Better Than You?

The answer, should you be a WWE superstar, is almost certainly yes. CM Punk is better than you. I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone as consistently entertaining, be it in the ring or on the microphone over the last year, maybe even two, as CM Punk.

There is an argument that the Nexus were the story over the last year, before CM Punk took over as leader, and this is true to some extent. But, and this is a big but, I didn’t care for most of the matches involving Nexus members. While the E in WWE is a prevailing factor in ‘Sports-Entertainment’, the second W is always the key for me, Punk can wrestle!

Over the last year we saw Punk involved in feuds with Rey Mysterio, for several months, and also with Big Show. Now I could live the rest of my life without seeing either of them wrestle ever again, Rey hasn’t been interesting since Eddie Guerrero died, and Big Show is a fun diversion once in a while. Involve CM Punk in these rivalries and suddenly I’m interested. Punk’s heel turn was nicely done, and his growth into the leader of the Straight Edge Society was a joy to watch. It is rare to see such a level of charisma, especially from a heel. The beard grew to Jesus length, even chest hair grew out, and all combined to be a beautiful contrast to the hairless Gallows, Serena and then Mercury. Punk channelled his inner cult leader to be a danger to every ‘normal’ person. Even more astonishing was the fact that all of this malevolence was based around the truth. Drugs, alcohol and smoking are all bad for you. All Punk did was state this fact.

It has been said by people smarter than me, that CM Punk can play up certain aspects of his Straight Edge lifestyle to draw different heat depending on if he is face or heel. I agree, to a certain extent. It is very easy to go out and be a sanctimonious prick, but it takes real talent to make people not change the channel while you preach at them. He became the man fans love to hate, much like Orton used to be before his current ill-advised face turn. Punk has been the man over the last 18 months.

When he was injured, I thought it showed just how much faith Vince/Stephanie/Triple H have grown to have in Punk to put him on commentary. With the current setup, Lawler making his easy jokes, Cole not doing a bad job, but by no means being a natural heel, putting a charismatic, smart, funny man on the Raw announce desk could have been a big gamble. CM Punk showed another side to his personality by coming off as effortlessly funny, and almost turning back to his fan-favourite ways by virtue of being so damned entertaining. Jumping in on Cena with a chair was a great way to bring the younger audience to hate him again very easily, but having him return to being the leader of a group was the masterstroke. I’m not sure the ‘New Nexus’ is the perfect combination for him, but by God I’m interested in them again (except Otunga, so dull!) It has revitalised the Nexus, at least in the short term, and there can be few learning tree’s better than Punk’s for the young Nexus members to sit under. For a while there it looked like we were going to build to a Cena-Punk feud, and a Wrestlemania payoff match, until the Rumble. To me, it works, having Orton-Punk does solidify Orton as a face (not his best role), by having Punk be the absolute cowardly heel, hiding behind his gang of stooges.

On the subject of the Royal Rumble, I thought the first 35 minutes were excellent. Coincidentally that was the point at which Punk was eliminated. Until then it had been a beautifully told story. The rest of it was fine, I just didn’t care as much about who won.

In conclusion, to quote the late Chris Kanyon, who better? Well I don’t think anyone is at the moment. I’m looking forward to the day we hear the announcement ‘New WWE Champion, CM Punk’. Imagine the rivalries still to come...Punk vs. Cena (properly), Punk vs. Morrison, Punk vs. Daniel Bryan, Punk vs. Miz and of course Punk vs. Triple H!

I have accepted CM Punk as my saviour...have you?

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