Skip to main content

Punk/Straight Edge

Here's a debate a few of us had drunk last night: did Punk's straight edge lifestyle directly lead to his departure? Everyone raved about how healthy & "younger" he looked on Talking Dead after only a relatively short time off. Do you think he hit a point where he was so banged up, but didn't have the old school (and awful) avenue of booze & pills to recover? Wrestling's need of an off season aside, isn't it better that a smaller guy like him walks away for a while instead of making terrible decisions?

Of course that led to an awesomely terrible confession that I fear for Daniel Bryan's life and concern he'll end up like he who shall not be named but only featured on the network.

Tackle any and all of these ramblings.

-Ronnie Vod

Oh, clearly Punk trying to fight through injuries and road life and banging hot skanks without painkillers was a major contributing factor to his burnout and troubles.  I don't think any sane person blames him for his decision.  

Comments

  1. He jut wanted to be in the main event Ronnie.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really wish Bryan would not do the headbutt. I realise he does it differently to Benoit by landing on his shoulder, but even still, there are hundreds of other moves to choose from.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm not straightedge by any stretch but I give Punk props for not compromising a life principle just to keep getting paychecks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't mind him breaking it out for Mania or other special events, but I don't think it should be part of the daily moveset.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's not just the flying headbutt, I mean all spots are dangerous, I just wished Bryan, Benoit and Dynamite wouldn't hit it in every single match and only save it for the big matches.

    And I know Bryan's flying headbutt is safer than Benoit's, but at the same time I always get that eerie feeling when I see him hit it and that spot usually takes me out of his matches.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What is it with people worrying about wrestlers' health? They're men, not Make-A-Wish kids.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dude. I've said that before but I don't think its a welcome/popular opinion here.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think most people have this twisted fantasy where they're Daniel Bryan's grandma and you can see where this is going.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yeah man, screw caring about people we enjoy watching well being. I mean shit, they get paid if they end up dead in a ditch with a needle in their arm, then so be it. Compassion is for pussies!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think Daniel Bryan is the Ricky Morton of today's jaded wrestling audience.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Harley Race did a diving headbutt and he hasn't killed anyone. Its not good for Bryan's neck (we assume, we can't feel what he feels when doing it) but there is more than just doing that headbutt that made Benoit kill.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think people have a weird reality disconnect where they pay to see people take bumps, love huge spots, fell in love with the product when blading and head chair shots were commonplace....
    But then pretend they really care about the guys' health.
    Shoot, I usually watch in order TO see guys get hurt. ECW and Attitude era were amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Maybe because a lot of us grew up with wrestlers being like superheroes and now that we're more aware of the industry, we've seen the long term ramifications of it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. It is this weird thing normal human beings do that separates us from serial killers.

    ReplyDelete
  15. C'mon! Race just looks like the kind of guy who had to disappear a hooker after a rough night back in the 1970s.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What kind of sex do you people engage in that requires painkillers?

    ReplyDelete
  17. I should have but "and he hasn't killed anyone....allegedly." My bad.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I like the emailer adding that they were drunk when having this discussion, as if that had any sort of relevance to his email.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sex with your Mom.

    ReplyDelete
  20. "Harley Race did a diving headbutt and he hasn't killed anyone."


    While I doubt headbutts had anything to do with it... there is no way anyone can tell me Harley Race hasn't legit killed a guy.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Please also remember the not murdering lots of people. If you had forgotten that part.

    ReplyDelete
  22. No way wrestling should have an entire off seasom, that would just leave to much money on the table, but I thunk they should give guys mandatory time off every so often, say 3 months.

    The competition for pushes, payouts, tv time is so intense, it seems like most of these guys just keep going until they are at a breaking point. Most aernt in the cena/Punk position to where they can take voluntary time off and be 100% secure in their spot.

    Take the option out of their hands and mandate like 3 weeks off every 90 days

    ReplyDelete
  23. I don't like mom jokes but this one made MRI chuckle out loud.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Yep, most of those guys were getting stale anyway. BRING ON THE NXT GUYZ!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Makes us think they are super cool.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Dudes dying in the 40s and killing themselves and their families are kind of disconcerting.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Just something I remember out of the blue, Didn't Benoit request and got granted 3-4 months off in 2006? Sadly, I guess that wasn't enough.

    ReplyDelete
  28. If not an off-season, then they should cycle guys in and out better and also do a better job of having big annual events to look forward to.


    e.g. Punk goes for a 3 - 6 month sabbatical in the same week/month as someone(s) of equal value return. Maybe Jericho, or Jericho and RVD both return. Then by the time they're wrapping up their run you start running promos for the return of Punk.


    Given how interchangeable their roster is these days, this is a rare example of this working for them. You could have multiple Goldbergs on your roster at once (e.g. Ryback, Big E, Rusev) and cycle them in/out.


    Plus it would mean that in those rare times when wrestlers A AND B are BOTH back at once that omg-they-might-have-a-match!!!! feeling I miss so much, might return.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Completely agree. I meant staggered time off so wwe can still do shows and run full time. It would also make guys seem a little fresher upon their return if they'd just be off tv every so often.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Apparently Nancy pushed him to do it to help her with her neck surgery recovery (which was extensive). I'm sure with Benoit's intensity, he didn't want to take time off (he was miserable back in 2001 after neck surgery).

    ReplyDelete
  31. lol. I think painkillers are considered the new party drug like coke in the 80s. It gets girls to the table--it doesn't make them want sex, but you have them all fucked up and ready for anything at least.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Indeed. Considering WWE's continual self-fellatio over being the longest consecutively running unscripted sports entertainment... in American TV history, they're often bafflingly lousy at yer basic TV tropes.

    This is the one aspect I actually think TNA beats them on today.

    ReplyDelete
  33. "Apparently Nancy pushed him to do it to help her with her neck surgery recovery"

    Reading this out of context is fucking weird.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I think you have a weird twisted fantasy that you're Daniel Bryan's grandma.

    ReplyDelete
  35. "Banging hot skanks." Man, casual misogyny sure is great.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I think Punk's biggest beef was being stuck in quicksand/hitting the glass ceiling/whatever metaphor you choose for not being able to advance past a certain point. In the last year he saw that no matter how over he got, how great a performance he put on, he wasn't going to ever get the chance to be the #1 or even #2 guy. Cena will always be up there and then the other spot will be taken by HHH, Rock, Batista, Shane O' Mac, Val Venis, or whatever other star they drag back from a previous era.

    ReplyDelete
  37. this!

    that's why I am really glad they "toned" down the über-crazy high spots and usage of weapons (especially chairshots to the head).

    ReplyDelete
  38. You're right, which makes me wonder how high up Daniel Bryan can go. He'll never supplant Cena but I feel like he's surpassed punk.

    ReplyDelete
  39. it might also make the shows much more interesting because the characters are less likely to get stale.

    ReplyDelete
  40. exactly. for example, imagine 2013 would have consisted of Cena, Sheamus and Punk rotating in the top babyface spot (while building up Bryan for the coming "time period").

    ReplyDelete
  41. This is PRO WRESTLING. What did you expect?

    ReplyDelete
  42. On his list of fantasies, that wouldn't crack the Bret Hart sized list of weirdness.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Porn-Peddling Jef VinsonMarch 25, 2014 at 9:06 AM

    I call shenanigans. These is no way Punk could have screwed Lita without painkillers to offset the burning sensation that would have set in 3 days afterwards.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Porn-Peddling Jef VinsonMarch 25, 2014 at 9:08 AM

    Welcome to the inner-city neighborhood of the average major city.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Porn-Peddling Jef VinsonMarch 25, 2014 at 9:10 AM

    Agreed. I ain't diving headfirst into anything unless it's Layla's pu-
    ***PLEASE STAND BY***

    ReplyDelete
  46. They get to 40? Usually it's the much younger ones... well, at least the ones you hear about.

    ReplyDelete
  47. We should be concerned about them too.

    ReplyDelete
  48. There's gotta be some bodies buried in that bbq pit.

    ReplyDelete
  49. You will be Straight Edge after BoD 'Mania when you have finally been... SAVED

    ReplyDelete
  50. Sane people have actually accepted that crazy spots aren't worth it.

    ReplyDelete
  51. It does amaze me how Punk has led a clean life but looks like a heroin addict, imagine what he'd of looked like if he did become a drug abuser or alcoholic (or both?).

    ReplyDelete
  52. More excuses for the internet's favorite whining douchebag.


    Plenty of other level-headed people who aren't such assholes that literally their entire family hates them get along just fine without drugs.


    I hope someday he does come crawling back, and with any luck they'll be smart enough to never give him a push or a belt because who knows? He's proven himself a guy that will walk out when the company isn't catering to his every self-absorbed demand.


    Good freakin' riddance.

    ReplyDelete
  53. He's unpleasable. There is seriously no way to make that guy happy. They gave him the longest title reign of most fans lifetimes and it still wasn't good enough.

    ReplyDelete
  54. I flip flop on my opinion on Punk way too often to contribute anything meaningful to this thread.

    ReplyDelete
  55. I suppose. I think they are, and frankly the sport isn't as fun as it was when they were prevalent. But I guess that's why I also prefer UFC these days. Those are TOUGH dudes. Did you see what happened to Anderson Silva???

    ReplyDelete
  56. Yep, and I loved his insistence on being the absolute #1 tippy top guy, while reminding people every single month that he'll likely retire sooner than later. SMART!!

    ReplyDelete
  57. ARRRRGH THE BARBARIANMarch 25, 2014 at 10:14 AM

    99.9999999999999999999% of those "level-headed people" aren't wrestlers. I'm pretty sure most of those guys are on something. Looking at John Cena's recovery times, I'm not saying it was aliens, but it was probably HGH.

    ReplyDelete
  58. I can only speak for myself, but it doesn't bring me joy watching this stuff, then finding out later what's going on with these guys.

    ReplyDelete
  59. The final image of BoD mania is me with 1 leg on your chest getting the 3 count as I drunkingly slur the hippocratic oath.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Obviously I have zero evidence to back up what I'm going to say but (there's always the but) I would seriously be surprised if Punk didn't routinely take drugs out of medical necessity. Meaning, I don't think he'd take vicodin, but a drug like HGH for an injury where there is no sort of "high" I don't think would fall into his straight edge nonsense.


    Again, I'm just saying words now. Words.

    ReplyDelete
  61. ARRRRGH THE BARBARIANMarch 25, 2014 at 10:23 AM

    I think he already has gone past Cena, at least in importance on the shows. It's just whether or not he can stay there. Punk, at least the Punk of the last 4 months or so he was there, he's blown past.

    ReplyDelete
  62. ARRRRGH THE BARBARIANMarch 25, 2014 at 10:24 AM

    If he takes HGH he's doing it wrong because he looked like he could roll over and die. I do agree that I'm sure he takes things when he needs to, but the guy was psychotic enough to not take anything for a fractured skull, so who knows.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Yeah! We like our beer cold, our women scantily clad and our ribs/practical jokes to be full of fecal matter, thank you very much!

    ReplyDelete
  64. I wonder how he feels about penicillin? He would more likely need something like that over painkillers after shtupping Lita.

    ReplyDelete
  65. And he's back to trainng!

    ReplyDelete
  66. If I ever need surgery (and I'm down near your neck of the woods), will you operate on me?

    ReplyDelete
  67. Most of his "roll over and die" look I attribute to his not sleeping, which for some reason he seems very proud of. (I feel like it's more of his Look At Me! nonsense tbh)


    But you're right on the skull fracture thing, that story seemed pretty bizarre. I wonder psychologically how much that had to do with being straight edge versus being able to tell the story later of what a super duper tough guy he is. He's obviously pretty self-obsessed, I can see him dealing with the pain to have one more Look At ME! story to tell people.


    Basically I really just dislike the guy, especially after his walkout. No one wants to hear it but it's 100% true: Triple H was completely and totally right about CM Punk.

    ReplyDelete
  68. This is again all dependent on whether Punk fulfilled his actual contractual obligations or not and I don't know enough about that to say.


    If he did, then I can't say it's an issue.


    If he didn't: it's not the mark of a sterling character to only honor your commitment in the times when it's easy to do so, and abandoning it at the first sign of difficulty.

    ReplyDelete
  69. relative to heroin addicts, the guy's pretty buff. I can barely make out his skeleton!

    ReplyDelete
  70. ARRRRGH THE BARBARIANMarch 25, 2014 at 10:40 AM

    The fractured skull shit makes no sense. I mean, I hate pain killers, I don't tank anything stronger than one sinus advil, but if I bust my skull, I'm taking pain killers, so at least everyone doesn't have to listen to me moan like a harpooned walrus.


    His personality traits, IMO, they're all wrestler traits, I don't think he's really any different than anything. If he wasn't a "look at me!" type of person, he'd be Phil Brooks, the car mechanic. Goes for alot of these guys.


    I'm sure for every wrestling dork who wants to be the next Dynamite Kid or "that guy who most certaintly wasn't in the ME of WM 20", there's 1,000 fame whores

    ReplyDelete
  71. I'd actually argue for a straight 3 months every year, since it would actually allow for full recovery.


    Plus it'd force the company's hand on actually pushing new people, especially if Orton gets caught with something or other again.

    ReplyDelete
  72. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ1lc6KASWg

    ReplyDelete
  73. Porn-Peddling Jef VinsonMarch 25, 2014 at 10:44 AM

    There is a lot of collateral damage nowadays.

    ReplyDelete
  74. I take it you're not a fan of CM Punk

    ReplyDelete
  75. Your_Favourite_LoserMarch 25, 2014 at 11:04 AM

    "We like our beer cold... and our ribs... to be full of fecal matter"

    i prefer my ribs to be full of meat. slow cooked for hours, and then basted in a delicious sauce

    ReplyDelete
  76. Your_Favourite_LoserMarch 25, 2014 at 11:07 AM

    YOU WERE GOING TO SAY "PUDDING ZIM ZAM FLIM FLAM JELLO PUDDING" WHILE MAKING A SILLY FACE AND WEARING A SWEATER

    i bet you were going to say "pudding zim zam flim flam jello pudding" while making a silly face and wearing a sweater

    ReplyDelete
  77. Your_Favourite_LoserMarch 25, 2014 at 11:08 AM

    *slow cooking over that bbq pit

    ReplyDelete
  78. He definitely whines but so did/do most other top stars. Yes he held the title for a long time but it was basically like Savage's first title reign. He was champ but Hulk was top dog. As long as Punk didn't breach his contract and gave them enough dates why bust his ass when he's financially secure and there's nothing else to shoot for? For all of Rocky's "Austin took his ball and went home" shit that guy did the exact same shit by not coming back until he could get a dream match worthy of him and he still insisted on a belt he didn't need. I don't think Punk insisted on being top guy he just wanted the chance. If he can sell enough merch and produce quality wise why hold him back. Why would James Harden stay at OKC as the #3 guy and sixth man when he can be the #1 guy in Houston?

    ReplyDelete
  79. Punk overrates himself.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Makes me think how silly/dedicated Cena is for not taking time off. He could go away for a few months and walk back into his spot but he won't, and then he rushes back from injury ASAP.

    ReplyDelete
  81. I've always supported the mandatory time off idea, but even if you're worried about taking a guy off TV, you could take them off the road and limit them to promos and limited physicality.

    In terms of Punk, if they took him off the road and just had him show up on Mondays to cut promos, he'd still be a main character but would also have plenty of time to recuperate. I'm not saying that would have caused him not to quit, just using his situation as an example.

    ReplyDelete
  82. If you're offended, you can ask Scott to edit it to disgusting, brutal, bottom feeding trash bag ho.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment