I have not enjoyed wrestling since he’s been back. All In was the first PPV I didn’t but since AEW started because I am just so unexcited for the show knowing there’s such toxins shit going on. I know I might be in the minority here because people seem to like CM Punk for whatever reason, but he makes omen of my favorite things so much less enjoyable. I only watch stuff when I hear that a specific match was really good now
I was open to Punk when he came back. I know all his WWE problems but he also had a rough deal so when he arrived in AEW I figured ya know what? Fuck it, clean slate, he's back, he seems willing to do the work, let's give it a go.
The second that scrum happened I no longer gave a shit about seeing CM Punk, and every tid-bit that comes out since then of him getting into someone elses face over this and that just add's another nail to the coffin.
I've made my feelings clear, but I don't think I ever really explained why I'm anti-Punk.
It's not because of his political or social views, I'm pro-choice, support trans rights, and am a proud member of a labor union.
It's got nothing to do with anything that happened behind closed doors, we'll likely never really know how "Brawl Out" went down.
I'm anti-Punk 100% because of the "gripebomb" at the All Out media scrum. If I had done what Punk did, publicly insult the leadership of the company signing my paychecks, on a stage for all the world to see, I'd have been fired before even getting up out of that damn chair and tossed out with my mouth still full of muffin. But, Punk? That asshole basically got his own show. Proving that we live in different worlds. CM Punk is not my voice, he's a celebrity diva that needs to check his privilege.
If you'd like to hear a similar story, ask me how I feel about Will Smith.
I was pretty down on Punk since the whole situation with Colt hit, but he won me back after he came to AEW just because he was so good. And then the scrum happened, and I'm firmly in camp fuck that guy.
Yeah, same. I was in a wrestling hiatus during his WWE run, so I don't really have any strong feelings towards his work. I get he is a big deal for lots of folks. And I do like the fact he doesn't shy away from social causes. But jeezus. I'm still stuck on how upset he apparently got about Hangman's vague dig. Like, unapproved comments are supposed to be a huge part of your career, dude.
I didn't see his ROH or WWE run. He was an unknown wrestler that people, for the most part, spoke highly of. Now I just don't care what he's doing. The locker room crap is unamusing as I've worked with people like that, and it's horrid. His in ring abilities are lacking. His promos aren't bad though, but I just can't be bothered to care about what he's doing.
Don’t let it ruin your enjoyment of the product. All-In was incredible. You need to catch it despite the Punk stuff.
And I’m still open to the idea that this is a work/shoot-turned-work. If anyone’s seen Tales From the Territories (or anything where old-school wrestlers talk about the trade), you’ll know the one thing that puts a massive smile on their faces is when they talk about working the fans. Those guys beam like children whenever they tell those stories. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if twenty years from now we see TK, Punk, Matt and Nick Jackson sitting around a table, laughing their asses off about how they got us all.
At the end of the day, everyone involved in this is a carny. Including the “journalists.” They all want attention and drama like this gets it.
I'd love that, and I even said in the All In thread I think this is a work, if it isn't cut the cancer out now and move on.
AEW just had it's biggest show
AEW just had Wrestling's biggest show
AEW put on a banger card despite injuries, court cases, travel issues and death.
But
We aren't talking about Mox looking like a porcupine
Or
That Carny piece of shit Don Callis
Or
Any other high point on a great show.
We are talking about Phil, I'm not ever gonna call him anything else this isn't a character waging war against an "Evil" owner of the company he's a bitter man who couldn't swallow a drop of his own pride and demanded a level of respect that he never deserved when he showed up, and certainly doesn't deserve now.
In a perfect world The Elite open the show
TK has time to plan and have Joe go over and that's the last we ever hear of Phil, he fades into obscurity.
I definitely agree that if this is all shoot then Punk needs to go. And Tony needs to learn and grow from the whole situation. Big time lol.
But I don’t think we’d be talking about any of those spots as much as we’re talking about this Punk drama. They were all great but there’s no way they would generate this much attention in the media. This kind of drama sells.
It’s all hypothetical, but if this Punk stuff doesn’t happen then the media/social media is probably talking about something else. Maybe more coverage of Funk’s death, Wyatt’s death, RAW/NXT, or WWE’s up-coming PPV instead of AEW’s. Who knows? All we know is that right now, in our version of the multiverse, everything is about Punk and AEW.
The news cycle moves fast these days. That this Punk story is still talk-of-the-industry could be seen as a net positive in AEW’s eyes. They are in the entertainment business, where the saying: There’s no such thing as bad PR is absolutely true.
And I’m not arguing against this whole thing being a headache. We’re definitely on the same page there lol. I’m just pointing out why AEW might be okay with it: because—good or bad— it keeps their name in the news.
I really wish I could not let it hurt my enjoyment of the product but I just have no desire to watch when that guy is such a big part of the show. I was actually looking at the card for All In to see what matches were happening because I wanted to try to get back into it. But then I saw that CM Punk had a match and also there was some storyline of him pretending to be champion. So that tells me that they were eventually going to have him in the title picture again. So I lost interest. Why get invested in a story if you know they are going to make it worse later? It may indeed be a shoot turned into a work, but I don’t have any desire to see CM Punk be beat in a match. I just don’t want to see him at all.
Why do you say that? Do you think it’s all a work? If so, it’s some awful fucking WCW 2000 shit and I don’t want to watch it. Or do you think it’s all lies but not a work? If so, cool move by the owner to not comment on it and look like a chump who can’t manage his company. And if that’s the case, I don’t want to watch it. And if it’s real and he’s being that much of a crybaby and attempted bully, which is definitely in line with how he’s been his whole career, then I don’t want to watch.
How the hell do you ever watch wrestling if that's your strict criteria. No AEW, WWE, IMPACT, AJPW, NJPW
But I digress. I say the dirtsheets have most fans and companies in a deep headlock. Because the fans will spend more time discussing a report and basing their opinions on a report that suits their narrative while ignoring others or just straight facts that don't. For example Tony did mention the incident during the media scrum.
And if it’s real and he’s being that much of a crybaby and attempted bully, which is definitely in line with how he’s been his whole career, then I don’t want to watch.
Excuse the pun, but given the many lessons of other friendships that have been permanently burnt in the past its kinda surprising they've gone All In on being pals with him.
Yeah, same. And it’s so fucking dumb that anyone would care that Perry started it. He started an argument. An argument is not an invitation to start a fight. If you’re so much of a baby that you can’t stop yourself from hitting people who say things that hurt your feelings, you don’t need to be calling yourself a locker room leader or working in a job that requires so much trust in other people helping keep you safe