Keynotes and Keyholds: Cena vs Punk (vs Triple H?) (feat. CM Punk, Triple H, John Cena, Vince McMahon)

Hello everybody,

Let’s jump straight in, shall we? Articles revolving around Raw’s current major storyline involving CM Punk, John Cena and Triple H have dominated this website for the last few weeks, and understandably so. For that very reason I’ve waited until now to stick my own proverbial oar into the equally proverbial choppy discursive waters surrounding the subject. The reason that the waters are choppy, of course, lies in a single glaringly obvious fact – absolutely no-one, probably not even Vince McMahon himself, has the foggiest quite where, when, or how the story will end. The same could admittedly be said about many other stories in wrestling past and present. Indeed, part of the charm of analysing the wrestling business is the sure knowledge that no amount of analysis will ever qualify anyone to accurately predict what will happen in pro wrestling from one day to the next. Storylines can evolve, injuries can occur, performers can retire, and so on and so forth.

And yet even though the only certain knowledge of professional wrestling which one could profess is that one hardly professes any knowledge at all, this particular story – that of CM Punk’s riveting, fourth-wall-breaking ascent into the upper echelons of WWE – has provoked more discussion than just about any in recent (and not-so-recent) memory. The question ‘what will happen next’ has never seemed quite as pertinent in the context of professional wrestling. The reason for this is twofold, I believe: Most obviously, Punk’s anti-establishment sentiments have clicked with the masses in a way that few other stories have since the heyday of Steve Austin. Punk has received the kind of mainstream media exposure that most professional wrestlers could only dream of precisely because his story has transcended the usual WWE / TNA drivel and delivered what Punk himself has described as “reality.”

The second and more pertinent reason for our bated breath, however, is not simply because of the mounting excitement of a well-executed story which promises to shock at every turn (indeed, I don’t believe that this story has been particularly well executed at all – its success thus far rests entirely on Punk’s sterling performance) but, I suggest because the majority of fans quite simply don’t know how long the good times will last. It’s the difference between watching an exciting film on DVD and revelling in the suspense of a good story, and watching a scratched or pirated version of that same DVD, expecting at any moment that the movie will cut out to the great frustration of many. In short, there is an inescapable feeling within the IWC that Punk’s revolutionary story is running on borrowed time.

Pulse Glazer, among others, has suggested that we stop dissecting and evaluating the intricacies of the WWE’s plot development and glean what enjoyment we can from these moments while we can. Such an attitude is perhaps symptomatic of the position that hardcore wrestling fans find themselves in today, founded on the general assumption that eventually either WWE, entropy, or a combination of the two will find some way to muck things up. It’s a worthy stance to take, and no doubt a rewarding one. At heart, after all, the majority of us try to enjoy pro wrestling in the same way that we enjoy films starring Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude Van Damme – as mindless entertainment. And yet while ‘make the most of now’ and ‘wait to see how it pans out’ are great bits of advice in theory, in practice it is impossible for those of us who have witnessed the gratuitous waste of stories and performers in professional wrestling from the last ten years alone, to those suppress the fear that at any moment the bubble will burst.

Unlike some, I was rather relieved to see Punk back so soon after ‘leaving.’ I truly believe that, in this instance, it would have been a crime to not strike while the iron was white-hot. Perhaps just one more week without him (and therefore delaying Cena’s title win by a week also) would have been preferable – it would have made Mysterio seem less of a muppet as well to have him wait a week before defending his WWE Championship. On balance, however, Summerslam needed Punk, and there is no guarantee that keeping Punk away would have improved things in any way – indeed, who is to say that the reaction he received upon ‘returning’ would have been half as thunderous after a month of absence? It would have been impractical of WWE to expect Punk’s current heat to survive for an extended period of time on viral campaigns alone, and unrealistic had Punk’s name been kept alive through references on television when he had supposedly left the company. Furthermore, Punk’s claim to the title remains as strong as it did the night he won it: as per the thirty-day-defence rule (which has been mentioned by Cena on Twitter recently), Punk still has until the next pay-per-view to defend his belt. Had he stayed away and not defended the belt within thirty days then his possession of the belt would have been declared null and void. As it is, he didn’t but he threatened to, so it isn’t but it could have been. As Matt Harrak points out in this week’s Creatively Endeavoured, it’s often very difficult to restrain the impulse to second-guess the bookers, but the bright side of Punk’s return is very clear: Genuine controversy and intrigue, ladies and gentlemen! On a wrestling show! In time for a major pay-per-view!

So no issues there then. I even think it’s brilliant that Vince McMahon was replaced as the on-air figurehead by his son-in-law – it makes perfect sense, and was built up weeks in advance by Punk’s initial famous promo at the top of the ramp. Triple H has a lot to contribute on the microphone, and if used correctly (i.e. kept away from the main-event spotlight) could be a real boon to WWE television once again.

Where things get worrying is when one hears about the planned script for last week’s Raw, which – until the FIFTH DRAFT apparently had Punk returning at the start of the show only to be pinned by Alberto Del Rio following a corporate Pedigree by the new COO. It was only after five drafts of the Raw script that the creative team, perhaps at Punk’s behest, decided that to dethrone Punk in such a manner would have been nothing short of insanity in the short-term and simply terrible for business. This is bad for two reasons: firstly, the implication is that Triple H, even as the boss, is still eventually going to be booked as a dominant wrestler despite months of inaction. Secondly, this script debacle more or less proves that WWE simply don’t have a clue what to do next! Or – maybe worse – they DO have a plan but are beginning to lose their nerve…

Worse still are more recent reports from (gasp!) other wrestling news sources which suggest that the eventual plan for the “Straight Edge Saviour” involves a rivalry with Triple H which will put the latter over as both an authority figure and a wrestler. Because if one of those two men needs putting over, it’s Triple H. Ordinarily, these are the kind of panicky reports which I would suggest we take with a handful of salt – and yet before we do so, let us consider the (admittedly compelling) interactions between Trips and Punk this past Monday. Unless some gears change rapidly over the next few weeks, that interaction would suggest that the two will indeed eventually come to blows in the ring. Is that a rivalry which you can see Triple H losing? More importantly, is that a rivalry which you can see CM Punk walking away from with any momentum whatsoever? Punk outclasses Triple H on the mic and in the ring with ease, but if the two eventually end up in matches against one another, Punk’s Austin-like progress as the hottest thing in the company may come across a large and monotonous obstacle.

This isn’t a traditional “blame HHH” article. The man has his place, as I said. But he should not overshadow nor intrude upon the Punk / Cena feud which still has so much life left in it. Punk needs precious time, now, to prove himself as a top draw in the company, and being rushed into a feud with Triple H would risk removing his character – and therefore the WWE – from the cusp of something brilliant! All signs (Del Rio’s cash-in attempts, the fact that Cena / Punk at Summerslam is a rematch, the budding Triple H rivalry, the script for last week) point to Punk’s reign with the WWE Championship being a short one. Already, three short weeks after winning the strap, Punk has been demoted to one of two champions rather than the sole rightful champ. It would be a terrible waste, I believe, if Punk were to lose the strap on his first defence to the very man he won it from in the first place. And how very unsatisfactory would that development be if it came as the conclusion this particular story? If Punk is to lose the belt, it should by no means signal the end of his rivalry with the company golden-boy Cena – and it should certainly not mean the end of his run in the main event. WWE need the gumption to carry this story through to a proper and fitting conclusion, which elevates Punk as the new main event draw that everyone has been waiting years for. That result is within reach!

Punk vs Triple; maverick vs establishment; new generation vs old generation. Punk needs somewhere to go after Cena, and a feud with Triple H could – could – be great, whether it’s for the title or not. If that’s the eventual direction then so be it. But that eventual aim should not interfere, as it has begun to do, with the all-important Cena / Punk WWE Championship story. Subtle hints as to an eventual feud between Punk and HHH are fine, but they should not come at the expense of keeping Punk vs Cena feeling like a big deal. My fear now is that Monday night’s developments reflected an unwelcome change of pace. At a time when WWE should be milking the landmark Punk / Cena feud for all it is worth, they may instead be about to rush Punk out of the most important angle in recent WWE history and into a feud with Triple H which, let’s face it, no one really wants to see just yet.

 

Class dismissed.

 

*Extra Credit*

 

1)      And just like that, the Nexus disappeared with barely a whimper. It’s a shame, really, especially after such a memorable beginning. Who knows, though? Maybe McGillicutty and Otunga will become the new APA…

2)       Say what you like about Vickie Guerrero, she looks fantastic right now. Your thoughts?

3)      On a related note, “follow that” isn’t terrible, as catchphrases go. Ziggler still needs something, though, to truly stand out from the crowd. Perhaps he’ll surprise us all with his mic skills once his partnership with Vickie dissolves… I hope so, at least.

4)      I do hope that John Laurinaitis doesn’t become a regular on WWE television. If he does, I hope that they keep his talking to a minimum. His voice is simply horrible. Furthermore, I must agree with Patrick Spohr in this week’s 10 Thoughts on Raw: The presence of yet another suddenly-important authority figure – even a laughable one like Johnny Ace – has a distince whiff of TNA about it.

5)      Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett? A year too late, but I’m looking forward to it nonetheless. Also, Heath who???

6)      Give Alex Riley a chance, everybody. Yes, the crowd reaction has diminished for now, but the guy seems pretty solid.

7)      Who would have ever predicted a year ago that Alex Shelley would become the most interesting character on Impact?

8)      “If a pipe-bomb goes off in the woods, and no-one’s there to hear it, does it make a sound? The answer is no, it does not.” The answer is yes, yes it does, you moron. It’s a PIPE-BOMB. Now stop trying to be clever and get your skinny fat ass off of my television.