WHY, PUNK, WHY? (SERIOUSLY…)
There was no need for a disclaimer on yesterday’s column. It still applied after C.M. Punk’s interview. Punk and Cena will still wrestle in Chicago, except now OHMYGOD PUNK MIGHT SHOOT WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN?!?!?! If Cena loses the title to a departing Punk, Cena gets FIRED. Let’s follow up the groundbreaking shoot promo with a trite, corny stipulation.
Honestly, I’m not sure exactly what the purpose of Punk’s promo was.
The delivery was excellent. The passion, the articulation, the earnest nature – there aren’t many better than Punk.
But the majority of the audience had little idea what Punk was talking about. Let Impact book for the IWC. WWE has prospered by booking for the casual fan. This was a rare departure from that. Let’s see how effective it is.
Who cares if it shocked those backstage? John Laurinaitis gets in free. Who cares about working the boys? Even the densest mark knows THE MINUTE SOMETHING GETS ON TV, IT’S A WORK. If Punk’s promo was a shoot, his mic would have been cut RIGHT AWAY. Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar…why invoke guys who aren’t there? THEY CAN’T DRAW MONEY.
There’s a chance that the quality of the promo and Punk’s charisma will push the promo’s effectiveness past its content. But when Punk talks about being oppressed by the boss – about working for an idiot and a doofus – isn’t that a babyface promo? Isn’t Cena the babyface, albeit a babyface with tenuous fan appeal right now? Is Punk turning? Given Cena’s unintentional slow flip, isn’t that counterproductive?
Everyone loved the promo. Me, too. But does it get WWE to where it wants to go? Where, exactly, is WWE trying to go?
Hey, this may all turn out great. But last night – within the context of drawing money, I didn’t get it. I enjoyed it. But I didn’t get it.
If Punk delivered one clear message last night, it was: WWE NEEDS TO RE-SIGN C.M. PUNK. Right now, he’s the best they’ve got. If quibbling over ownership of his stage name is worth his departure, then WWE is, indeed, run by idiots and doofuses.
Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM, Pittsburgh, PA (105.9). Check out his web page at WXDX.com. Contact Mark by emailing [email protected].
