Tha Black Phenom
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Posts posted by Tha Black Phenom
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It does cause some problems, though. For one, I'm not sure how many people are looking forward to a HHH & Nash program. And two, I'm not really buying Awesome Truth as this monster team that needs Cena to team with The Rock to overcome them. To me, Awesome Truth is still just a silly comedy team that raps about conspiracies and Little Jimmies, they're not some menacing force. I'd be much happier if Zig Swag had gotten this big push, or, even better, if they would have partnered Ziggler with The Miz. Oh well.
They're not meant to be a menacing force by any means, just some persistent troublemaking pests that need to be taken care of.. because of their numerous attacks and amazingly piss poor security staff. IMO it's a solid heel role to have, emphasized by their amount of screentime and exposure lately.
I don't think anyone expects them to be a threat, question might just be "will Rock and Cena be able to coexist".
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Despite the fact they advertised it all tap-dancing night.. at least there's a scenario behind the team-up.
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Disagree. WINNING a feud with Orton gives Rhodes a rub. Being in matches with Main Eventers does not make them a main eventer. That's like the Royals winning 1 out of 4 against the Yankees and people saying the Royals got the rub just by playing them. Yes I know sports are different, but it's more or less the same concept.
No it isn't.. it couldn't be further from the same concept.
Sports teams don't have a status to uphold in the same manner. A superstar's status has to have a reliable story behind it. When a midcarder is rising up the ranks, it's often by riding the coattails of the much higher star above him.
If Orton squashed Rhodes in five minutes, yes that would be atrocity and a keeping down talent, and blah blah. But Cody's going toe-to-toe with multiple-time world champion the Viper, with sneak attacks behind it. That's what used to elevate him, and it works.
Hell yeah, winning will help Rhodes a ton. In time. They're developing Rhodes, cause they're giving him spots they wouldn't give other guys on the roster easily. If he keeps going with good workrate, they'll continue headlining him with Orton and eventually likely get a win.
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Are we still playing the "wait and see" game with Orton's feuds? I forgot. Christian says hi, by the way.
Christian says hi, from his much more established position than ever before. Unless you rather had him be this year's Jack Swagger.
They're developing Cody's acension right now. I thoroughly believe they'll go at it again for SS. Of course, if Cody doesn't get his due, it's not like it'll bother me much.
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Maybe because Cody is gonna go at it long-term with Randy...
Nothing wrong about Ryder losing, him getting a PPV spot should be the headlines. lol. The superkick was well done anyway.
Punk well.. I can't ignore the backseat on him anymore, bit of a shame but he will get his due pretty quickly. This chapter is clearly to elevate Miz/Truth.
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I think it would've been even more pointless had Cena won...
Not the best PPV but the two World title matches weren't bad at all. That said, the 64K question remains: which was more mangled after last night, the ring or HHH's neck?
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Raw wasn't special at all, but R-Truth and Dolph may have moved up on my list. I'll say that much.
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I'm not a big fan of Rhodes right now. I think his promos are hit-and-miss, and I hate his character. I just can't suspend my disbelief enough to listen to a handsome guy complain about how disfigured he is/has been when he's wearing a clear mask that shows he is still as handsome as he ever was.
I'm a huge mark for Dolph Ziggler, though. I think his body language is top-notch, his promos are more than good enough, and his selling is maybe the best in the WWE. He's shows great heel mannerisms, and with his ability to sell, I imagine he'd make a great undersized babyface that struggles to take down the bigger heels.
Well here's something I can agree on. In fact, the only reason Ziggler's not in my top 5 yet is cause he's missing that tiny little thing that can send him over the moon. Great mic skills, he just misses that little bang to his promos that can make them rewatchable, whether a catchphrase or something else. But the quip one-liners are already a good touch.
Cody.. he's good no doubt, has a lot of potential. My gripe with him is that voice of his... sounds so cartoonish sometimes. Though you could say maybe it belongs in the realm of WWE, but sometimes he even switches from that voice to normal and it just sounds.. off. Work a bit on that, work on that receipt line maybe and he'll win me over as well.
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CM Punk - No doubt, he's been my go-to guy for the past few years. I liked him since day one but ever since his heel turn against Jeff Hardy, I've gotten even more enticed with him.
Sheamus - Great, great talent. Nothing much to say about him, he's brought his own since he won the WWE title and you can see the hardwork he's went through to shine in the ring and on the mic.
Christian - So glad he finally got the big one, even if it was in such a manner. I envisioned him disgruntedly leaving the company again with Vince not giving him a chance. But he's a two-time world champ and that's now in the history books.
Wade Barrett - Another potential star who I hope gets his due soon.
Alberto Del Rio - I actually soured on this guy once he won the title. When he was Mr. MITB, his promos started to dwindle back into generic heelness. But lately he's been showing sings that he's getting somewhere, as champion. His promo with Bret Hart got me back into liking him, and even my best friend who I showed the clip(he lost interest in wrestling years ago) quickly became a fan of this guy while watching the Del Rio/Bret/Cena promo.
Honorable mentions... Dolph Ziggler(def #6), R-Truth, Daniel Bryan and Triple H. You could say Orton as well.. indeed, when he chases the title, he's somewhat entertaining.
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...what?
What has changed? John Cena is still being fed title shots, CM Punk still (at least in his character's eyes) has to feel underutilized, guys like Mason Ryan are still getting an absurd amount of TV time while guys like Colt Cabana still can't crack the WWE (he was given a "try out" about a month ago and now the WWE won't take his calls), the amount of actual wrestling on Raw has managed to go down so that Vince's family and/or stooges can put the spotlight on themselves, etc.
Pretty much all the stuff Punk rebelled about before hasn't changed, except that Punk has better shirts and he's in the opening to Raw now.
edit: Oh, and now F4W is reporting that John Morrison is probably done with the WWE once his contract expires soon. Summer Punk would have had a field day with the WWE driving out a talented and popular wrestler reportedly because they were upset with the woman he happened to be dating.
The idea that there's nothing for Punk to rebel against is mind-blowing.
lol @ anyone expecting the status quo to be changed so drastically. Right, everything's supposedly back to normal. So what? Despite Punk's crusade (even speaking kayfabe wise here) I don't think he would've expected things to change considerably. Punk isn't an idiot, and at the end of the day he knows why the status quo's there for a reason. He wants change. And he's working on it. But he's not gonna turn water into wine and drop pipebombs eternally.
If you want him to fight THOSE things, you're cheering him on a losing battle and trying to mold ideas around it is possible but inherently pointless on the long-term because he's destined... to fail.
Case in point, the best idea thrown around so far is him bringing back old incarnations of title belts. Groovy. But don't worry, I noticed the "little things" you said he could do too, which isn't a bad shout.
But oh, suddenly him not being anything he used to be makes him a kiss-ass? It's one or the other, right? Punk the rebel or Punk the kiss-ass. Kay. He happens to have the same line of thinking as Triple H believe it or not, which actually fits most of his stance behind his character about making a change. Don't believe me? Review HHH's promo and tell me Punk wouldn't agree with most of what he said. It's like that Twitter post suddenly went over your heads. Punk may have wore HHH's blazer but that doesn't make him any much of a kiss-ass - that's not even withstanding the fact HHH granted him a title shot right after a PPV loss. Punk casually going on his crusade would either render him an ungrateful lunatic or his act would get old eventually. So yeah, I do mean it when I say, he has nothing to rebel against anymore.
There's another top face in the equation now so there has been a change and he's benefitted most from it. But for those who think I'm being optimistic on that aspect and want to squeeze in their childish potshots because they're trying to find their words to refute accurately, fair enough.
I think OSB, Fantabulous and Bookerman have the right idea and they're all speaking the truth. Anybody that thinks this "character" of CM Punk is the same one that cut those scathing promos and walked out on the company is in critical denial.And anybody who expected Punk's character to stay similar to its original state to begin with is delusional.
The thing is, he doesn't have to do worked shoots every week. He doesn't have to keep reciting the huge list of the WWE's problems to remain edgy and interesting. For example, I think he should have brought back the old winged eagle belt when he returned after MitB. He could have said that any belt good enough for Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, the two greatest wrestlers ever, is good enough for him. Then when him and Cena wrestled at SS (or NoC, if they wanted a good build), they could have the match determine which belt would be used, with Punk winning. That's a simple way for Punk to remain edgy and appeal to relapsed WWE fans without hurting the promotion at all and it'd get rid of the current horrid belt design.They could have even built on that, having Punk restore some prestige to the tag team and IC championships by bringing back the old belts. That'd also give a bit of a rub to Air Boom (and the tag team division) and Cody Rhodes.
If bringing back some old belts isn't feasible, and I'm not sure why not because I doubt there's many people with disposable income still itching to buy Cena's belt, there's other stuff that can be done. What about during that 12-man match, instead of Mason Ryan (because they don't want to bury him) The Great Khali comes out, Punk gets on the mic and tells him that while he is very tall, they need an actual wrestler, and calls out Zack Ryder. That certainly hurts Khali, he's reportedly on the way out anyway, but it also gives a rub to Ryder and furthers Punk doing things differently.
Or when one of the heels tries one of their generic heel tricks, Punk doesn't fall for it, instead kind of breaking the fourth wall and acting like it's ridiculous that anyone falls for that sort of stuff.
There's countless little things like that they could have Punk do, while occasionally letting him speak some uncomfortable truths, that would make his babyface-ness different and interesting. Instead, Punk has turned into a generic babyface.
There's countless things they could have Punk do... all coming from the average IWCer's personal wishlist. That's where I think it is wrong, and that many of you are expecting too much out of Punk's character for. I mean come on, he never touched on any of those things! There's a difference between wanting change and pandering to nostalgists by bringing back old titles to which he has no connection with whatsoever.
As for the 4th wall stuff, he does it already. Just to a lesser extent. And because he's actually smart, he's not gonna do it every single time because it's gonna get tiresome.
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There's nothing to rebel against anymore... we just heard Punk talk about what he believes in and which fits with the whole story. That people are walking out the 'wrong way' and for the wrong reason. I thought when he said "I made walking out look cool", it was funny. And at the end of the day.. he's a babyface. I hope people haven't expected the full Austin deal from him.
He can start crap with Johnny Ace for sure.. maybe that'll come in time.
If he rebelled against Trips at this point, he'd just look like a resentful douche, and he'd come across really bad for it.
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That's why heels always fire him, I know I wouldn't feel sorry if they fired Lawler.. I'd be ecstatic.
Hmm.. I'm just wondering now whether HHH is gonna come back full-time or not. Could go either way. Dunno how I'd feel about if he did.
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You know the absolute most hilarious thing about this?
JR was fired on the exact same date 6 years ago.
Love the consistency.
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Punk said that the WWE will be better off when Vince McMahon is dead and he called Vince out on how much of a hypocrite Vince is with his anti-bullying campaign. Those two things are far, far more serious than any lame "your wife wears the pants in the family" line.
And HHH didn't get any pops? At one point, he got the crowd to pop in support of Vince McMahon, and that pop was louder than anything Punk had gotten that segment.
You literally just summed up nearly every single highlight Punk has had in the past three months. In three months, the highlights for CM Punk, the hottest wrestler in years, have included getting the pin in a tag team main event on a single Raw, getting a hot-tag in a match on Raw, and (you forgot to mention) getting a laughably crooked pinfall on Cena at SS moments before dropping his title to ADR because of Nash's interference, two guys Punk has yet to get any amount of retribution on.
And people are honestly trying to say Punk hasn't been devalued since MitB? Seriously? Seriously? When you have to mention when a guy gets a hot-tag, I mean, come on, that's ridiculous. A hot-tag!
Damn, and I thought the IWC was notorious for pointing out or jotting down some of WWE's traditions or formalities, good or bad. Maybe that only occurs while we're watching Raw or a PPV?
In these respective terms, about the hot tag... there's more to it than the hot tag. But I never said it was an important feat, it's barely notable if anything, but it notifies nonetheless how comfortable they've gotten with Punk's top spot, and that he isn't made out to look like a joke, even despite H. All I was doing is answering to bookerman's laundry list of negatives that have "plagued" Punk - if he wants to point out the little things, so will I. That's all it comes down to.
Punk has had more than enough retribution on Del Rio, for the record. He didn't get any on Cena because of Cena's status which is a given. but you don't figure beating him twice in a row salvages that? Is that not part of the highlights for some reason? If not, fair enough. /shrug
Has Punk been devalued since MITB? To an extent yeah, my only point being that it's not as damning as you guys put it across. Trips has made a few favors to himself, but some of what he's offered has been to Punk's advantage too. Not in the best way, maybe not in the most optimal way, but H's involvement has some upsides to it. Because again, without H, where would've Punk landed? When the best Raw has to offer beyond Cena and Del Rio is the likes of Miz and Ziggler, forgive me if I'm not flustered by Punk's direction. Most of the answers to where would Punk land have been or would likely be some elaborate scenario where WWE could've done this and this, done that and that with Punk or Vince or Del Rio, etc that you guys can spend a few hours intricately thinking up.
Maybe I'm not undermined by Punk's direction because I expected him to take a backseat. Even the "hottest wrestler in years" wouldn't stop them from keeping their status quo, except this time Punk WILL be in the equation. H's involvement didn't prevent any of that, by the sounds of how the crowd took the storyline. If you wanna take more than the casual fans' input in the equation, well it looks like it's pretty down the middle among the IWC as well.
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Who was the main focus of the past Raw? The new champ ADR? Nope, wasn't seen until 30 minutes in. Cena? Nope. Punk? Nah. The person who got the most face time on the show was HHH.
HHH has the highest sustained overness of anyone on the show based on his lengthy career and accomplishments. However, just because someone is in a segment with him it doesn't make them look more important. That's like saying anyone who is in a scene with House looks more important because they are interacting with him. Punk's material didn't help nor did the sudden shift from being screwed out of the title by Nash to feuding with HHH about whether he texted Nash or not. They killed Punk's heat by putting him a muddled, confusing story which in the end had zero payoff. Punk got bested physically by Nash numerous times, but never got to touch him. He got to throw some jabs at HHH on the mic, but was never allowed to drop "pipebombs" on him. Then Punk faces him in the ring and loses. Punk then gets pinned again to end the HiaC PPV. He gets beat on quite a bit during the 12 man tag and never gets to make his comeback. His character is being made to look weaker and weaker and instead of being someone special, he's being pulled back to earth as just another guy.
And you mistakenly forgot to include things like I dunno, him pinning the WWE champion on a Raw show. Him actually getting the hot tag in a tag team match instead of Cena which has been the obvious long-term formula for whoever Cena tags with. Got the hot tag in that match AND ended up with the pin to close the main-event.
Just because HHH had an answer for most things doesn't mean Punk didn't drop any pipebombs. Punk did call HHH out for being a bully and you could arguably say whatever H responded to that wasn't exactly the be-all-end-all response to Punk's claims either. He referenced his debut gimmick Hunter Hearst Helmsley, something you'd think veterans would only be allowed to do because they're part of that "in" crowd but Punk got through that barrier.
Other things remain like dropping their real names on live TV, referencing HHH's butthurtedness about him getting outpopped by Punk at SS 07... it's not even that HHH no-sold all of that, it's that Vince did literally nothing. HHH was never gonna bow his head down to all of that. Everything Punk said about Cena, Cena responded to most of those claims too. Was he keeping Punk down? No, it's simply the thing to do. Believe me, I know how it was cool when Punk had the "last word" but one can't expect that to happen continously.
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Well that's where it comes down to opinion - not that I think Punk's material was masterful, but it was good enough that it certainly got the idea through. He didn't shut up HHH or anything but he clearly owned him more than once, to which the fans took note(terrible material or not) that Punk isn't to be taken lightly as opposed to the rest of the roster. The 'smirk'. If Trips was to take action next Raw on random superstars among the roster, even among the top stars, you'd bet that if there was one guy who would speak up against anything, it's him. As soon as Punk started saying things like "I don't like this Triple H, the new you sucks, I want the old you". That position right there - as a superstar - is a very special one to have, and Punk's transition from Vince to HHH was necessary for it to work.
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I also agree Punk/Cena could've went much further than that. I guess when I saw Del Rio cash in, I told myself "well that's all she wrote". Things were indeed cut short when H stepped in the scene, but I don't regret it all that much either.
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HHH rarely if ever shows weakness, whether in the ring or in promos. It's why his stuff as COO is so bland. He is written/decides to come out ahead in every segment he is in. His stuff with Punk didn't give Punk "the rub", Punk reached that level before HHH came back by virtue of his promos and the MITB match. He was over and he was cutting good/great promos.
Yeah.. and HHH getting involved KEPT Punk up there. Despite the loss, it allowed Punk to extend his time in the spotlight. That's where the pipebombs came flowing out, buddy. They weren't gonna flow out in a feud with The Miz or against Dolph Ziggler. H knew that Punk had to mesh with veterans, let him milk the wife jokes for all they're worth, and on the side he brought Nash in. Of course, Nash was supposed to compete and Punk would've likely won then, but H stepped in and with their stipulation(which I think they could've done without but) it ensured the HHH win.
Also, just putting this here.
http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/242982-exclusive-cena-no-longer-the-1-wwe-merch-seller-new-1
WrestleZone has confirmed that an internal memo sent to WWE staffers this week listed the top 10 merchandise sellers, and John Cena has been replaced for the first time in several years as the number one seller.The new number one?
CM Punk.
According to the memo, Punk is the number one merchandise selling WWE Superstar both on WWE Shop Zone and at the live events. The only time Cena was not number one was when The Rock returned to WWE Monday Night Raw, and his t-shirts sold a record number on ShopZone.
According to a key source in WWE, two of Punk's shirts have already eclipsed the Rock's one-day sales record. "Punk's merchandise is hot," our source told us, "no one has dethroned Cena in over 5 years, and Punk's numbers are way above anything or anyone else."
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I literally have no idea how you came to this conclusion. I'm not saying, nor have I ever said, that they should only do Cena and/or Orton main events. I'm saying they can only do those, because they don't have any other active wrestlers over enough to carry a PPV main event. I'd love it if they were headlining PPVs with Punk/Ziggler, but that's not even close to feasible right now.
...seriously? Triple H is notorious for not putting over talent. Former WWE creative members have been ranting/joking about it on Twitter a lot lately. And it's no surprise. Look what HHH has done to "elevate" Punk. Trips played the moral babyface to Punk's raging douche then pinned him in the main event at Night of Champions. Now Punk is a generic babyface with no direction, while Triple H is the star ending Raw soaking in the applause of an adoring crowd.
Imagine that after everyone walks out on Triple H, Punk's music hits and he shows up and delivers that Twitter work nearly line-by-line. Suddenly he gets some positive spotlight, his character regains some of what made him wildly popular a couple months ago, and he gets a little rub from Triple H.
Instead Punk's character is relegated to Twitter while Triple H is on TV basking in the chants from the crowd. And you're seriously trying to say that isn't messed up?
I never said you said they should either, I said that's also the mindset you're made comfortable in like them. I don't hold the buyrates a whole lot as a factor not only because of their steady declines over the years, but also because other factors influence that to begin with. Sure regardless, it doesn't look all that promising on Punk but talking status-wise, the guy who beat Cena twice is now seen he can hold his own. Again, it all depends on WWE stepping out of their cocoon and whether you or I can perceive it.
Yeah, Triple H is notorious for keeping people down. Just as much as he's known for elevating others too, but of course that's often drowned out by the ever so rampant anti-Triple H brigade who throw their hats up every time he gravitates the spotlight around himself. Certain times, it's done unnecessarily. But other times, it's made for the talent beneath him to ride his coattails and come across better cause of it. Okay, what if Triple H never came into the picture? Along with Nash, whatever? Punk would've just won the title and then gotten cashed in by Alberto, have his rematch and then drown back into upper midcardership feuding with R-Truth or the Miz. Nobody realizes Trips himself kept his momentum up for a short time, even if the storyline wasn't all that spectacular. Oh, he lost on PPV.. boo hoo. It was the main-event, on an event all about title defenses, their match still went last... the thing with HHH about relishing the spotlight is that whoever steps in the ring with him also benefits from it, even if he ends up staring at the lights at the end.
And really? One Twitter accolade and suddenly his character is being "relegated"? This is the issue I'm talking about, everything that's done to Punk is soo exaggeratedly damaging when other factors aren't considered. You know why he didn't cut that promo on Raw? Maybe because he thought of that hours before or simply after the show before typing that up. Maybe because he would've made the WHOLE roster look like a joke otherwise. It's one thing using your pipebombs for entertainment, but to what effect.
I don't know, personally I don't see what the big deal is. Punk's infinitely more established than he's ever been and you guys STILL find ways to demonize HHH and find faults in all of this. "oh he's not in the title picture, he has no momentum, etc" the problem is, at the end of the day, there is other talent in the brand they're trying to candor to. It was guaranteed Punk wouldn't stay up top forever, and I'm sure even he accepts that. Maybe this 'rotation' business isn't optimal, but in a way they also need to do it. Because once Cena or Orton won't be able to respond for whatever reason, they'll have room to go around. Pushing one or two guys at a time to reach close to Cena/Orton's level will also keep others where they are, or used to be.
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Punk's twitter:
CM Punk responded to fans via his twitter page regarding not being at ringside for the vote of no confidence against COO Triple H. He issued the following statement:"I think a lot of people are missing the point. Fans and coworkers alike. Walking out is a ***** move. There's a huge difference in what I did. I want change, and I can't change **** from my couch. I'm in the fox hole. I'm getting it done. I stayed to fight and I'm fighting for change. You can protest, violently or peacefully without actually showing up. Walking out isn't a solution at least not one that I've ever seen work. Hold 'em up. Make them change. Don't just walk out, or lay down. Fight. This goes for fans as well. Bored? Don't like @johncena ? Want more @ZackRyder ? Show up and be heard. Don't be a ***** and just tweet about it.
I want change, and I'll stand and fight for it even if I'm alone. Popular or unpopular, I could care less. Take your voting and shove it. Actions speaks louder than words. Except mine. My words are pretty awesome. No think about all that, and hopefully you'll get it. #fight
Too many tweets from me. Misspellings abound. You CAN'T protest without showing up. I am not Gandhi. I will kick your face. Don't like HHH as COO? Punch him in the face. I did. It's wrestling, not the NBA. #fight Next high kick to Johnny "Funkhauser" Ace won't be an accident."
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I usually agree with you. I just hated that ending to RAW though. It truly bored me to death. Everyone walked out on him and it took 20 minutes for that segment.
I can't really bash the whole storyline because it has had good moments but where it is right now I hate! The last few weeks of this have bored me.
We can agree to disagree on this but I didn't like it last night.
I'll agree with you on that, despite seeing the point of that segment it still left me dry.
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No. They hotshotted Punk back and put him in the main event of Summerslam with Triple H and Cena and the buyrate fell 14% from last year. And that was when Punk still had momentum.
I'm not necessarily putting that on Punk, but it does clearly show that Punk's presence can't carry a PPV main event, even with Cena and Triple H involved. The idea of Punk headlining a PPV against ADR or The Miz right now is pretty crazy.
That's not indicative of everything. It's possible but pretty stretchy to draw to such a conclusion that way. The heat angles and storylines can under some circumstances vary, with Miz under the right timing and good amount of heat, it could pay off. You talk about them getting complacent with putting Cena/Orton in main-events, but you go and think of the same mindset. And when you have guys like *gasp!* Triple H putting himself on the scene to elevate other talent, things will take effect down the line.
Punk is in the title picture about as much as Morrison was in the title picture against Mark Henry last night. Punk got one half-assed defense of his title before they took it off of him and sent him on a run of getting pinned in every notable match he's had. He's got no momentum, no feuds, no promos, no notable wins lately, so even by WWE standards that's hard to say he's really in the title picture.It's just my opinion but half-assed is seriously pushing it, along with weighing so much on the loss issues. Really doesn't seem like any of that took him off his status yet. Having his legitimate rematch clause on PPV and beating both other men in the match on separate occasions.. doesn't sound so much like a filler entrant to me.
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The figurehead/COO/GM/laptop/Assistant Vice Commissioner in Charge of Wrestlers/etc storylines pull all of the attention away from the in-ring action and do nothing...NOTHING to enhance it.
lol come on, that's what this business has always been about. I'm not putting this on the same pedestal as the segment I'm gonna mention, but this is akin to the milk truck segment or any other iconic moment, it's just that.. a moment. Of course it does nothing to enhance in-ring action-- nay, it has nothing to do with it period!(yet) It did the job it was supposed to do, keep the momentum going with this long term angle.
Instead they've sent a mixed message to fans and focused everything on HHH. Did Punk get to talk? What about Cena? The new champ is hanging around midcarders talking about a lawsuit. Are they even having Smackdown Friday since everyone walked out? (kidding) Is that just a "we don't like you, but we're still going to work here"vote? I feel more certain we'll see a Beth vs KellyKelly match at the PPV than I do of seeing any other match.The idea was likely that Punk/Cena/Orton are the top faces and seeing them walk out on HHH would've gotten them jeered as well and they wanted to protect them.
Since HHH showed up, Punk has been brought back down to earth with two straight PPV losses, ADR's title reign that was building for 8 months lasted 4 weeks, the title has changed hands way too often. HHH does not equal ratings/buyrates/etcWhen HHH showed up, Punk was still hot ****. Punk was brought back down to earth when Del Rio won the championship. Because it was time for him to take a backseat. And even there, it's not that far a backseat as most of the midcarders endure, he's a legitimate top attraction. Boo hoo, he lost two PPV matches in a row-- the way I see it, he won against John Cena twice in a row. And he's selling merch on a satisfactory level. If I'm gonna keep interest in a program, I'll try to at least consider the positives.
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It's pretty telling that your best comparison to what's happening to Punk is what has happened to The Miz, Swagger, and Ziggler, three young talented guys who as a result of the booking are totally and completely incapable of main eventing a PPV right now unless it's against Cena or Orton.
Yet Punk can... so there you go. He could headline against Del Rio or Miz or another rising star in a PPV main-event without Cena or Orton being involved. I even think Sheamus is getting there very soon enough.
I see what you mean about the rotation, but being "pushed aside" is pushing it when he's in the title picture-- nay, when he can be shown to now be a permanent fixture in the main-event scene. HHH isn't a full-time wrestler anyway, so I don't see the big deal. He's an authority figure, and if something revolves around him, he will likely close out shows every now and then, I would think I'm not the only one bracing for this. But obviously, the WWE title picture won't be consistently the secondary aspect of the show.
And if you care about the best workers getting over, well obviously your expectations are in the wrong place. In the words of Del Rio, but you already know that.
The Official WWE / NXT Discussion Thread *May Contain Spoilers*
in The Dog Pound
Posted