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CM Punk mouthing off again

http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2013/0417/562101/backstage-news-on-cm-punk-wwe-status/

Thoughts on this? Seems like Punk might be pushing his luck a bit backstage. If he wasn't an Internet darling and so damn good I have a feeling a lot of your readers would be starting to compare him to other malcontents. To me, the real question is: How long does Vince put up with this?

Until Punk stops making him money.  And given the downward trend of the ratings after Wrestlemania and touchy investors, that puts the ball firmly in Punk's court.  Plus the dude is SERIOUSLY banged up and needs time off, so good for him.  I wish more guys would stand up for themselves like that instead of (rightly) being so terrified of getting buried and forgotten if they take two weeks off to heal a broken arm.  

By the way, according to the last issue of Figure Four, those who bet the "under" on Wrestlemania's buyrate might be celebrating.  So there's that too.  

Comments

  1. Ugh, with the internet darling crap. How about he's a damn good wrestler that almost all fans like, regardless of whether or not they're a part of the "IWC"?

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  2. Scream09_HartKillerApril 17, 2013 at 9:08 AM

    The product is shit, he knows it's shit and he says so.

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  3. HE'S GOOD BUT YOU CAN'T DENY THAT HE'S A GOD TO THE INTERNET NERDS

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  4. Worst_in_the_WorldApril 17, 2013 at 9:10 AM

    Exactly. The unanimous babyface pops he was getting all of 2012 (before the heel turn) weren't just Observer readers. He had the adults, kids, men, women, smarks and marks alike on his side.



    If that Mania buyrate comes in low, I think the Punk heel turn has to be counted as a factor. Wrestling PPVs are sold on fans paying to see the face win, and WWE decided to continue selling John Cena as that face. A low Wrestlemania buyrate would be proof that they went with someone that the fans didn't want to see.

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  5. Scream09_HartKillerApril 17, 2013 at 9:11 AM

    I heard all the buzz about him on the internet but he really didn't do much for me for the most part. So I can attest that being a guy I'm supposed to like because he's popular on the internet isn't the reason he's my favorite guy by far on the show right now - it's 110% what he's done since he started ripping NXT on commentary through to where he is now. He's just an entertaining guy who's typically the best angle, interview or match on the show.

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  6. It's unfortunate that he'll be out until Summerslam and he'll miss the June PPV in Chicago (though I'd bet he appears on that show in some capacity).

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  7. Worst_in_the_WorldApril 17, 2013 at 9:13 AM

    So he won't be back til Summerslam? Wow, I figured the PPV in Chicago for sure. Well, I think these next 4-5 months are gonna be a clear referendum on John Cena's popularity in 2013. The show is pretty much gonna revolve solely around SuperCena vs Heel of the Month feuds, with no Punk to keep his part of the audience interested.


    It's gonna be all Face Cena all the time. Will crowds and TV audiences be as into that as they were years ago? I'd bet "no", but we'll certainly see now.

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  8. Scream09_HartKillerApril 17, 2013 at 9:13 AM

    Punk's face turn and going over Cena was a message that the company realizes we're tired of the same old shit and it's time to listen to the fans again....Punk's heel turn was a message that they've taken our feelings under consideration but they don't care.

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  9. http://www.memegeneokerlund.com/media/created/w1yq1m.jpg

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  10. However, as someone said in another thread this week, there are some towns where if Cena isn't on the card, there is no gate. So they need both.

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  11. I want to see Punk in TNA.

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  12. They'll either show him backstage or he'll show up at ringside. If not, the crowd will be chanting his name the entire evening.

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  13. Scream09_HartKillerApril 17, 2013 at 9:32 AM

    What's BN Funk doing in the Impact Zone?

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  14. CM Punk can push his luck all he wants, because he's one of three or four people on the roster that fans actually give a shit about.

    He has the leverage, and he should use that leverage for as much as it can net him.

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  15. He owns his name. So no corny shit like Christian Cage.

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  16. I'm confused as to how this is whining; he has every right to protect his character (within reason - he can't refuse jobs for 6 months) and had a problem with them scripting a whiny promo for him. Honestly, wasn't his promo of doubt and disappointment on Monday way better than the same "I GET NO RESPECT" promo we got every week?


    All the biggest names have had some sort of creative pull and disagreements with the creative team. We just don't hear about it as much because guys like Cena and Rock have been protected better and are in-house creations.

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  17. No, it's proof that they placed matches no one wanted to see. Cena in a fresh matchup was fine, but nobody wanted to see him vs. Rock again. Same for Brock and HHH.

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  18. CM Punk would rather be eye gouged than to ever work for TNA again.

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  19. I must be in the small minority but I don't like CM Punk. I mean he is without a doubt probably the best wrestler by far in the WWE just now but there is something about him that just annoys me but not in a I hate his character way, he just seems like a bit of a dick lol

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  20. Wake me when they book Punk like an anti-hero to cena.

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  21. Of course this is also Punk's reaction to the fact that so many other guys get to work light schedules. Brock gets 5 million for like 5 shows, Taker works when he wants, HHH works when he wants. Jericho comes and leaves to tour with his band when he feels like it. Cena can take time off when he wants.

    Punk feels he is at the same level as those guys and rightfully so. Plus this idea that you'll lose your spot or be less over if your off tv for a time has been disproven by the guys mentioned above. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. At least for wrestling fans.

    Also, and I don't know if Punk is thinking about this, but he seems smart enough that this might cross his mind. But with him off tv thats one more spot they have to fill and maybe just maybe they'll be forced to push someone new so that when he does come back he might have someone different to wrestle.

    But either way, the bottom line is that every guy Should have the right to take time off to recover from injuries. Even if they're minor.

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  22. Worst_in_the_WorldApril 17, 2013 at 9:56 AM

    Saw that in the Cenation thread. I definitely don't think that one poster's anecdote about WWE cancelling a house show in Texas headlined by Sheamus vs Big Show is any evidence of "there are some towns where if Cena isn't on the card, there is no gate." WWE putting on a lackluster card in a small town not drawing isn't any evidence of Cena's specific popularity. Hell, another poster replied with an anecdote about Cena no-showing a house show, and when HBK replaced him the crowd decided against refunds. So again, none of those anecdotes have any baring on real data.

    Anyway, I'm not trying to make a silly argument that John Cena isn't a huge draw relative to other guys on the roster. BUT I think his popularity is on the downswing, and a lower-than-expected Mania buyrate (on a show built completely around the Cena redemption storyline) would be further proof of that.

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  23. All of Rock's matches this year would have been far superior if CM Punk had just stayed face and we were treated to Hollywood Rock.

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  24. Of all the fucking people, they don't need to script PUNK'S promos at all. Given his mic skills, whatever dreck they wanted him to say rightfully should have been shot down. Punk shouldn't be a whiny heel, it really wouldn't work for him since he plays coniving evil so well. He's not afraid to say the product is shit and stand up for himself and he should indeed be commended for it.

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  25. I believe Christian owns the name Christian Cage, which is why he was able to have a recognizable name in TNA. WWE simply took it and shortened it to Christian when they brought him in in '98.

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  26. Agreed on them creating matches that nobody wanted to see, specifically the rematches (Cena-Rock and Lesnar-HHH). But I do think that you have to factor in that the MAIN selling point of the show was the Cena redemption storyline. They sold the show the same way they sold Austin at Mania 14, 15, and 17, or Hogan in Wrestlemanias 5 or 7, for examples. Which is to say: The audience is paying to see the #1 Face win his title back. That was the absolute main selling point of this show. (Especially when you consider how badly they neutered Brock's drawing power, by putting him in an undercard non-title REMATCH.) So yes, I do think that a lower than expected buyrate would be a sign that John Cena doesn't have the same rabid fanbase he did 5 years ago. Well that, and a sign that WWE fans aren't interested in seeing Rock anymore.

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  27. Not until SummerSlam?! Well that basically guarantees there won't be a RAW the blog approves of until at least August!



    I'm downgrading my to 2/52 shows that this blog will like in 2013.

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  28. The Chicago PPV is June 16th. 2 months off to heal and come back for the mega pop and subsequent push to Summerslam. He'll be there. Book it.

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  29. So the early news on the buyrate is "downright shocking." Oof.

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  30. Doesn't this accomplish what they originally wanted? He walked away. He gets a breather, and they figure out what to do with his character. It so closely parallels the plotline, it's possible this is all part of the plotline.

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  31. This is the PERFECT time to have Cena win his Ryback feud and act like the pretty boy happy time face only for his greatest rival Punk to return as conquering hero and win the belt at Summerslam

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  32. Scream09_HartKillerApril 17, 2013 at 10:23 AM

    I think it was Bret Hart that said you can only rescue the girl from the train tracks (better than anyone else) so many times before the fans get tired of it - I'd say that applies to Cena right now. A large portion of the audience wasn't thrilled to watch his act 6 or 7 years ago, even the people who enjoyed it must be getting tired of it by now. I think people bought last year to see if The Rock could beat John Cena, I don't think they cared as much if John Cena could beat The Rock.

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  33. http://www.wrestlenewz.com/wrestling/wwe-news/early-wrestlemania-29-buyrate-news-original-plans-for-hhh-lesnar-more/
    990k is a reality!

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  34. Can't wait to see who they blame the buyrate on.

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  35. If it were Bret Hart doing it, the blog would crucify him.


    But I agree.

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  36. No, he comes off like a dick fairly often out-of-character. But I really don't care, as he's the best overall performer in the company.

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  37. When was the last time Cena took time off for injury? 2008?

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  38. Then have Brock turn on Punk and win the belt from him

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  39. I'd imagine Punk would go to Japan.

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  40. Cena takes time off when he feels like it. It doesn't have to be for injury. He was working limited shows most of last summer.

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  41. Exactly. You know what, let's throw away the things that we don't like about John cena's character (Non-stop pandering; awful sense of humor; etc) and just go with the fact that he has been the lead face of the company for over EIGHT YEARS now. That is simply too long for any lead character to hold an audience's interest.

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  42. I very much disagree that the Rock has been protected throughout his career.

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  43. Scream09_HartKillerApril 17, 2013 at 10:48 AM

    I'm pretty sure he was always referred to as Christian Cage in TNA, like even on commentary when it'd make sense to just say Christian, it was always Christian Cage.

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  44. Scott, didn't you mock anyone who suggested Cena/Rock II was a bad idea by saying this Mania would shatter records?


    Give us our props!

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  45. You realise constantly posting on a blog with negativity towards it's posters and the place in general is no different to people watching Raw and reacting negatively towards it?

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  46. It's funny, if it were left up to Punk we'd have had Cena vs. Punk AGAIN at Wrestlemania.

    This is just one of those moments where I sigh. Punk's a great talent, but he's also turned into everything he hated. He's not the underdog anymore, he's 'the guy', and as such he whines about his booking after he's been champ for over a year, headlined twice against The Rock, and been bookeed against The Undertaker?

    I mean... who does that? He's a main eventer who throws a tantrum because he's merely being given the second most prestigious spot at Wrestlemania?

    This is why I think history will be kinder to Daniel Bryan. He gets booked in stuff that could be seen as demeaning, and instead of complaining he makes it work and gets himself over... every single time. He hasn't had a world title shot since last July, but still busts his ass.

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  47. He knows. It's what got him banned in the first place. He's just going to keep going until Scott notices he's back, and bans him again. And then he'll come back again with another account. Because his existence is apparently so wretched that he gets off on getting banned from wrestling blogs and sneaking back where he's not welcome.

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  48. Cena no-showed something?! Seems out of character. I'd like to read about that.

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  49. time travel back to 03-04

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  50. not with those knees

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  51. Sorry...but this just remind me of the awesome DBry on the train tracks PPV poster.

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  52. 1000x this...

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  53. Yes. This also makes me REALLY want to see him as a lead booker. Dude talks a ton of shit and he's backed it up on the mic and in the ring. Could he do it behind the camera? He clearly has good instincts and pays attention to the fans so I think he could be great. At the same time, an unwillingness to compromise or acknowledge when his ideas are wrong would be a shortcoming.

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  54. dont be that guy...

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  55. Three years in a row?! Need a new match!

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  56. I mainly liked that poster because of AJ.

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  57. The Rock actually made mid-carders look like threats.

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  58. I'm confused about this, because Punk 'rips up scripted promos in front of the writers.' Why would he be angry they wrote him something - he makes it up anyway?

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  59. Did you not get the hint with the ban?

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  60. Probably the celebrity tweeters.

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  61. I've enjoyed at least 2 Raws already this year.

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  62. I would like to see that as well. I'm surprised they don't tap more former wrestlers to try their hand at writing. Kevin Nash for example, as long as he was forbidden from being on TV, would be much better than another Days of Our Lives writer.

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  63. "without a doubt probably"


    Doesn't probably mean there is a doubt?

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  64. Not no-showed, I mean was injured or whatever. (From another poster's anecdote, but yeah, I didn't mean no-show like he bailed without warning.)

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  65. I think he should have spent more time in the gym, I'm not saying he should look like the Rock but a few extra pounds of muscle would've really enhanced his look as a champion. "He looks like a regular guy" worked for Foley, Punk is an ass, I can't relate to him as a "regular guy". In WCW he would have barely been out of the Cruiserweight division. Even Jericho bulked up for his Undisputed title run.

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  66. does herpes do the job?

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  67. I think it'd be key to know WHY he was upset before judging him for his reaction.

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  68. So Ian, is your gripe here that Punk should have pushed for a Bryan main event at Mania? I don't see it as a problem that Punk was upset about how Mania was booked and his placement on the card.


    Listen, Cena got hot around Mania 20 and since then has been booked as the absolute top draw for 8-9 years. Numerous Mania main events and title wins, and a run the whole time as the #1 face of the show.
    Meanwhile Punk got hot in summer '11, gets jobbed out for Fall '11, STILL remains super over, finally gets a run as a champion face.... and then gets turned heel a few months later so that Cena can remain the #1 face. And yes, a Mania match against Undertaker is a big deal, but it's indisputable that Punk was shunted down the card completely in service of WWE sticking with the Rock-Cena main event.


    And as for the Undertaker match, yeah it's a big deal, but the build to it was done in a way that Punk should have legitimate gripes about. Instead of building him up as a legit threat to the streak and a star on the level of Taker (as they did the last 4 years with HBK and HHH), they built it by tearing Punk's character down. He was never push by the announcers as a real threat to end the streak, just as a bitch who will get his ass kicked by Taker. It was totally backwards booking that probably cost them some buys, and he should totally point out how stupid it was.


    Also, one last thing: based on match quality and crowd heat, wouldn't the Punk-Cena match from Raw last month have been a much better main event than what we got from Rock-Cena II?

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  69. First about Punk. He definitely has some bargaining power. Look around the arenas he is easily their second biggest merchandise seller. He also should take time off and heal.

    As for the possibly low WrestleMania buyrate, I think some blame should be put on Cena and The Rock. Because they get all the credit when it's a high buyrate like WM 28 so they should get more blame when something underperformed. Especially when the event was so centered around their match and more specifically Cena's redemption. That's how I view it. The guy who gets most of the credit when all is well should get most of the blame when all is not well. I can only speak for myself but a big reason why I did not pay for the event is because I very much did NOT want to see Cena/Rock 2 or Brock/Trips 2. We have to wait for more concrete details but it seems to me that more than just me felt the same way.

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  70. Yep. Even Hulkamania ran out of steam.

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  71. Could be just me but I think the lions share of the blame should rest on Rock and Cena. They got credit last year when Mania broke the record(and somewhat rightfully so) but if that's the game you play then they should get some blame if it underperformed. And all this isn't to say that 900K is a massive failure but it would be disappointing.

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  72. I don't buy into that size thing anymore. In MMA who are the big draws? Anderson Silva isn't a hulking figure. Jon Jones looks downright lanky. Nick Diaz is puny and 900,000 people paid money to watch him fight. People are more so drawn to personalities not who looks best without a shirt.

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  73. It did shatter records. It's the biggest money-drawing match in the history of wrestling by far.

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  74. If so someone set him up with... someone that has herpes.


    Or is this a reference that I didn't get?

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  75. Here's the Jayesslee version, which is pretty awesome actually.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ3OLswKKAw

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  76. Agree. Punk's character works because he isn't some ridiculous larger than life superhero... and no matter what assholes like Nash say that just isn't necessary. I relate to the Punk character because he dresses like I do (when I am not working), gets angry about some of the same things I do, and has a similar worldview to mine... obviously everyone's mileage may vary on relating to a character but I am willing to bet there a lot of people that feel that having Punk be someone that looks like he spends all day in the gym would make him lose some of his appeal.


    P.S. I really wanted to add "He fucked Lita just like I did" to that list... sadly that is not (yet) the case. :(

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  77. Totally. You know, a big part of getting people to pay for wrestling is basically promising them a result they'll want to see. (Austin or Hogan is gonna win the belt!)

    Looking at Mania 28, they were promising (or at least saying there was a good chance of happening) several things that fans really wanted to see. Lots of people bought Rock-Cena 1 because the match result was such a pick-em, and so Rock fans (and Cena haters) could buy the show hoping to see him get the win. Along those lines, Punk fans had their guy as the babyface champ defending in a match that A) They could assume would be great, and B) That Punk had a really good chance of winning. Throw in a Taker streak match that was promising some Cell brutality, and there you have a card booked in a way so that fans had shit they could root for.


    On the converse, where was the impetus for fans to be excited about Mania 29? Who are they rooting for in the main events? What was WWE promising? Basically they were promising:
    - Cena will beat The Rock. So if Cena's popularity is dwindling, how is this a selling point? That's why they pushed teh possible Cena heel turn so hard the last few weeks, because simply relying on "Watch Superface Cena regain his title!" is a horrible selling point in 2013.
    - HHH will beat Brock Lesnar. Now, let's discount the portion of the audience that actually roots for Brock, because honestly even among smarks I don't think Brock has a substantial "Brock superfan" contingent. But again, this match is sold on an almost certainty that HHH would win, and so I ask: is there really a large portion of the fanbase in 2013 that wants to pay a lot of money to see HHH win a big match? Forget the smarky HHHaters. The question is: who are teh HHH superfans?
    - Undertaker will kick Punk's ass. As we've mentioned before, they pretty much took the possibility of the streak ending out of the build, and instead told people to pay to see Punk get his ass kicked. Why waste the hook of The Streak like that?


    Anyway, I agree with you that whoever gets the credit when things are good should get the blame if they go bad. But I'd amend that to say that the credit/blame should go on what the fans are meant to root for, i.e. the faces. And if the buyrate is bad, I'd blame their miscalculation on pushing HHH and John Cena as the two biggest faces on a wrestling show in 2013.

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  78. Dude, if you're basing that on the crowd attendance, then that's a completely false statement. They sold all the tickets (mine included) in November, way before Cena-Rock was the advertised match. The Mania name and the stars promised (Rock, Cena, Punk, Taker, Brock) sold those tickets, not the match-ups themselves. The buyrate should be a referendum on the booking and match-ups, not the attendance.

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  79. Except Punk went on record as saying he tore up promos in front of the writers and made his own stff up. If so, how's he complaining about poor booking with a straight face?

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  80. Imagine, having former wrestlers actually create pro wrestling storylines! What a novel idea! I wonder how they would do at "booking" the show, which is a little term I just made up.

    I actually don't hate on the creative team themselves since from every detail we read, it's ultimately Vince's short attention span and mood swings that are ruining the shows.

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  81. I enjoy that it takes both Brock and The Undertaker to compensate for Punk being gone.


    Brooks: 1 McMahon: 0

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  82. I agree with everything you said. Coming into WrestleMania 28 there were 6 matches on that card I was interested in. Orton vs. Kane--Orton was on a roll so I thought it'd at least be a good match.

    Cody vs. Show, Sheamus vs. Bryan, Rock vs. Cena, Taker vs. Triple H, Punk vs. Jericho. These were all matches that I wanted to see because of the build, potential match quality or both.

    Look at WrestleMania 29. The only 2 matches I was interested in were Punk vs. Taker and Fandango vs. Jericho. I mentioned at length how its the notion that main event guys get credit for buyrates but for me overall strength of card is a big factor.

    Also you mentioned the 2 top faces were John Cena and Triple H. In 2013. That's a problem.

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  83. I highly, highly doubt they would ever let him on the creative team.

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  84. Well, booking and promos are two totally different things. Sure, he can take a one-sheet promo script and tear it up and talk on the mic however he wants (within storyline reason). But he can't just tear up a sheet saying he's gonna turn heel to keep Cena as the #1 face, or that Rock-Cena will be the Mania main event, or that the announcers (and Taker himself) are going to portray him as a total non-threat in the build-up to his Streak match at Mania. So honestly, I don't see how the two are related. He can't "make up" the booking, and so if he has gripes about them then so be it.

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  85. What does Punk doing his own promos have to do with bad booking? It's not like he books the show r gets to decide complete directions of his feuds.

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  86. Good for cm punk. And raw is gonna be real rough without cm punk

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  87. On the TV building up to wrestlemania it seemed like they made hhh/lesnar the focal point. So not only can't hhh work but he can't draw even when given one of the most famous wrestlers ever to work with and tons of TV time.

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  88. actually the fallout mentioned in the article was said to be about him not wanting to do houseshow dates at the moments.


    considering his health issues, I think that's pretty understable.

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  89. And fwiw I paid 70 bucks to watch punk vs taker. Punk is a legit draw and they are fucked if he leaves.

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  90. prime example: the last Raw show. guys like Ziggler got booed, so I assume you couldn't argue it was an overly "smarky" crowd. Punk on the other hand got the "dueling chants" reaction during his promo, with approx. 40% of the crowd chanting his name - despite him beeing heel and the other guy being one of the biggest fan favorites in the history of the company.

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  91. Can you imagine if rock and Austin never to main evented wrestlemania because they were put against returning part timers yokozuna and kevin Nash. Punk vs cena is the biggest feud since Austin rock and it should have had headlined wm27 and wm29.

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  92. Worst_in_the_WorldApril 17, 2013 at 1:06 PM

    Man, the build for Mania 28 was really good in retrospect. No wonder they broke their buyrate record. Sure the Rock-Cena insult contests on Raw were lame, but it didn't even matter since the anticipation for the actual match was so great. Plus Punk was a face champion defending in something of a dream match, PLUS the cell streak match, PLUS D-Bry and Sheamus were really hot at the time and there was promise of that being a great match.

    The other stuff I personally didn't care much about, but you're right: Show-Cody had an actual build. Hell, the GM match was a mess, but the big Johnny stuff was actually over at the time.

    It's crazy, with the Lesnar return coming off a Mania in which face Punk and Rock both won huge matches, the stage seemed to be set for a really huge year.

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  93. Punks drawn more money in the last two years than rock and brock combined so I don't blame him for being pissy since he's probably barely making a million a year

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  94. Punk even mentioned something like this in a recent interview when talking about Rocks (and afair Brocks?) contract. he was basically saying that a contract with only such a limited amount of dates is what he would appreciate as well.

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  95. to me him being a "dick" is part of the appeal. because most of the time he gets upset about the "right" things.

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  96. and don't forget that a HUGE portion of the fanbase cheered for Punk even when he attacked the Undertaker with the urn. a lot of those people might not have been too thrilled with a match that almost certainly could only have one possible outcome.

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  97. Just think that 2 years ago WWE would probably have been happy to let Punk go as they had the Miz as their flagship heel.

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  98. ... huh?

    The storyline was entirely constructed around Punk promos.

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  99. Turning heel is the only reason Punk made it to January as champ.

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  100. What on earth do you base that on? Last year's WM, headlined by Rock, drew a record buyrate. Extreme Rules, headlined by Brock, did a better buyrate than any non-big-four PPV headlined by Punk, if I'm not mistaken.


    In fact, how many shows has Punk even "headlined"?

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  101. The Rock-Cena "insult contest" was great last year.

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  102. Very well, but I meant the buyrate record.

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  103. I think you're not doing a great job of getting your point across. I'm terribly confused by your wording throughout this thread.


    Perhaps the reason he's supposedly angry is because of the *content* of the promo they wanted him to cut, not the specific words. Pretty sure even Punk gets bullet points. They don't just let him cut promos on the fly and make up random storylines.

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  104. And jobbed more than any other top babyface star in the history of the business, outside Sting.

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  105. Worst_in_the_WorldApril 17, 2013 at 1:44 PM

    Something to consider: let's say that Mania 29 does do a disappointing number. (I think anything below 1.1 is disappointing, anything below a million is bad, and below 900k would be something of a disaster considering all the money they paid the part-timers.) Does anyone think that leads to a shake-up on how they plan mania 30? Would a bad buyrate lead to WWE moving away from Rock/Brock/HHH and trying to actually focus on creating new main eventers, or do they double down and bring all those guys back plus try to add some more part-timers such as Austin and Batista to the mix?


    I'd hope they do the former, but I assume they'd go with the latter.

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  106. THIS. And also, the hyperbole that Wrestlemania is on the same level as the Super Bowl is absolutely true from a live-event perspective. People plan their vacations around Wrestlemania up to a year in advance.

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  107. And what would be wrong with that as the WM ME? Other than, well, it probably wouldn't draw that well on PPV. The TV match was awesome and infinitely better than the WM ME. Hell, if they went with the same finish the crowd probably would have been in a frenzy instead of booing everyone and everything.


    If it turns out that WM29 drew shittily, they're probably going to kick themselves with NOT going with it, because at least they would have a better product.

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  108. Why is Punk catching so much shit? He's injured, he needs to take time off. Yes, it seems that he can be a dck about things from time to time, but he's smart and talented enough to get away with it. Plus, taking time off is good for him in the long run, because people will want to see him again after some time away, and they can turn him face again if they want to after his hiatus. Now, if only Cena would take some time off...

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  109. So scary sneaky, no one could possibly figure it out!

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  110. This is a pretty fair representation of what's going to happen going forward. Monday's going to be fun, I think I have an idea for a bit to amuse myself.

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  111. You would hope the former. There has never been any long term value in nostalgia and they're fools to think there will be. Whatever the buyrate, the best course of action now - assuming Rock/Brock have a few matches in them is to put over younger talent. The best bets in that regard are Ziggler and Bryan.


    Bryan has shown himself to be as much the company man as Cena, and that's without all the booking favours in the world. He is one of the top five most over guys in the organisation and arguably the single best in-ring guy. If Vince had any sense, he'd use the fact that Bryan doesn't eat meat, etc, to his advantage - it's what Heyman would've done.


    Another option is The Shield. All three could be the company's future.

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  112. WWE does nothing that make sense. Somehow this will get blamed on Ziggler even though he was no where near the marquee matches.

    But isn't 900 pretty disappointing for a PPV that usually gets upper 900's no problem?

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  113. Was there even a celebrity tweeter this year?

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  114. He's no longer a vegan.

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  115. If you take away Rock and Brock's fees from those examples I'd imagine it's closer than you think. I wonder how much Punk's merch has brought in - must be a couple of hundred grand.

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  116. Teacher: "So Timmy and Billy Chandangoo, is your father coming in for career day?"


    Billy: "He doesn't have a career, he sits at the computer all day posting on some blog making fun of the people who watch wrestling."


    Timmy: "Our dad's a dork."

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  117. Cena has been getting "Boring" chants from the crowd during his promos. I thin k his popularity is shot at this point.

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  118. 900K wouldn't be disappointing to me.

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  119. Part of why I enjoyed the Cody Rhodes-Big Show feud so much was because it A) Got the IC title defended at WrestleMania B) Gave it a real feud C) Cody Rhodes was awesome in building that match.


    Last year's WrestleMania was one of my most anticipated WrestleMania's of all time. This years not so much.

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  120. Punk gets to decide what he says within the construct of what Vince says the feud will be. Vince says "Go out there and talk about Paul Bearer and Undertaker's streak" Punk does what he can. Punk didn't decide the booking of their feud but he was allowed to choose his words within the confines of what the feud was.

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  121. But for them given last years record and this year with the added Brock Lesnar. They probably would be a little disappointed in this one not hitting the 1 mil mark.

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  122. I had to dig it up, but some executive in WWE came out a week before the event and said that:

    "WWE believes WrestleMania 29 will top last year's WrestleManiaPPV buys. She noted that getting celebrities such as Hall of Fame inductee Donald Trump, NBC talk-show host Jimmy Fallon, Maria Menounos, and Coldplay's Chris Martin to push Mania on Twitter is a big factor for them. Here are some highlights…

    On Why They Will Do Better Business This Year: "We expect some 50 million to 60 million Twitter followers to be reached through celebrities talking about WrestleMania throughout the week," said Wilson. "We're really leveraging those celebritysocialmediaplatforms to talk about WWE and our WrestleMania event, which will reach many more viewers than just a traditional print ad."


    http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/279100/WWE-Executive-Explains-Why-The-Company-Expects-to-Top-Last-Years-WrestleMania-Buyrate.htm#g7RUbB37vgwyOYZa.99

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  123. I was looking for the words to describe what I meant and you did a better job than I.

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  124. Caps Lock Man, CM Punk is not "a God" but THE God since our old God Benoit, went insane and murder-happy.

    If Benoit was Magneto, then CM Punk is Mystique.

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  125. I was just referring to having 900K in the pool.

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  126. I hope they do start to move away from part timers. I had no problem with them using Brock and Rock headlining WrestleMania this year. My main problems were who they were wrestling and the fact that they didn't use this exposure to highlight any new stars. You'd think since they had Rock at 28 they'd give people like Ziggler and Bryan matches to shine at Mania. Same for this year. They didn't give any young talent a chance to steal the show and prove what they could do to any new eyes. Ziggler and Bryan were stuck in a short tag match(one guy is now world champ and could have used some exposure on the big stage, and the other is one of their most over guys)

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  127. Oh. In that case I'd be extremely disappointed. My 1.28 is looking like a distant memory.

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  128. If you look at the entire picture of Punk's Shirts, DVD's, and other merchandise plus the incalculable amount of people who watched just for him and bought tickets and PPV's for him and put it up against Brock and Rock it isn't too far fetched. Plus their cost is much higher for less work.

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  129. Sure seems to be the case

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  130. That doesn't necessarily mean he eats meat, does it?


    Something very endearing about the fact that he developed a soy intolerance.

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  131. I don't even understand what he's upset over.

    Is he having a blow-up because he's hurt and needs time off?
    Is he having a blow-up because he disagrees with how WWE is using him?
    Is he having a blow-up because he disagrees with how WWE is running their company (but satisfied with his own use)?

    As fans, we're upset over different things than the talent are, so perhaps his problems with WWE is not related to how his character is portrayed?

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  132. George 'the Animal' Steele mode *ACTIVATED*

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  133. WWE might not but why not TNA or an indy fed?

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  134. Oh, gotcha. Advertised to appear but then wasn't able to for some reason. That makes sense.

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  135. Scream09_HartKillerApril 17, 2013 at 3:23 PM

    I watch any Nash shoot I can find because I love listening to him talk about wrestling. The guy isn't stupid. He might do stupid things to benefit himself or his friends but as an objective observer he picks out a lot of little things that help/hurt guys.

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  136. I always wished he'd have stayed with Christian Cage even after he came back. I get inexplicably angry at wrestlers with only a first name.

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  137. Wrestlers don't see things the way Internet fans do? That's crazy talk.

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  138. Is there a place you guys get standard replies? "This is your whole life!"

    Yeah...or exactly 10 minutes a day of it. Whatever makes you happy. SEE YOU MONDAY.

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  139. I wish they had given someone like Ziggler or Bryan a chance to WRESTLE the Rock. Just by being in there with him for promos or a match, they'd be bigger stars.

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  140. Pretty sure he said he eats meat now.

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  141. Rock's shirts sell very, very well. The Boots 2 Asses shirt was everywhere at Mania last year.

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  142. No fucking way.


    Punk would go back to RoH, just to terrify Vince and Dixie.

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  143. No one has ever said they hated wrestling. Try harder. Or don't, your kids might be trying to electrocute the dog right now.

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  144. IMO, that's really what their problem is: they need to differentiate "writers" and "bookers". Wwriters can do characters, promos, and storylines well enough, but you need someone who understands the dynamics of wrestling to actually book the matches to build guys and keep a better balance than 50/50. Bookers should be doing the pencil artwork and writers should be doing inking and coloring, basically.

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  145. Punk's said that the main-event of WrestleMania should be between the biggest face and the biggest heel.


    Punk was the biggest heel in the company.

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  146. Yes, I'm sure it would "terrify" them.

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  147. ...Benoit fucked Punk?

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  148. Uh...one of the biggest wrestlers working today jumping to a no-name indy wouldn't freak them out?

    When has that EVER happened in history?

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  149. I'm not sure how it really works backstage, but a big part of the problem is that everything is booked on the fly, so there's nothing to build towards and nothing to build on. RAW is essentially a 3 hour John Cena T-Shirt commercial.

    Look at the best shows on TV: Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Mad Men. There's a singular vision and theme, they revolve around a strong lead character, the supporting characters are well defined and can carry different episodes if necessary, and everything is building towards a set conclusion.

    The WWE actually did this for a year with Austin and McMahon from Wrestlemania 14 to Wrestlemania 15, so it is possible. WrestleMania is a natural starting and ending point. The Cena redemption story for WM29 could've worked, if they started and built the storyline immediately after WM28, instead of trying to jam the point home in a video package 4 weeks before the show.

    Pick the story you want to tell and stick with it. It's not too late. They actually have the perfect opportunity to do that with Punk. He doesn't know what else he can do to earn respect, so he walks away. When he's ready to come back, they need to give him a reason to come back.

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  150. Yeah but that's one shirt in a year. Punk's had 3 or 4 since 2011. I'm not saying Punk draws as well as Rock but if you take total from 2011-now given how much Rock made vs. how much Punk drew in the time frame it's probably not obscenely far apart.

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  151. I always got the feeling Triple H/Lesnar was #2 to Rock/Cena. Maybe because I've been so conditioned to consider whatever Cena is doing to be their top priority. I honestly cannot believe we're getting Trips/Brock III. I saw it and I just said "Why?" Why the hell do we need it? So Brock can win the series 2-1 over Triple H? I feel like it's a waste of Lesnar's date but honestly I feel like his drawing power and heat have diminished since Extreme Rules.

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  152. I kind of wish they would have had a big blowoff at Wrestlemania. It's been a long time since an established rivalry (a real rivalry--not part timers who feud one month a year) had that one epic last match at Mania. They were afraid to pull the trigger on Cena-Orton at WM 24 and we got a dumb triple threat match. They were afraid to pull the trigger on Edge-Cena at WM 25 and decided to throw Big Show in there for another silly triple threat. I think those shows could have been among the greatest if they promised a payoff for a long-term rivalry.

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  153. There's not way he'll miss that Chicago ppv. Even if he doesn't wrestle, he'll be there to launch Summer of Punk II.

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  154. Is it bad that I'd rather Punk do commentary at the Chicago PPV than Wrestle?

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  155. When he makes the huge return, it better be to the Killswitch theme. "Cult of Personality" makes my penis soft.

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  156. That's pretty crazy actually if it is true, I don't think very many vegans go back from that.

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  157. bullshit--Cult of Personality is an awesome song. Killswitch is so very generic

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  158. Agreed. This could be good for the long-term product. If Punk is not there, it's all on Cena's shoulders in terms of credit/blame (if it's going to be Cena vs. heel of the month)

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  159. horrifying thought

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  160. I think you are bout .... 62k short!

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  161. Well, he was reading to leave and they made sure he stayed... so what's your point?

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  162. Comic Mystique and Comic Magneto. They have never fucked in the comics and comic Mystique is no fucking hanger-on given that she's both older than Magneto and fighting anti-mutant prejudice since the 1910s.....

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  163. Bryan became a vegan for his health. He talked about it on the podcast he did with Colt Cabana last year. It didn't have anything to do with animal cruelty, or anything PETA-related.

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  164. Watch, this report will end up being total B.S. and it will end up being 1.3m or something...

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  165. Having seen various of his interviews I think the problem he has is where his character goes from here. He's been champ, he's been a super heel, he beat Cena, wrestled Rock, wrestled Taker... the only way up is if he beats either of the latter names (not happening) or he becomes superface (which im not sure he wants). What other way up is there for the character? He needs something big, angle wise, opponent wise, anything. I think it's time he and Brock started tag teaming, before falling out, etc

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  166. It's very clear - the low buyrate is Miz's fault as he was on the pre-show and had to sell it. At least that's what HHH will use during the talent meeting.

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  167. Could've sworn they were a couple in the comics.


    Well then, Punk's gay?

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  168. Summer of Punk brought me back into weekly watching, he's been consistently the best part of the show for a long time now. Even with the pandering for heel heat when the crowd really has wanted to cheer him. But based on everything I've read and watched on Punk, he seems like the sort that feeds on controversy to get his edge. Contrived isn't the right word, I'm sure his issues seem truly real to him. Just that I think he has a bit of Napoleon complex and any slight he uses to motivate him. That said, I can see him EASILY Austin'ing any time now and telling them to shove it on the day to day stuff and only come around when and IF he wants to work.

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  169. I get what you're saying but the WM 25 stuff with Edge/Cena makes no sense. Edge main evented 24! Their feud was years old at that point.

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  170. Though I don't think he loves animal cruelty.


    He just loves bacon more.

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  171. If only he could do both...

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  172. There's a whole host of "veteran" angles that Punk could run.


    He has hit the top of the wrestling game, but that doesn't mean he's hit the top of the creativity game.

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  173. Ahh I see. Yeah, it is a very healthy diet overall if you are careful to work in all of the amino acids you need and complete proteins. Very low incidence of heart disease among vegans I know.

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  174. Excellent analysis here.


    Watching UT kick Punks ass had the potential to be satisfying, but if the streak is the draw then you gotta promote it from that angle. In the end, they didn't even really even do Shawn/UT Bad Blodd match anyways, with Punk getting plenty of offense in, so they might as well have tried harder to get him over as a legitimate contender to ending it.

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  175. I think he's just not a people person which is not the best thing when you are a performer.

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  176. I take everything Meltzer says with a grain of salt. Hell, the whole salt shaker. But I would say anything under 1 million would be "shockingly low", 800k would be "total housecleaning" low.

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  177. Killswitch fucking rocks, I wish he would pick a song from the new Killswitch album.


    This whole debate varies based on if you are a metal fan or not.

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  178. TBH I don't think Punk's fees are all that modest either..

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  179. Yeah might be wise, given how certain he seemed leading up to the show that it'd break 1.3 million.

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  180. If Sting/Hogan/Angle couldn't do it, why would you think Punk could?

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  181. It's not quite apples to apples since Sting and Hogan never really drew past 1999. Even Angle, who's totally awesome (and was really on top of his game when he wound up in TNA), probably doesn't have the cachet Punk currently possesses.

    That said, I don't think Punk would make that much of a dent. Even though TNA is better than it was when Russo was writing, I still think there's a negative stigma with some more casual fans who may not really watch TNA but have heard about how awful it was not too long ago. And for the hardcore fans who are huge Punk fans, there's a good chance they already watch TNA.



    Cena is probably the only guy that would really elevate TNA. He's the biggest mainstream star WWE's produced over the last ten years (not counting Lesnar). Maybe if a combination of wrestlers left WWE to go to TNA (Punk, DBry, Ziggler, Sheamus, etc...), that'd help. But I just don't see Punk jumping meaning all that much. TNA's biggest problem is their lack of advertising in the mainstream. Only huge wrestling fans know they exist. They'd be smart to air more commercials and such promoting the product.

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  182. He was only a vegan for a few years... and I am sure such a travel heavy schedule makes it very difficult. I was a vegetarian for 3+ years and I never officially stopped I just gradually ate a little here a little there and next thing you know I am back to where I was before. I actually regret it,

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  183. I have it on good authority that his kid is 6...

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  184. Cult is an awesome song, but Killswitch is great too. I'd love to see him return to Killswitch.

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  185. Yeah, I've gone on and off the vegetarian thing myself. I could never be vegan though.

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  186. Bahaha, you plan your trolling. Cute.

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  187. They were way past their primes and well beyond relevancy in wrestling. Punk wouldn't automatically make them competitors with WWE but would give them a ton of momentum. He'd be the first true star to jump to TNA.

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  188. It wouldn't be a lock, but as others said, Punk is at his peak. Another factor is that he is friends with a lot of guys in the company like Joe and Daniels. That usually translate to good in-ring chemistry. Also, I believe TNA would be more likely to let Punk have creative freedom with his character than WWE (yeah, they gave him the Summer of Punk promos, but he's been on a leash since Nash powerbombed him).

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  189. By that logic, Punk should've wrestled himself. He gets more of a reaction one way or another than anyone else they have outside of Bryan Danielson.

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  190. Most of us may want Cena to be a heel, but if you're talking reactions specifically, he's right there with Bryan and Punk and arguably more than both of them in many cities.

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  191. Killswitch is alright--worse music everywhere these days. They just sound like a hundred other bands that get played on the local modern rock station

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  192. comparatively? they had to make 5 million in 3 matches from Lesnar to break even

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  193. So Punk wanted Mania to struggle to 500k?

    The Rock's disappointing events draw more than most PPVs. He may only bring in '200k' buys, but that's millions in additional profit. And Cena vs. Punk, good as it is, is as played out box office wise as Orton-Cena.

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  194. Uh...I know plenty of metal fans that LOATHE Killswitch.

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  195. How do we know that Cena/Punk is played out at the box office?


    Did NoC or Summerslam do badly this last year?

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  196. I happen to disagree with Punk, but those are the mans beliefs.


    He said the same thing about the Miz at Mania 27, and I imagine he said the same thing this year.

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