The Life & Times of CM Punk: The Prodigal Son Has Returned (New WWE World Heavyweight Champion)

[TheGreatShowtime]

Dude was in the best shape of his life (which is funny and sad because he was definitely skinny-fat his entire prime and for his AEW Run), but I can’t call it in the ring because I can’t tell if he was selling or legit gassed after the 5 minute mark

Punk was never great in the ring, but it's even more noticeable now that he's older, slower and working in a generation with the most athletic wrestlers ever. He looked really bad in AEW at times because he was trying to match athleticism with his opponents and couldn't. An example being Punk trying and failing to do the buckshot multiple times.

 

[Jmare007]

Punk was never great in the ring, but it's even more noticeable now that he's older, slower and working in a generation with the most athletic wrestlers ever. He looked really bad in AEW at times because he was trying to match athleticism with his opponents and couldn't. An example being Punk trying and failing to do the buckshot multiple times.

Yeah, the weird part is that Punk doesn't need to do any athletic spots at this point of his career. He absolutely knows how to milk a crowd with the most simple stuff. But ego is a motherfukker, and just like Jericho, he can't help but try stuff that even in his prime he would've struggled with.

 

[KFBF]

What's the consensus on how Punk looked out there? Feels like an afterthought with everything else that happened

The fact that he didn't injure himself is a miracle.

 

[TOAD99]

Yeah even in his prime, punk was lowkey sloppy in the ring

That doesn’t mean he’s a bad wrestler per say, but now that he’s older and injured it doesn’t make sense to try things he could barely do in his prime

 

[prophecypro]

Yeah, the weird part is that Punk doesn't need to do any athletic spots at this point of his career. He absolutely knows how to milk a crowd with the most simple stuff. But ego is a motherfukker, and just like Jericho, he can't help but try stuff that even in his prime he would've struggled with.

Coming back from his 2022 injury though he’s doing exactly that and less of the athletic spots. I think that first run in AEW he was doing a lot of good stuff and I think got him feeling like he could more than he needs to (Edge in AEW same thing )

But like you both said he’s always had the sloppy punch drunk style with lots of storytelling and it worked. It makes more sense to do it now too even as he’s old but WWE probably won’t let him blade for big feuds and stuff and honestly I can see matches where a 3rd person being involved like last night can hinder not help a story he’s trying to do.


In theory his style should work as he gets older but it depends on whatever nonsense the agent puts in

 

[Silkk]

The fact that he didn't injure himself is a miracle.

Yeah I was kinda shook when he got Drew up for the GTS

 

[Osmosis]

Coming back from his 2022 injury though he’s doing exactly that and less of the athletic spots. I think that first run in AEW he was doing a lot of good stuff and I think got him feeling like he could more than he needs to (Edge in AEW same thing )

But like you both said he’s always had the sloppy punch drunk style with lots of storytelling and it worked. It makes more sense to do it now too even as he’s old but WWE probably won’t let him blade for big feuds and stuff and honestly I can see matches where a 3rd person being involved like last night can hinder not help a story he’s trying to do.


In theory his style should work as he gets older but it depends on whatever nonsense the agent puts in

I think they did the special ref stip to protect Punk but it ended up hurting the match. After nearly a year of buildup, multiple screwed title matches, both guys claiming to inflict uncomfortable amounts of violence on one another; this match was rather tame.

Could have just had a smoke and mirrors street fight with crowd brawling to protect Punk and payoff the feud.

 

[Brad Piff]

 

[85 East]

It's so clear AEW dropped the ball. Jealousy really made other wrestlers super insecure.

 

[Heelish]

It's so clear AEW dropped the ball. Jealousy really made other wrestlers super insecure.

Losing 250K of their regular audience will always be crazy to me.

 

[get my pool]

It's so clear AEW dropped the ball. Jealousy really made other wrestlers super insecure.

I called it in the og thread that aew would end up needing him more than he needed them. They really let their loyalty to Colt Cabana run a legit draw out of their company lmao

 

[Heelish]

I called it in the og thread that aew would end up needing him more than he needed them. They really let their loyalty to Colt Cabana run a legit draw out of their company lmao

When Meltzer & Friends put out that Punk would only find work at TNA or MLW if they had a few more weeks before getting exposed (again) for not knowing shyt, they’d claim he was heading to NWA or CYN.

 

[get my pool]

When Meltzer & Friends put out that Punk would only find work at TNA or MLW if they had a few more weeks before getting exposed (again) for not knowing shyt, they’d claim he was heading to NWA or CYN.

It was crazy lol. People we were legit writing fan fiction about how he would be outcast from the wrestling industry for getting into a scuffle with Jungleboy

 

[Whooty Chaser]

 

[prophecypro]

Good convo of the perception of him in the ring now by both sets of fans