Since returning to WWE at Survivor Sequence 2023, CM Punk has been one of the crucial over stars within the firm. It did not matter if he was injured or placing on nice matches, as a result of each time “Cult of Persona” hit, the followers went loopy. Practically two years later, the followers nonetheless chant for Punk and cheer louder for him than anybody else (together with Cody Rhodes), however even the largest CM Punk fan has to see that he has misplaced a number of the coolness issue that first made him so widespread.
He is been harm by WWE’s politics, which he has been quiet about despite the fact that they do not match his personal. On high of that, his Dr. of Thugamonics parody of John Cena was Vince McMahon period stage of cringe, and his participation at Night time of Champions in Saudi Arabia required him to return on his strongly held convictions. Now, it is CM Punk who’s beginning to really feel like a parody. WWE can nonetheless save his run, however they should do one thing completely different with him now.
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CM Punk Was The Voice Of The Unvoiced
He Was Wrestling’s Largest Insurgent
Punk ripped aside WWE in his iconic 2011 Uncooked pipe bomb promo.
He was a favourite with hardcore followers who had given up on modern-day WWE.
When Punk left WWE in 2014, many followers misplaced curiosity in wrestling.
Within the early 2010s, CM Punk actually took off in WWE as a result of hardcore followers latched on to him. There was now not a WCW, AEW was a few years from present, and TNA had develop into a joke beneath Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. If you happen to wished wrestling, WWE was about all you had, despite the fact that it was usually boring and felt catered to children. John Cena was in every single place, however then there was CM Punk. He actually was punk, a insurgent who known as himself the voice of the unvoiced. He gave actual hope to followers who had develop into disillusioned with what professional wrestling had develop into.
This is the reason his iconic 2011 pipe bomb promo on Uncooked had such a big impact. CM Punk wasn’t a personality spewing traces for a narrative. He actually believed what he was saying. We knew that he was actually bothered by what he noticed and the way he was handled. Punk felt what we felt, and for a technology of principally younger male followers, he reignited our ardour for the game. When he went away in January 2014, we misplaced that zeal, and it took the grittiness of NXT and the eventual rise of AEW to deliver the hardcore followers again.
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Has CM Punk Jumped The Shark?
Punk Is Not The Man He Used To Be
Followers had been excited when CM Punk returned to wrestling by becoming a member of AEW in 2021.
Punk’s return to WWE was accepted as a result of the corporate was cool once more with Triple H in cost.
Punk’s latest SmackDown rap and apology to the followers in Saudi Arabia wasn’t a very good look.
A big section of followers felt pleasure coming again to wrestling when CM Punk made his AEW debut. Bear in mind the shot of that grown man crying within the viewers at Rampage? Punk returned, speaking crap about WWE, and in the event you hated what Vince McMahon’s promotion had develop into, you liked each phrase. However CM Punk’s rebellious methods ended up changing into his best enemy, with two highly-publicized backstage brawls finally resulting in Tony Khan firing him.
Returning to WWE, after every thing he’d stated about them, may have made CM Punk appear to be a sellout, however followers did not see it that method. In any case, Vince McMahon was now now not in cost, and with Triple on the helm, WWE was cool once more. Punk returning to WWE was seen as a method for him to let go of the ache of the previous and transfer ahead.
Punk might have missed vital time as a result of a triceps harm on the 2024 Royal Rumble, however he and Drew McIntyre had the feud of the 12 months, and right now he is nonetheless an enormous draw. However he has additionally been harm by actions of the previous few months. Forward of WrestleMania, WWE drew unfavorable consideration when Triple H and Roman Reigns praised President Donald Trump in interviews. Punk, who has been outspoken in help of liberal causes like trans rights, stated nothing, besides to get upset at followers who did not like his silence. He had lengthy had dangerous issues to say about WWE’s Saudi exhibits (bear in mind his blood cash tweet directed at The Miz?), however not solely did he carry out at Night time of Champions in Riyadh, however he really apologized to followers, saying that his feedback had been about him being grumpy and under no circumstances in regards to the Saudis. No, Punk, I feel they kinda had been. The SmackDown earlier than Night time of Champions noticed Punk doing a cringe rap, and in the primary occasion of the PLE, he was a part of one other overbooked, irritating John Cena match end. Out of the blue, CM Punk now not comes throughout because the edgy insurgent so many people liked.
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CM Punk Wants A Dramatic Shift To His Character
It is Not As Straightforward As A Heel Flip
In a PG period of WWE, CM Punk can solely accomplish that a lot.
Having Punk beat Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship does not repair his points.
Punk must get his edge again and reclaim his unpredictability.
CM Punk should not be bashed for all of that. He is not going to return out and rip his employer, when individuals like Triple H and Roman Reigns have each proper to their very own political views, similar to he does. Going to Saudi Arabia was arguably disappointing, however with everybody doing these exhibits right now, together with Sami Zayn, that battle was misplaced.
Nonetheless, CM Punk comes throughout as a nostalgia act now. Together with his John Cena feud over, WWE must do one thing completely different with him. He may flip heel, in fact, and whereas he’d be nice at it, the identical issues would nonetheless exist. The identical points are there even when Punk takes on Gunther and beats him for the World Heavyweight Championship. We must be reminded of the Punk of outdated.
It is not about who Punk faces subsequent, however how he acts subsequent. WWE likes to push the boundaries of PG, permitting some cursing right here and there. Let Punk do this. Take off his restraints and permit him to develop into the man we knew in 2011 and 2021. Give him that edge again that made it appear to be something was doable and also you did not know what he would say subsequent. Simply, please, it doesn’t matter what, by no means let CM Punk rap ever once more.
