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CM Punk Dominating Headlines–But Not for the Right Reasons

CM Punk’s promo on Hangman Page only hurt AEW

Justin Barrasso

CM Punk Dominating Headlines–But Not for the Right Reasons
CM Punk Dominating Headlines–But Not for the Right Reasons /

SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.

Since Saturday night, CM Punk has dominated wrestling headlines.

It all started with Punk’s in-ring, post-Collision promo where he took shots at Hangman Page.

Punk is one of wrestling’s most unique talents. He is exceptional on the mic, and despite his time away from the ring, he can still tell a compelling story in it. Perhaps he isn’t the same athletic marvel he was earlier in his career, but Punk is smart–he has accumulated what equates to a PhD in wrestling psychology, and it shows in his matches. Recent examples of that are his extremely entertaining bout against Satoshi Kojima at Forbidden Door in June and his bouts against Samoa Joe and Ricky Starks on Collision.

There is no question that Punk adds value to AEW. The entire Collision show was sold around his presence, and he remains a draw. But the gains he is making for AEW are hurt by unnecessary behavior.

Punk and The Elite do not see eye to eye. As fascinating as it would be to see that play out in a storyline, that is not be a realistic endeavor. There is no chance that is happening, and further evidence of that is the Hangman promo. Punk and The Elite run in different lanes in AEW, with the former on Collisionand the latter on Dynamite. And this isn’t the first time Punk referenced members of The Elite, working in the Young Bucks to his return promo on Collision. Unlike his work with Samoa Joe or Jay White or Ricky Starks, those shots seem unnecessary for members of the roster he isn’t involved with in any storyline.

The saddest part of the avalanche of Punk stories of the past few days is that no one is discussing his work on Collision. It is a group effort, no doubt, but one led by Punk. That crew is infusing life into pro wrestling on Saturday nights, which hasn’t been accomplished in decades. Yet the primary talking points are Ryan Nemeth being sent home from a Collision taping and Christopher Daniels not being allowed backstage at Collision. How does any of that help AEW make forward progress in solidifying itself as a genuine powerbroker in pro wrestling?

Again, the focus from AEW’s perspective should be on Punk’s work. He is one of wrestling’s most gifted storytellers. In our recent conversation about Collision, Punk detailed the reason he spray painted an X on his AEW world title belt.

“When I’d just started wrestling, one of the first places I found steady work was Mid American Wrestling run by Carmine DeSpirito, and we ran a Knights of Columbus Hall in West Ellis, Wisconsin once a month,” said Punk. “I think the appeal for the fans there was really cheap beer. I was this straight edge kid that didn’t fit in anywhere, except for with the freaks and geeks in a pro wrestling locker room.”

In the earliest stage of his career, Punk explained, he began the process of testing what worked with the crowd. He could not locate that elusive right mix, until he listened to advice from a friend that changed his whole life.

“I had not done this straight edge gimmick yet,” said Punk. “I was racking my brain to come up with a great idea, and I remember my girlfriend at the time, Natalie Slater, who is still to this day a great friend of mine, pointed out the pot of gold was right under my nose. She was like, ‘Why don’t you just be you? Why don’t you just be straight edge?’ All credit to her. That’s where it was born.

“That’s why I tape my wrists, that’s why I X-up my hands, and that’s where ‘Straight edge means I’m better than you’ comes from. Looking back on it now, there’s a lot of people I currently work with who are not only wrestlers because of me–their words–they’re straight edge because of me. It’s time to go back to that. Look how powerful it is. That’s a nice itch I get to scratch now.”

Punk adds a different element to pro wrestling, and certainly makes it far more interesting. If you’re enjoying Collision, it wouldn’t exist without him. Dynamite is AEW’s signature show, but the roster is simply too deep for one three-hour program.

Collision has created a space where, among others, Jay White, Ricky Starks, and Miro can take the next step in their AEW careers. It was home to the phenomenal FTR-White/Juice Robinson tag, and there is endless potential for the show. If Collision is successful, it can shine a light on a lot of different talent, which is a massive responsibility. That means Punk needs to stay true to himself. The edgy, controversial star cannot forget what distinguishes him from all the other colorful personalities in wrestling.

Punk needs to be Punk, and that does not mean cheap shots directed at The Elite, who have remained quiet publicly despite the ongoing tension. That promo on Saturday did no favors for Page, who is an emerging star. Especially considering he is not expected to reply, the promo ultimately only hurts one of AEW’s most integral pieces.

In order for AEW to be at its absolute best, Punk needs to remain focused on what is taking place on-screen. Until that happens, countless distractions are bound to curtail the momentum that many people in the company have bled and sweat to create.

This is a monumental period for the future of AEW. Moving forward, time will judge whether Punk swings the pendulum in the right direction.

The (Online) Week in Wrestling

The latest chapter in the story of The Bloodline has seen Jey Uso quit WWE (nice touch by moving him to the alumni section of the company’s website).

Rey Mysterio is the new United States champion. Credit to the company for recognizing that it simply wasn’t working at the moment with Austin Theory, who was unable to harness any forward progress from his WrestleMania 39 victory against John Cena.

Yes, that was Jon Moxley making his PWG debut over the weekend, defeating Titus Alexander.

Hikaru Shida has main-evented Dynamite the past two weeks, quickly adding more prestige to her newest title run. 

Chelsea Green has a new tag team partner in the returning Piper Niven. Hopefully WWE gives the team time to help make the titles an important part of Raw.

Hulk Hogan celebrated his 70th birthday this past weekend at a surprise party that featured Ric Flair, Big Show, Haku, and Brian Knobbs.

Kevin Nash wanted to be part of SummerSlam… and his request was ignored? What a miss by the powers-that-be in WWE.

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The Rejuvenation of Shinsuke Nakamura

For the first time in a long time, Shinsuke Nakamura has played a must-see role the past two weeks on Raw.

Nakamura turned heel last week, hitting world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins with his signature Kinshasa. He did it again this past Monday, getting the better of Rollins for a second time in two weeks.

A long time star in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Nakamura has been a part of WWE for the past seven years. He shined in NXT, then made his main roster debut on the Raw following WrestleMania 33 in 2017. There were some highlights, primarily defeating John Cena that August on SmackDown, and some genuine anticipation surrounding his WrestleMania 34 bout against AJ Styles, but reaching that elusive tier of WWE superstardom simply has not happened for Nakamura. Unfortunately, he seemed to be at home during this year’s SummerSlam, where he was one of many in the Slim Jim battle royal. If that hideous 24/7 title were still active, Nakamura would likely have been one of the wrestlers jostling for a run with it.

Last week’s Raw changed all of that. Nakamura took a critical first step into re-establishing himself as a legitimate force. That will take considerable time, but it was an encouraging beginning, further supported by his performance this past Monday night.

Nakamura should win the world heavyweight championship, which would be a major surprise if it happened on Raw. It may be the only way to save his WWE tenure, and it is certainly worth trying. There is no legacy or lineage to that particular belt (though Rollins deserves a great deal of credit for embedding a new title with instant credibility), and it won’t hurt the title to have a new person hold it. With Nakamura, Rollins, Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, and Cody Rhodes in the title picture, there is even more reason to care about Raw.

The opposite side of that argument is Nakamura cannot be champion because he can’t carry the top of the card. After years that equated to a hodgepodge of nothingness, he has effectively become a prized opponent instead of the featured attraction. He will need a title run to change that, and his reign could be fascinating. It would be a change for Raw, but not merely change for change’s sake.

Nakamura is a star. He hasn’t always been presented that way in WWE, but now is the time to change that.

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Tweet of the Week

Perfect restaurant music.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter@JustinBarrasso.

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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