And I wanted to take a break from this until after Elimination Chamber, damn you Phil!
As a send off to our favorite pipe-bomb laying, diva-fucking, straight-edged wrestling savant, here are a few of CM Punk's greatest hits.
First up, what else but 2011 Money in the Bank vs. John Cena. A five-star affair if there ever was one.
Rest up Punk, we'll be here when you get back.
As a send off to our favorite pipe-bomb laying, diva-fucking, straight-edged wrestling savant, here are a few of CM Punk's greatest hits.
First up, what else but 2011 Money in the Bank vs. John Cena. A five-star affair if there ever was one.
Rest up Punk, we'll be here when you get back.
I watched this match knowing in advance Punk would win, but it took about 5 minutes for me to forget that fact and get totally sucked in by the match's atmosphere. The only match that resonated more with me as a wrestling fan was when 12 year old me watched a 4way between Edge/Angle/Eddie/Voldemort(Scott gave a rating of ****1/4 and said it was awesome but nothing he hadn't seen a million times before.)
ReplyDeleteIt sucks AND is frustrating because it could potentially be fun. If they saved it for 1-2 "Marquee spots" per match, not necessarily the finish but something where it'd make a move stand out. As is, it's like their camera men are epileptics
ReplyDeleteI was marking out so hard watching this live. I had no idea what they were going to do, and at one point Cena put Punk in the STF and I got up, threw my hands up, and said "Motherfucker, hes gonna lose!" and almost walked out of my goddamn living room. Needless to say, I was pretty fucking ecstatic when Punk won, along with everyone else watching with me. Haven't felt that way watching a WWE match in a LONNNNG time.
ReplyDeleteNever thought I'd truly mark out to an angle again. The buildup to this match proved me wrong. Top 5 match of all time, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteDo not go gentle into that good night,
ReplyDeleteOld age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
One of those rare times when I truly didn't know what was going to happen. Worked on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteI love how under CM Punk's name it still said "The Nexus".
Hornswaggle's influence as general manager was also waning, though his podium was still in place.
ReplyDeleteI always get a kick out of that. For all intents and purposes, the Nexus was finished the night of this show, since they never really acknowledged the group again.
ReplyDeleteWhat really bums me out the most about Punk leaving today was that I had watched his documentary on Saturday and it really reminded me how it's probably the same sort of struggle with a lot of the guys in the company and how (and this is what Daniel Bryan said in the documentary i believe) some just show up hoping not to be picked, because they just want to get paid and nothing else, and above it all Punk legitimately didn't take any shit. Whether you think the guy was a shit-stirrer, a cry baby, whether you agreed with him or not, or whether you think he deserved the position he wanted, or he deserved less and got more. You absolutely need to respect someone who won't be intimidated into inaction, and actively fought for a better position, and this match is the jewel in his crown, his centerpiece that tells you everything punk is about, his home, his people, his attitude vs everything that he and his persona stood against. It's one of the very few matches that means so much more on an industry wide basis, but holds a really strong narrative as well. I think the last match i saw that ticked all those boxes would be Austin v Bret at WM13.
ReplyDeleteI went to watch that damn thing again today and it seems to have been removed from Netflix after having been on there forever. Figures.
ReplyDeleteThis was the payoff to end all payoffs. A 5 star match where our guy went over in his hometown, over John Cena, and left with the belt. In a vacuum I like their raw match better but the atmosphere and story of this match punk it in a neighborhood only inhabited by a few other matches
ReplyDeleteIt's on YouTube in pretty decent quality
ReplyDeleteJohn Cena v. CM Punk saved wrestling for me. I was probably pretty close to giving up on it after WrestleMania 27.
ReplyDeleteCool. I will check it out. Welcome to 10k btw.
ReplyDeleteNot discrediting Cena as he's usually consistently big-match-good but his matches with Punk have been consistently outstanding. Going to be an awesome Mania main event in a few years when Punk comes back to stop SuperCena from breaking his "Days with belt" number
ReplyDeleteYikes, forgot about Vince's "old man crop cut"
ReplyDeleteThanks. Didn't even notice. Been hammering on about Punk for all day
ReplyDeleteI hear ya... I find myself more bummed about this than a grown man should be about an entertainment product
ReplyDeleteIf you owned his HUGE DVD set like me you could watch it anytime.
ReplyDeleteWell played
ReplyDeleteHis hair wasn't right for years after Trump cut it.
ReplyDeleteOh, the days when Cena was only a ten time champion.
ReplyDeleteCena's entrance made me proud to be an Illinoisan.
ReplyDeleteThe best match of the past 5 years.
ReplyDeleteBrock vs. Cena and Brock vs. Punk were both pretty fucking good. I kind of agree with Farva that the Raw Punk-Cena match was better but MITB was the big moment.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Cena should get mad kudos for this match. Played it perfectly, right down the middle. Didn't try and heel it up, didn't try and over compensate on the face side either. Great performance by him
ReplyDeleteAh shit. Punk is bouncing. Good on him though. I believe he is a big enough star to work a Jericho type schedule. And is mainstream popular juuuuust enough to maybe land a gig here & there and gain leverage on Vince like the other part-timers. And this match was freaking amazing, crowd was jacked up roided out.
ReplyDeleteHow do we finish about the Vince finish? Would it have been more satisfying if Punk went over without Vince ever appearing on camera or does Vince trying to play off Montreal 97 and then trying to get Del Rio to cash in MITB provide a more satisfying finish?
ReplyDeleteThe promo for the match doesn't get enough love.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!! This drives me CRAZY! Why on earth do I want to watch people watch something instead of me just watching it myself?
ReplyDeleteTJ - the fact that NXT is the best wrestling show going today is sadlarious. Cass has been killing it these past several weeks.
ReplyDeleteI remember that watching it live it played out perfectly for me.
ReplyDeletebecause I was so SURE they would get the title off CM Punk via some shenanigans, either by having McMahon/Laurinaitis screw with the match or by having Punk lose to Del Rio directly afterwards.
so I guess that's a "nothing wrong with how it went down"-answer.
i bet it won't be on the wwe network, which will have thousands of hours of footage available on launch on feb 24th, the night after the elimination chamber ppv at 11:05 pm when raw goes off the air, and is available for only $9.99 a month with a 6-month commitment, and which will truly be over the top
ReplyDeleteThen last year he found some magic young again serum.
ReplyDeleteDiva-fucking. Well said.
ReplyDeleteMatch is still 5 stars, great stuff.
Kudos to Laurinitis for taking that stiff shot from Cena as well
"Do I have everybody's attention now?"
ReplyDeleteWell, good thing Batista is back to take over the diva-fucking duties now that Punk is AWOL!
ReplyDeleteYeah, this was just the right match in the right place at the right time. Just perfect.
ReplyDeleteThe hard camera needs to be zoomed out first and foremost
ReplyDeleteThe part when Cena countered the crossbody up to the near fall with the AA is one of the most pulse pounding sequences you'll ever see in wrestling. I love when Punk got Cena into the Anaconda Vice and then they cut into a shot of the front row furiously tapping the barricade, and you just know they're a gazillion fans out there somewhere doing the same thing while at home.
ReplyDeleteAw man, I was bummed about Punk's departure before... after watching this, now I'm REALLY bummed. Maybe he'll come back for the Wrestlemania run after the Chamber PPV like Austin did back in '02, but knowing him, I'm not counting on it.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I like the teased Del Rio cash im also because it just added another dynamic of Punk getting one over on Vince. Plus Del Rio cashing in was a plausible ending to the entire night
ReplyDeleteWatched this in a theater in Toronto with about 200 others and we were all losing our shit. I hadn't watched wrestling for a long time before but my buddy coaxed me into going by showing me the promos leading into the match. Easily my favourite match of the 2000s and one of my favourites ever, largely because of the experience, but it's just so expertly crafted. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteWe should place gentleman's bets on who the lucky skank will be.
ReplyDeleteMy pick, Eva Marie
Agreed. Especially in a time when it felt like he wouldn't lay down for anyone in a clean manner.
ReplyDeleteSeconded!
ReplyDeleteWho's on Batista's list?
Kelly Kelly,Melina.The other ones I don't know.
Oh yes, that one time the WWE promised something EPIC for the internet fans... and delivered.
ReplyDeleteCena vs Brock at Extreme Rules?
ReplyDeleteDidn't you get the memo? WWE doesn't know how to payoff anything.
ReplyDeleteBig Johnny played his role to the hilt. I wish he'd have gotten to wrestle Cena a bit during their match.
ReplyDeleteRosa Mendes, I believe... and I want to say there's another one.
ReplyDeleteOne of my all-time favorites.
ReplyDeleteYeah, re: the botched impacts, that's the main reason. They've actually been doing that forever and ever, it's just that they cut SO much more often now.
ReplyDeleteTrue. Great match until the last 5 minutes of the show.
ReplyDeleteI don't get why they don't do those super high, super wide shots of the crowd anymore.
ReplyDeleteI assume it's because the lighting rigs have got so huge and obstruct the view, but it sure made wherever they went looked huge.
While I'm not saying that this is an elaborate work, one thing that gives me pause about this whole thing is that WWE hasn't officially said one word about it. When Austin took his ball and went home, that's all they talked about... even doing that whole feature on Confidential about it.
ReplyDeleteYep. I really dug the "Punk's smarter than the average bear" aspect to just kicking Del Rio and getting the Hell out of there through the crowd.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand what the end game would be for a work where nobody ever mentions said "work" outside of the wrestling observer.
ReplyDeleteOh yes the often repressed internet fan its such an important contingency to keep happy. You know the fan base that will watch no matter how bad it gets, THOSE are the guys you wanna keep happy....even though if you don't they'll still watch your show but they'll be ANGRY about it!
ReplyDeleteI found this interesting: TNA is promoting Free CM Punk in TNA week on their website and Youtube.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.impactwrestling.com/news/item/5462-TNA-on-YouTube-FREEVIEW-CM-Punk-in-TNA-Wrestling-Watch-The-Three-Part-Series
It's not about Punk being wrong. If you're him, why do you want to work
ReplyDeletewith HHH again? But he puts himself above the company and it's
foolish. Kurt Angle wrestled the greatest match ever against HBK and
then went on to be an animal rapist jobber against Booker T a month
later. That's what men do.
Its scary when the 88-93 rumbles had better production than the current ones. I loved the wide view of the ring with tiny inset of who was coming out next during the rumble match. Why get rid of that ever!!??
ReplyDeleteI thought that during a shield run in last year. I was like wtf is happening!!
ReplyDeleteScott didn't know what he said...right??? Kerwin for life.
ReplyDelete45 minutes of the reason we watch wrestling.
ReplyDeleteThere's a big difference in watching the show and buying PPV's, merch, and event tickets. The internet fans will buy all three when the product is to their liking.
ReplyDeleteI really wish they'd done more with Punk outsmarting wrestling conventions. Like knowing contract signings always turn into brawls, etc...
ReplyDeleteInternet fans never in history have been a large enough audience to matter even when the product is good. Has ROH ever even made a profit? So no the only people who think internet fans are valuable.....are internet fans.
ReplyDeleteThat's easily my favorite WWE hype video ever. It even tops the "My Way" video for WM17.
ReplyDeletelet's not forget all the herky-jerky, zoom in/zoom out shenanigans they pull whenever there is a schmoz occurring. i'm so glad i'm not epileptic.
ReplyDeletebut i could become so.
and they usually look COMPLETELY bored out of their minds. pull-out-pistol-point-at-head-pull-trigger bored.
ReplyDeletethey should consider bringing back Pat Patterson exclusively to book the Rumble matches. have they not already done this before?
ReplyDeletesucks that guys don't know how to work anymore. part of the art of pro wrestling is being able to hit a man "as hard as you can without leaving a mark." I'm paraphrasing Bret Hart, but that sounds glorious. Many of the top acts were aces at it. no one can seemingly do it now. the only performer that beats the hell out of people, at least to my eyes, is Daniel Bryan. if one can't throw convincing punches, throw elbows or European uppercuts.
ReplyDelete/mild applause
ReplyDeleteYeah I couldn't find it either, so I had to *cough* acquire it. Guess I'm part of the problem.
ReplyDeleteIn 3-4 years time when both men are pushing 40. I think the fanbase would go crazy over Punk vs Cena. Just the right amount of acclaim and nostalgia would sell tickets like crazy.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough I think those guys (let's be honest...us guys) are the ones most likely to subscribe to the WWE network.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how much of a reactive company TNA is, the minute Kurt Angle talks positively about going back to the WWE in the future, less than 24 hours later they announce Angle is heading to their HOF, minute CM punk leaves they peep out (hey you know what guys? CM punk used to be with us)
ReplyDeleteAlmost ALMOST justifies all the heartbreak and bullcrap we put up with in search of moments like these.
ReplyDeleteMATCHJACK!~
ReplyDeleteRandy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior Title For Title!?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njFliocIYiA
MATCHJACK2!~
Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior Steel Cage Match?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpu2LKpBVwU
this discussion again?
ReplyDeletebecome animal rapists?
ReplyDeleteisn't this one of the stories Rocky used to tell? that he was approached by some higher-ups at the beginning of his career because his punches looked horrible and that he started working on them because it is one of the basic things (if your basic offense sucks, you pretty much suck as a whole worker).
ReplyDeleteI also remember in one of his rants Scott pointed out that this seemed to be the reason why Trish used a lot more (good looking) kicks than (horrible) punches.
And keep his finger off the switch.
ReplyDeleteThe worst is when Cena will get somebody up to finish and then go "oops, gotta face the hard camera", and then finish the move.
ReplyDeleteI always think of the "wacky waving arm-flailing balloon man!"(or whatever it is ) from Family Guy whenever I see that.
ReplyDeleteThat is the worst. I started noticing it with The Shield's early run-ins, but now it seems like they do it every time they cut to a ringside camera. I literally can't look at the screen anymore when that happens.
ReplyDelete