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The Cynical View

Turning Punk

                                                    By Michael Campbell

Welcome back to the Cynical View. Indeed, it’s my first column of the new year, so good tidings to ya an all that guff. Right now, I have CM Punk, and more specifically, the waste the WWE is making of CM Punk, on my mind. It was an innocuous question on a forum that got me started. But basically, I want to look at the how’s and whys of a CM Punk heel turn.

CM Punk as a baby face, right now, just doesn’t do it for me. Yes, he’s popular. Yes, he’s the ECW Champion, and yes, he’s maybe the star of ECW. However a large part of all three of those facts is due to his natural aura, his ability, and not the way in which he is presented by the WWE. In my opinion, it’s only a matter of time before the WWE fans give up on him. Why’s this? Simple… he’s booked like an absolute idiot, perhaps the weakest World Champion since Rey Mysterio. Oh you remember Rey’s title run surely? Jobber in disguise? Rey’s run on top was a disgrace to Pro-Wrestling, and not just a slap in the face to every fan that ever cheered for the guy, but a stiff one to the gut of the man himself. Punk’s reign has been pretty similar. Punk is always the underdog. He’s never credited with enough credibility to be dominant. Fine you say.. He’s the baby. But in order to be a successful underdog babyface, you’ve got to have audience sympathy, in order maintain the crowd’s interest, in order to support your comeback. Punk is lucky when he gets a comeback. He also lacks that vital sympathy (not always, but with the PPV crowds there’s often a ridiculous silence throughout the ECW title matches), and this is largely because he has barely any character! Yes, he’s straight edge. What the hell does that mean to your average viewer? Nada. Nought. He needs to be given much, much more promo time, much more of a character, so that fans really, really empathize and can genuinely relate to him. And I believe there is an ENORMOUS audience out there, who don’t currently find themselves able to relate to any WWE stars, but given the chance- they could with Punk.

He also needs to not be treated like such a useless slag. Yes, Big Daddy V is about three zillion tons heavier than him, but does that really have to mean that Punk has no answer to him during their matches? Surely Punk could outsmart V, and use his much deeper, more versatile skills, to impress fans with his alternative approach, playing into their entire reasons for appreciating him, rather than be seen to be lucky? What we’re seeing almost each and every time Punk is on television, is him retain the title, because of some sort of screwinesss, interference, or luck, even though it often results in disqualifications etc. Conventional booking wisdom permits that sort of nonsense, because theoretically, it builds heat for rematches, and culminates in a pay-off. But we don’t get those pay offs! Instead, the big, hefty, sluggish, Vince McMahon fantasy characters are protected, and Punk moves from match to match, feud to feud, without getting the pay-off that has been built to. One notable exception is his recent victory over Chavo Guererro. Yep, a clean, decisive victory against the one guy who he has fought who is talented enough to draw heat, and a proper rivalry from a beat down. Additionally, closely observe his matches with say, John Morrison. A particularly swell example is the triple threat bout they had, also featuring the Miz, Survivor Series. Punk came out first. Yes, that’s right, the baby face champion had to enter first, even though both of his opponents were heels. While the three produced a fine bout, it was also a match that saw Punk booked verging on fluky. Morrison was clearly the star here, with spots designed to highlight his athleticism. Even though his partnership with Miz, automatically created an environment in which it would have been perfect to make Punk look strong, instead they managed to make Punk look luckier than ever. He wasn’t a true champion, capable of outsmarting two buddies, he was a paper champion, lucky to defeat them because they weren’t co-ordinated enough. It’s a fine line, but it makes a huge difference to how he is perceived, and how is perceived makes a huge difference to his drawing power. 

So, if Punk was allowed to either look flashy, and thus, the more appealing star to fans, or look strong, and impress fans that way, or be able to cut promos that allowed audiences to relate him, it would help. Instead he does none of the above (ok, to some extent, briefly, he’s done all three, but nowhere near what a champion should be doing). As I said a few months back, with Paul London, and Spanky, he’s thrown out there, and fans are expected to like him, without being given a reason as to why they should. It speaks volumes however for the guys charisma, that in spite of this, they do still like him! But imagine, just how over he would be, if management got behind him, and creative did their job as well as he does his!

But all is not lost for Punk. He could continue to be lost as ECW Champion (Though I think he’ll lose the title before Wrestle mania, or perhaps at ‘Mania, unless he’s facing Benjamin), and drift around the non-show that is ECW, before all heat evaporates from his act, and he arrives on one of the other two brands, a damp squib. Or, he could turn heel.

Fantasy booking time. This is my idea. However, it involves the use of Rob Van Dam. Fantasy booking right there folks, but technically, it’s possible. So, on ECW, Punk defeats all remaining challengers, including Kane from Smackdown, and maybe, the likes of Mark Henry. Miz, Morrison, Shelton, and Burke are protected, as their feuding in a tag scenario. But Punk looks strong, for the first time. Enter, Rob Van Dam. The one guy who could threaten him and challenge him for the belt at Wrestlemania. CM Punk would be the one to challenge Van Dam. He’d call him out, he’d beg for him to return, to prove himself, against the one guy, who epitomises ECW. So the bout is booked. Baby face v Babyface. And yep, there’s subtle hype going either way, suggesting each guy could go heel. These two have different philosophies on life, but a respect for each others abilities, and they have a respectful, dynamic bout at the PPV. The fans of course, get on RVD’s side, that much more, because he’s the bigger name, the returning star, and he’s fresh. The two go to some sort of draw. A double knock-out, or a double-pin. The fans are slightly disappointed, but since it’s Mania, not overly so, as there’s two actual, important title matches still to come, plus they’re used to absolute crap representing the brand on the super card. So the two shake hands, and we fear for a villainous act, but it never manifests. Both stay on the side of the angels, and it appears we’ll have a rematch. The following show, Rob challenges Punk to a rematch, which they lay down for the following week. Anticipation is running high. The bout is booked for the mid-point of the show, in case “it goes long”. But the real reason is because the bait and switch is, that the match won’t take place. As Van Dam makes his way to the ring, Punk attacks him, utterly annihilating the guy, to a shocking degree. Enough so, that Rob is gone from wrestling once more, perhaps for up to a year. Instead of the match taking place, Punk cuts the promo of his life, running down Van Dam, and the other ECW guys. He explains to the fans, that he invited RVD back to ECW, for a shot at the title, as a test of their loyalties. He knew they would take Rob’s side, and he claims, that for this betrayal, they cannot be forgiven. He eulogizes the ECW fans do not deserve him , as he knew they wouldn’t, because they’re incapable of supporting a noble, honourable athlete, who’s only vice is his love for competition. Instead, they supported a drug taking, criminal. A guy, who he claims, prioritised partying with his scarred up old buddy, over being a proper role model, a deserving champion. Thus, Punk maintains his role as ECW Champion, beating down guys who represent the old guard, before being drafted to Smackdown. On the way out, he could perhaps drop the title to someone like Dreamer, who could have a caretaker run, defeating Punk when Mick Foley steps in to aid his old friend.

On Smackdown, Punk would then become one of the hottest heels in the company, operating in and around the main event, but rarely competing for the world title- that can come later. Instead he could tackle some of the most beloved stars, his heat emerging from his self-righteousness, However, due to his alternative attitude, and the more positive aspects of his character, which would never be forgotten, he would maintain a cult popularity, of followers who admire that he isn’t a Cena, a Lashley, or a Batista. It’s this fan base that will ultimately catapult the guy to proper main event stardom, when the guys eventually turns face again. This would perhaps occur a year down the line, as Van Dam would eventually return to wage war on Punk, who following their epic feud (Perhaps contested over Wrestlemania 25, and the following PPV or so) would turn baby face, having learned to respect RVD, having been humbled in his defeat. He would then be primed for a jump to Raw, where he would have fresh heels to work with, on a wave of momentum. Hey, I’m no My Chemical Romance fan, but there’s an absolutely gargantuan audience out there with no-one to cheer for. They would be the ones that spark the need for that eventual, HUGE, Punk vs. Cena outing. The ultimate in culture clashes, the ultimate example of two polar opposites, both firm in their believes, and the heroes of different sectors of the fan base. It could be amazing, and this is where Punk’s true potential lies.

But he’s got to turn heel first. I am utterly convinced that CM Punk would eventually become only more popular if he goes down this road. He’d have the opportunity to control, and lead his matches, and showcase his own individual skills. His promo strengths would be played up to, whereby he can create genuine hatred, and resentment, without ever alienating his true fans on a long term basis. Most importantly, he would become credible, and believable in the position of a top star. I just hope the WWE realise this, before his popularity fizzles out altogether.