Monday 10 February 2014

CM Punk - the voice of the people, not just WWE

His unexpected, yet dramatic exit from WWE has sent shockwaves throughout the world of professional wrestling. With the company so obsessed with creating a legacy within its current crop of mid-card mediocre entertainers, its most prized asset is walking - a free man and even better than before.



For those believing this is merely another scripted stunt pulled by WWE, one which would mirror the events of mid-2011 - think again. Back then, while the outspoken Punk made a scathing speech concerning the way the company was run which involved an on-air rant at owner Vince McMahon, this was simply a ploy ingested by Talent to create a new, fresher side to the performer regularly referenced to as the "Straight Edge Wannabee". This time around, Punk's flee from the WWE is real, and one for which WWE itself should fear.

CM Punk is more than just a professional wrestler. He is more than just an entertainer. CM Punk is the sort of character they should be cherishing. A rare breed that nowadays is more than a hard task to find. Punk walked into the WWE, an opinionated, brash boy and has transformed into a meticulous, hard-working creator. Another asset Punk has in his locker is his ability to transfix his audience with his speeches. His talent in the ring, matched only by his magic on the microphone. He is a wordsmith - an artist of the microphone. In the modern PG era of WWE, the rarity of having this talent on your front door is simply too much to stand. His engaging, philosophical rants down the mic make him not just a technically gifted wrestler, but an exquisite all round performer - some may even say, "The Best in the World". And, for those who question his true worth, and continue to be fooled by the transparent "Hustle, Loyalty, Respect" John Cena machine, then I bid thee a farewell. Cena himself is an excellent entertainer, but his wrestling skills and ability with a mic leave a lot to be desired. The Punk-Cena fiasco of 2011 proved just that. Punk was the better man, and always will be. Straight Edge or not, he has earned his self-imposed tag.

The WWE universe has now realised what Punk's worth truly is. He encapsulates everything WWE used to be. The attitude era which dawned the forever living legacy of the company. His natural talent in engaging the crowd, standing up for his beliefs, and physically proving his formula works is a whole lot more than just a simple admiration. Vince McMahon knows this, and rumours circulating on the pro-wrestling grapevine firmly suggest that he is dealing with this incident personally, after the scripted insanity from company COO Paul Michael Levesque, more commonly known as Triple H. Triple H's obsession with his former troupe Evolution, consisting of Randy Orton, Batista and Ric Flair leave a lot to be desired. Orton is current reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion, the first in history. While Batista returned from a four-year wrestling exodus to suddenly become the greatest wrestler on the planet, winning the Royal Rumble match and henceforth becoming the number one contender to Orton's title at Wrestlemania 30. This, my friends, is the reason behind CM Punk's walk-out.

It's not a signal of jealousy or contempt for Batista, but more an opposition of the dreadful man management by Triple H. For somebody who's life has been ingrained in the professional wrestling background, and even provoking the creation of rebellious group D-Generation X, Triple H has merely become a corporate suck up so engrossed with his own creations and his own ego, that he feels the need to feed his pathetic self-righteousness. Punk's issue is with WWE Creative, not the individuals, because Punk's influence on the individuals making the decisions is what's making him a threat. WWE Creative has royally screwed its most valuable wrestler, and for what? So Mr Dave Batista can get a large wedge before he flies off into the distance smiling more than a Cheshire cat? Do me a favour. Talk in and around the wrestling circuit made no secret of the fact that while some were pleased with Punk's sudden decision to leave, the majority were left in a state of shock. Punk was, and never has been the most liked performer inside and outside the ring, but what Punk was good at, was being the voice for the ones who felt like they had no voice to give. Punk has never been afraid of the overpaid, over-hyped monkeys running what used to be a highly reputable wrestling organisation. He stood up to the hypocrisy which exists within the core of World Wrestling Entertainment. Vince McMahon remains at the top of that organisation, but has become so obsessed with the PG policy that any attitude era that ever existed is more than just a distant memory. It is now merely a myth. While the returns of The Rock and Brock Lesnar over the past few years have added some gloss to a company which is wreaking of trouble, the very fabric of which the company is now run on is flawed. Talk of McMahon personally dealing with the Punk exit speaks volumes of the kind of carnage one man brings, but it's a man McMahon knows he cannot afford to lose.

Some may say Punk is simply a flash in the pan wise guy who thinks he can say whatever he likes. Others may say he's a spoilt brat who throws his toys out the pram when he doesn't get what he wants. Even more will say he's always been an average wrestler. The majority meanwhile will relish in the fact that CM Punk leaving has sent massive alarm bells ringing around the WWE. Major talk of fans being ejected from live shows for chanting Punk's name or holding up Punk banners proves the company we all believed to be the best ever for professional wrestling has no answers to a man who has quite frankly rattled their egotistical nature. Punk sleeps, breathes and lives wrestling. It is the career he was born to do. It is more than just dancing around a ring making yourself look hurt to entertain the kids and millions of adults across the globe. It is a piece of artwork in which, if carefully but efficiently approached, you can become one of the greatest of all-time. That tag has been thrown around more times by the WWE than somebody kissing Vince McMahon's arse and that's a lot!

The main problem McMahon now has is attempting to persuade his most notorious but cut throat extraordinaire to return to the 4-sided circle. It may be a case of begging and pleading, or it may be a case of paying extra dollar to convince the man to come out of the shadows. But neither of which will be the real objective of his outcry. Punk simply wants what is right for the hard-workers of the company. If they go unappreciated while the "legends" of WWE scoop up the equivalent to a lottery win, then where is the justice there? Punk's not the man to take the company forward if that's where they see their future. Punk is a rebel, and rebels usually suffer for years in silence, but for once, the hierarchy is losing its fans, losing its bottle and losing its performers. It just so happens, that this particular performer, happens to be the Best in the World.