It’s no secret that there’s plenty to dislike about the current WWE product. Whether it’s the seemingly endless feud between Triple H and Randy Orton, the perpetual misusage of young talent or the embarrassing “comedy†writing that drags down entire shows, every week it seems as though we suffer through hours of garbage just to enjoy the few minutes that makes our fandom worthwhile.
But over the past few months there’s been one storyline that’s been so engaging and worthwhile that it almost single-handedly makes up for all the tripe surrounding it, and that’s the gradual turn of CM Punk from celebrated fan favorite to self-righteous heel.
In the beginning of the year it seemed as though Punk was floating from show to show without much of a purpose. A seven-week run with the Intercontinental Title failed to go anywhere and after losing the title to JBL on the March 9th edition of RAW it seemed as though the company had little idea of what to do with him. Even after he was placed in the annual Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania 25 many felt he was just there to fill space – almost nobody gave Punk a chance to win the coveted briefcase two years in a row.
But that’s exactly what happened. CM Punk became the first man to win the MITB match twice, and although many fans were delighted to see it happen, there were a vocal few who disliked the WWE’s refusal to try and elevate one of the match’s other seven competitors, especially considering the wonders last year’s victory had done for Punk’s WWE career. One can even hear a few stray boos when Punk ascends the ladder and grabs the briefcase for his 2009 victory. It’s here that the first seeds of discontent are sown.
Still, in the two months following his unprecedented achievement Punk seemed mired in mediocrity, carrying his briefcase to and from the ring on each appearance as though to remind those in attendance that he still mattered. This was no more evident than at the Judgement Day Pay-Per-View held in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Not only did he suffer a clean loss at the hands of Umaga but he missed an opportunity to cash in his MITB contract in front of a rabidly supportive audience.
Many bemoaned the results as the WWE wasting a golden opportunity, but I feel it’s here that the company deserves the first round of applause. If Punk had taken the victory over Umaga (who had been built as an unbeatable monster) in front of his hometown crowd it could very well have established him as the top face on Smackdown, creating a much less cut-and-dry scenario with Jeff Hardy down the line. The patience exhibited in a company not known for such restraint is remarkable.
Which takes us to Extreme Rules. After blowing off his feud with Umaga by winning a Samoan Strap Match, Punk finally cashes in his opportunity mere moments after the main event, a World Heavyweight Championship contest in which Jeff Hardy survived a brutal Ladder Match with Edge to gain the title. Sixty-three seconds and two Go To Sleeps later, Punk snatched the title away from Hardy, much to the chagrin of the live audience.
Here’s what I love about this decision and why I still grin like an idiot when I watch the replay and hear Punk’s music hit the speakers – not a single thing he did at Extreme Rules was out of character for him. Ever since the day he arrived in WWE he’s always been about being the best and doing whatever it takes to win. One could even make the argument that the only reason he was even a face is because he kept getting paired up against heels. It’s a refreshing change from heel or face turns that happen because of a sudden shift in a character’s personality or motives, which goes unexplained until said character cuts an exposition-filled promo. And that’s if it’s even explained at all.
And what’s really made the whole thing so engaging and interesting to me is that even as he’s grown less popular with the fans his personality still hasn’t changed one bit. When Hardy received a rematch at The Bash it was an errant elbow of his that “injured†CM Punk’s eye, causing him to inadvertently kick the referee and cause a disqualification. Although I put the word injured in quotation marks, the way Punk sells the elbow leaves a shadow of doubt in the viewer’s mind – maybe Punk actually did get hurt and it was a pure accident that he kicked the referee instead of Hardy. At no point during the match can anyone say with complete certainty that Punk cheated or even acted dishonestly.
The icing on the cake has been the build to the third match between Punk and Hardy at the upcoming Night of Champions, in which Hardy has mocked the nagging eye injury, repeatedly calling Punk a phony and a coward. Punk’s retaliation has been to slowly but surely reveal the self-righteous side of his personality, not-so-subtly suggesting to Hardy that his Straight Edge lifestyle simply makes him a better person. Once again, even as Punk’s character develops nothing he’s done suggests a complete shift in his thinking. Instead, Hardy’s words have led him to defend his actions the only way he knows how – by offering proof of the legitimacy of his injury and pushing back against the accused.
The match between Punk and Edge on Superstars in which Punk was forced to forfeit due to an aggravation of the injury is an excellent example of this and another joyous little nugget in a compelling storyline, because it keeps things in shades of gray. Why would Punk forfeit a match unless he was legitimately hurt, one might ask. It allows fervent Hardy fans to comfortably call Punk a coward while allowing those on the fence to make up their own minds.
That’s not to say that the build has been perfect. The two non-title losses Punk suffered against John Morrison, while not enough to derail the storyline, have complicated things somewhat. Not that I mind that Punk lost to Morrison or even that he lost twice – it’s what happened after those matches and when they happened that bothers me.
The first match against Morrision occurred shortly after Punk’s victory on the June 26th Smackdown, in which Morrision just barely got the three count after reversing a roll-up. After the match it appears as though Punk is going to shake his hand but he instead pulls Morrision onto his shoulders and knocks him out with the Go To Sleep. Right after doing so Punk appears visibly upset, as though he wasn’t quite sure why he just did that. Fast forward three few weeks later to the July 17th Smackdown, in which Morrison gets another victory over Punk in similar fashion. But this time, Punk simply refuses to shake his hand and leaves the ring.
To me, it seems as though the timeline was reversed for these events. Wouldn’t it make sense for Punk to initially refuse to shake his hand out of frustration, and then, after the second loss, have the frustration boil over and get the better of him? But still, this is a relatively minor annoyance, and if nothing else, it might be intended to build a new challenger for Punk should he finish the program with Hardy title in hand.
As Night of Champions draws near there are a few scheduled matches that could be very good – Ziggler vs. Mysterio and the Triple Threat WWE Championship match both have potential, and I’m just as anxious to see who Jericho’s mystery partner is going to be when he takes on Legacy. But none of those matches, and, in fact, no match in a very long time, has had the patient, thoughtful build behind it that CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy features. No matter who comes out on top I’m very excited to see how Punk’s character evolves as he continues to be one of the most interesting and entertaining Superstars on either show’s roster.
