Originally Posted by Innovator GQ: You've talked a lot about your treatment within the WWE and the way the company generally runs. How could it be done better? C.M. Punk: A lot of the people who are in charge—and this isn't a negative thing—are old. They have a wealth of experience, yes, but there's no youth that's involved in anything. The youngest people there are all performers. I don't envy their job, trying to get inside somebody's head and figure out who they are and what their character is. It's a nerve-racking thing when you first get there. If you're like me, this was your dream job; you worked 13 years to get to where you are. The normal course of action is mouth shut, eyes and ears open, not stepping on toes. But that's how you get ahead. A squeaky wheel gets the grease. If something sucks, I've always been completely vocal about it, and I've been punished many, many times because of that. But I don't think I'd be in the spot I'm in right now if I wasn't me. I've always just been me. I don't think we should be looking externally for talent; there's plenty of guys and girls in house that are super-talented that we don't do enough with. A guy like Evan Bourne, who's a fantastic high-flyer, does the most fantastic stuff on the roster. I could go on: Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Beth Phoenix. There's Nattie Neidhart, Tyson Kidd. Tyson Kidd is a fantastic wrestler, maybe not the greatest promo. So let's help him. Let's teach him to get better instead of signing someone from Europe who failed at Euro football. I could talk about this forever. Part of it is that there's no territories; there's no place for people to learn. And the places that people can learn aren't the best, and they're completely looked down upon. Like independent wrestling. It's easy to shit on people from a great height, but it's another thing to pull them aside and try to impart knowledge. And I've been on the other side of the coin where I try to help somebody out and they blow me off like they know everything.

I wonder if this is actually something Vince worries about as well since the future plans is to hand the company off to Steph and Triple H but at the same time they won't have their own group they can develop and need to rely on an ever-growing older base for experience. It would give them instant experience but at the same time lacks fresh ideas or stuck in the old-style for wrestling.

Triple H already copied one thing from Vince with the idea of only having 1 masked wrestler to sell masks and pander to the Lucha or Hispanic markets instead of having a few masked wrestlers as insurance in case one gets hurt like Mysterio did a lot recently.

TNA also has the exact same problem so its not just a WWE issue with them only relying on both older wrestlers and management/writers for experience.

[The Naitch]

I believe it when Punk says he will be gone for a while

[Rock Bottom]

He put his money where his mouth is so far. My first idea of his refusing to want to sign and complaints about not feeling treated well enough was that he was just being burnt out, bitter and unrealistic. Now he cuts a promo (not that he hasn't done anything else that was good) and just launches this enormous buzz and angle, has everyone paying attention.

Not bad at all. He was pretty accurate when he said he was in touch with what fans actually like. Always gave the guy credit, but now he's just undeniably great. Especially when he's coming across as a diamond in the rough. Even in the attitude era that so many of us cling to, this would have stood out.

Point being, if he is gone, even if it's just for a while, I'm pretty sure there's going to be a guy whose goal in life/entire job damn near is to harass CM Punk about signing back with the WWE. He talked a lot about wanting to be the best, be the guy. You don't do that with your thumb up your ass in your living room, rich or not. I believe him when he says he wants it, and I hope after time off he'll just say fuck it and come back with a lot more bargaining power and do more great things.

I sure as fuck hope he ends up as a creative guy when he's too old to wrestle, on an off note. It'd be a nice thing to look forward to, whatever the climate then. And if we're really going to be super old men that still watch wrestling.

[XL]

He should take time out...and write an autobiography.

[Shadrick]

I had a dream that it went down like this.

Kofi wins money in the bank for the reasons Noid said.

Punk/Cena have a great match. Punk is put in the STF and Vince runs down and orders them to ring the bell. Punk is screwed. Vince is elated, Cena looks sort of shocked, Punk looks dejected.

Vince is happy as shit, thinking he's got one over on Punk. Punk begins to leave the ring, when he turns around and is laughing almost hysterically. Punk gets on a microphone in the middle of the ramp, all while walking backwards up it slowly, and says "I bet you think you won, didn't you Vince? You think I really give a shit about that title? If it wasn't going with me, It was gonna go into the hands of one of the voiceless. One of the people like me that put up with your shit, only in hopes to grab one of those imaginary brass rings. If I won, I'd leave with the title. But in the event that I lost...well....say hello to my insurance policy."

And thats when Kofi's music hits. He walks out slowly with the case, and gives a nod to Punk, his former tag partner with Nexus behind for enforcement. Nexus incapacitates McMahon so there would be no second screwjob. Cena tries to get his little Superman burst of energy but to no avail. Kofi reverses the Attitude Adjustment. SOS. Kofi is the champion. Punk put over his old tag partner on the way out, one of the voiceless as well that he didn't mention.

Next night on Raw, Kofi comes out, similar to Jack Swaggers demeanor after he won the title. Still happy Kofi, but def a bit more serious with that belt. His new music was:



I woke up like "fuck, i wish it would go down like that"

[Xero]

Not sure if it was mentioned outside of activating it immediately, but I could easily see them running an angle where Punk walks out with the title and Vince firing Cena on the spot. Then Monday on RAW, after Vince had been in meetings with lawyers all day, he announces that despite Punk not having a contract with WWE, the contract he signed for the match included the rematch clause, and Punk is required to give John Cena his rematch.

And right there you have your SummerSlam main event. You don't even need to have Punk show up on RAW. You could have him no-selling Vince for a while, through no-showing rematches on RAW and whatnot, then have a video surface online of Punk cutting a promo about it. I wouldn't even have Punk live in the arena until SummerSlam.

And it would basically be a "do or die" situation again. If Cena loses, he's fired, because there are no more loop holes. If Punk wins, he's allowed to walk.

Of course, this would all lead into the aforementioned screw job angle at SummerSlam, where it's revealed that Punk has been in on it with Vince this whole time.

Honestly, there's no way to bring Punk back unless he's in cahoots with Vince. Well, they can ignore it, but there's no GOOD way to do it. After all he's said, it'd look really shitty with him just returning randomly at the Rumble or something.

Unless Punk is leaving for good, Punk eventually has to be in on it with Vince. Maybe not at SummerSlam, but it eventually has to happen.

[CSL]

I believe we are simply going to see Cena pin or submit Punk, maybe even physically remove him from the building and TPWW is going to have a meltdown for the ages

[Londoner]

Originally Posted by CSL I believe we are simply going to see Cena pin or submit Punk, maybe even physically remove him from the building and TPWW is going to have a meltdown for the ages

yup

[Xero]

LET ME DREAM FOR ANOTHER 27 HOURS DAMN YOU!

[Londoner]

Originally Posted by Xero LET ME DREAM FOR ANOTHER 26 HOURS DAMN YOU!

CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS CENA WINS


(this will haunt you in your dreams after sunday, count on it!)

[Xero]

From Chavo's Twitter:

Ok, don’t “Fin” say that ppl will talk about this for years if you’re going to let Punk do all the work and not deliver at the PPV, Cena. I am tired and I know fans are tired of WWE Superstars talking big and not delivering. We don’t want to see some1 just in a fight. And frankly no1 believes it anymore. If Miz can kick your ass then the clerk at the store can kick your ass, so plz deliver if u say that Ppl will remember this PPV. U know Punk will bring “it”. I’ve been in the ring with both of u & Punk has “it”. Cena u have mic skills yes But if u think ppl believe your BS lazy comeback that u do exactly the same every match then u are mistaken. Eddie & I taught u different. We never said “get lazy” & do the dame thing every night. We always said” think out of the box” & give the fans what they deserve & not rely on the “machine”to ” get u over”. I hope this lights a fire under your ass & U deliver this Sunday. Dont just rest on U being over cuz u are & that is easy. Challenge yourself & give the fans what they deserve. That’s why they boo u. Because they aren’t stupid. They know what The sacrifice of the fans trust is not worth it. Deliver on your fans & deliver on why U got into this business.Eventually the fans that U have gained with from the purple t-shirts will turn on U. Take a lesson from the Hulkster. Give the fans there $ worth and dont become Just Another “promo” guy. I know u love this biz & dont get distracted from the McMahon $. Deliver plz!! Have enough respect for your fans Cuz without them, you’re working at a fast food chain. Love u man & I support u & hope u see this cuz I know Punk will & I know he’s going to bring it cuz he’s got nothing to lose!

[CSL]

Originally Posted by Xero LET ME DREAM FOR ANOTHER 27 HOURS DAMN YOU!

I think we could definitely see Punk over and then a cash in. I think anything else is wishful thinking however. That said, none of it is wishful thinking like DAMN iNATOR who has Cena tapping out to the Anaconda Vice

[Xero]

Yeah, honestly, I don't see Punk walking out with the title. I do see him winning it, but they'll get it off him somehow. And if they don't at the PPV, it'll be on RAW for sure.

[tjmidnight420]

I think Punk's taking a Jericho type break (as in the first time.) He'll come back to wrestling because he loves wrestling, and sadly his art reaches the most people where he's at now. I know it won't go down in any spectacular way, and Chavo's probably right on with how the match is gonna end, but for perfect booking they should do it this way (in my opinion):

Heels win both MiTB matches. The main event comes up, and it's allotted a nice chunk of time, but not too much because we all know what happens when Cena gets too much time. Vince winds up at ringside to see Cena tap to the Vice. Vince immediately fires Cena and says that he expected that to happen.

Cue the Raw MiTB winner's music. After another hard fought battle Punk pulls out the win, and Vince is irate. "Alright.. I kind of expected that too." Cue the SD! MiTB winner's music as Vince pulls his shirt and jacket off to reveal a referee shirt. This match ends with Punk's opponent laid out after taking the GTS and Vince refuses to make the count. Punk grabs the belt and leaves through the crowd.

The next night on Raw Vince announces that since Punk didn't finish the last match he's being stripped of the title. Vince announces a tournament that will end at Summerslam to crown a new WWE champion. Cena is thrown into the tournament due to his rematch clause with the stipulation that if he loses he wont be back. The Rock costs Cena the win at Summerslam but makes it a point to let Vince know that their match at Mania is going down or there's gonna be someone sued.

So with this scenario we get: A new WWE title. John Cena gets a vacation until Wrestlemania (hopefully). And most importantly a way for Punk to come back when he so desires that doesn't make the whole thing seem retarded: He's the real WWE Champion. When he comes back Vince could state that Punk got everything he wanted to come back, and strip the reigning champion to give the new belt to Punk, which gives him a feud when he comes back.

[XL]

That's the worst idea I've read yet!

[Corporate CockSnogger]

Worse than my idea of Tiger Ali Singh beating Punk and Cena to win the title?

[Shadrick]

Originally Posted by CSL I believe we are simply going to see Cena pin or submit Punk, maybe even physically remove him from the building and TPWW is going to have a meltdown for the ages

If they do that....I...just....

[CSL]

completely ignore the hottest build up to a PPV in a long time and the quality of the match itself because the result of the main event didn't go how you wanted it to?

[XL]

You know it!

[Rock Bottom]

Originally Posted by CSL I believe we are simply going to see Cena pin or submit Punk, maybe even physically remove him from the building and TPWW is going to have a meltdown for the ages

If this is another match where Cena gets his ass kicked for 20 minutes, goes "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," does his doom set, and gets the pin with an AA, I'm going to soak some tampons.

Please stop reminding us that Santa isn't real. WE NEED THIS.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Originally Posted by CSL completely ignore the hottest build up to a PPV in a long time and the quality of the match itself because the result of the main event didn't go how you wanted it to?

Well, kinda, yeah. I mean, if a trailer for a movie looks amazing, and then it ends with the main character revealing that they were just crazy all along -- you have the right to be upset, I believe.

Now, if Punk is actually leaving, then it would be nothing but risky business to put the WWE Title on Punk. It'd just be messy stuff. Cena should retain, but there are ways to do it. Personally, I like the idea of Vince McMahon screwing Punk, and Cena protesting it on RAW. Vince is a heat machine, and Cena might actually get cheered telling him off and saying that Punk got screwed.

After some time off, Punk can return as this white-hot babyface who wants a piece of Vince. Wrestling seems to be Punk's life, and unless he makes it his mission to get ROH noticed, Punk will likely return to the WWE. Imagine a post-WrestleMania return next year, after Cena has dispatched of The Rock, with Punk returning and attacking McMahon. It looks like Cena is in support of Punk, but then turns on Punk and reveals he was in on it all along.

[Rock Bottom]

Originally Posted by Noid Imagine a post-WrestleMania return next year, after Cena has dispatched of The Rock, with Punk returning and attacking McMahon. It looks like Cena is in support of Punk, but then turns on Punk and reveals he was in on it all along.

Why would you wish images like this upon another human being?

Let me clarify. It would make some kind of sense. Cena just seems like a main event X-Pac now. I'm supposed to like heels, damnit.

[CSL]

Originally Posted by Noid Well, kinda, yeah. I mean, if a trailer for a movie looks amazing, and then it ends with the main character revealing that they were just crazy all along -- you have the right to be upset, I believe.

Dunno. You know Bruce is going to save the day at the end of his films but it doesn't make Die Hard any less glorious. As long as Cena/Punk "bring it" and do what they're supposed to (namely "get them"/the audience/tear the roof off), I couldn't care less how the match ends/who goes over. My qualm is the fact that Cena and Punk could have the greatest match of their respective lives, Punk could have a million nearfalls where everybody thinks he might actually win, they could make Shawn Michaels look like Jackie Gayda and to so many, that would all be negated simply if Cena wins.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Cena should win, don't get me wrong. It's the only thing that makes any sense. You don't put the WWE Title on a guy who could never return to the company again, or even work for the competition. The WWE will already be hurting without Punk, let alone with Cena looking like he's worse than a guy essentially from the past. It's all about how they do it, though. I'm fine with Cena winning, personally. But there's a chance to make this deliver in a way that previous Cena victories have not.

[The Naitch]

Originally Posted by Noid I'm fine with Cena winning, personally. But there's a chance to make this deliver in a way that previous Cena victories have not.

Cena should turn heel that night. WWE loses Punk, but they gain a Cena heel turn for the ages. You lose some, you win some.

I dunno, this situation really has a BATB 96 vibe to it, for some reason.

[Shadrick]

Originally Posted by CSL completely ignore the hottest build up to a PPV in a long time and the quality of the match itself because the result of the main event didn't go how you wanted it to?

I'll say the movie was amazing up until the ending and it was a cop out and thus a disappointment, and Ill have the right to say that.

[Londoner]

CSL defending boring Cena matches, how shocking. We have a right to bitch if it just ends up the same old shit, yet again.

[Londoner]

Originally Posted by Xero From Chavo's Twitter: Ok, don’t “Fin” say that ppl will talk about this for years if you’re going to let Punk do all the work and not deliver at the PPV, Cena. I am tired and I know fans are tired of WWE Superstars talking big and not delivering. We don’t want to see some1 just in a fight. And frankly no1 believes it anymore. If Miz can kick your ass then the clerk at the store can kick your ass, so plz deliver if u say that Ppl will remember this PPV. U know Punk will bring “it”. I’ve been in the ring with both of u & Punk has “it”. Cena u have mic skills yes But if u think ppl believe your BS lazy comeback that u do exactly the same every match then u are mistaken. Eddie & I taught u different. We never said “get lazy” & do the dame thing every night. We always said” think out of the box” & give the fans what they deserve & not rely on the “machine”to ” get u over”. I hope this lights a fire under your ass & U deliver this Sunday. Dont just rest on U being over cuz u are & that is easy. Challenge yourself & give the fans what they deserve. That’s why they boo u. Because they aren’t stupid. They know what The sacrifice of the fans trust is not worth it. Deliver on your fans & deliver on why U got into this business.Eventually the fans that U have gained with from the purple t-shirts will turn on U. Take a lesson from the Hulkster. Give the fans there $ worth and dont become Just Another “promo” guy. I know u love this biz & dont get distracted from the McMahon $. Deliver plz!! Have enough respect for your fans Cuz without them, you’re working at a fast food chain. Love u man & I support u & hope u see this cuz I know Punk will & I know he’s going to bring it cuz he’s got nothing to lose!

hahaha