Doug Almighty
Creepy Little Bastard 
Posts 88
Registered 4-24-2005 Member Is Offline Mood: Rarified
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| posted on 8-31-2011 at 07:16 PM |
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This show provided further evidence re: the blatant lack of exciting new era (which was never explicitly promised by WWE, but was inferred by some,
based on the Punk angle and Punk's comments in reference to it all)...
As part of the build-up to Summerslam, Punk sharply and accurately pointed out the lameness and stagey nature of 'contract signings' on
Raw. Yet weeks later, here we are, and he's just taken part in ANOTHER one. This time on a big, super, special Smackdown. So presumably that was
WWE's absolute BEST shot?! They busted their ass to think of something good... And came up with the same ol' lame thing?!
(...Although this time Punk couldn't comment on the lameness of the convention itself, as he has played that card already...)
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diablo_dor
Fella 
Posts 439
Registered 1-11-2010 Member Is Offline Mood: confuffled
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| posted on 8-31-2011 at 07:45 PM |
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but he pointed out the pointlessness of the contract signing with a member of the management.
I think the problem right now is that they fell ass backwards into this angle by allowing him free reign & are now attempting to make him follow a
"script outline" which is basically handcuffing Punk to acceptable complaint points and "buttons" to push with HHH.
Notice how now it's Punk held them hostage, Punk demanded a T-Shirt (that was on sale at the PPV), demanded new music (he used previously), HH
signed him back because it was "right for business" these are all things that the Writers feel make Punk out to be in the wrong because unless HE
allows it, no one can look smarter or more in charge than HHH almighty.
Hell, how many physical confrontations have ended with Punk on his ass?
How difficult would it be to bring up the isues around HHH & Punk or even reference Booker to show to the 10%-ers (c)Bischoff that this WON'T be
another HHH career burial.
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S Kid J E T S 48
Man of a Thousand Holds 
Posts 1651
Registered 10-12-2007 Location New York Member Is Offline Mood: You Know It
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| posted on 8-31-2011 at 07:49 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by C.MontgomeryPunk
Punk has been lame ever since he came back - he's not a face, and they're trying to make him one.
Pretty sure the fans cheering him like mad and chanting his name every opportunity they can made him a face.
They're just doing a shitty job of giving him opportunities to remain one. People want to cheer HHH, they want to cheer a returning legend in
Nash who tops it off with the NWO theme...if they wanted to make sure you keep him against a 100% heel...ADR, Miz, Truth...someone that it would be
easy for him to talk against. Instead its been Nash stumbling over words (actually shocked how much trouble he has had) and a guy who's only
defense against the guy is to bury him (HHH doesn't have the quality of sometimes "showing ass" like Vince would do all the time...even
stating this week 'unlike Vince, I will not get my ass kicked'...the boss has to look stupid every so often for Punk to stay over).
I don't think Punk can go back to heel unless they bring back guys like Foley and Austin and Jericho to bring that about by being strong enough
with the crowd to convert them. Of the 3, though, 2 are old, and the third looks like he's not coming back all that fast. So they're
stuck with him being somewhere between a lukewarm snob of a face ---> megahugesuperstar face. He's gone from the latter heading to the former
in the past month...their only choice is to try and make him a bigger face...not sure how you do that without HHH doing a really really really heel
thing immediately, or having heels beat the crap out of both of them, setting up Punk as a hero out for revenge against equally strong heels.
Not sure they have a set up at the moment to make that possible. For the first time in a while, I feel like they have no plan at all. Hopefully they
regroup over this weekend and set a new course.
FREE ZACK RYDER
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cloak and dagger
Creepy Little Bastard
Posts 63
Registered 8-24-2011 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 9-1-2011 at 07:30 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by theflammablemanimal
Goddamn that Punk/HHH segment was garbage.
1) There was no logic behind anything. HHH gave no reason for replacing Nash and it's completely out of character for Punk to ignore that
instead of pushing the issue.
And if HHH only wanted the match because Punk pissed him off, why would the board allow that? It seems like there would need some reason for the board
to think Punk was a threat, but instead they made it look like HHH can fight anyone who misses him off.
2) now I'm actually getting concerned about Punk getting pushed out of the main event. Unless there's an anvilicious swerve where HHH/Nash
have been in cahoots this whole time, it looks like this is turning into a HHH/Nash/Laurinitis power struggle and that doesn't seem to have any
room for Punk.(Besides how stupid it would be for HHH to feud with 2 non-wrestlers.)
3) Punk is still a polarizing character and they're not doing him any favors putting him against a pure face in HHH. It shows from the
surprising lack of crowd response for Punk, and that dead crowd is probably just what they're looking for as an excuse to stop pushing him and
go back to normal.
On another note, it looks like they want to give Sheamus a giant push. I wouldn't be surprised if Henry becomes champ, then loses to Sheamus.
I disagree with 1 and 3. And 2, for that matter.
1a) Why would Punk care about Nash getting pushed out of the match? Punk was the one on Raw the night after getting powerbombed, talking about how
Nash on tv was bad for business, right? On top of that, Nash has been dismissed by Punk as a lackey for Triple H from the start. Nash and Laurinaitis
were Triple H's proxies, as far as Punk is concerned. Triple H has been Punk's target since this whole mess started. He's been
accusing Triple H of being the mastermind behind his getting screwed from day one, and NOW he's goaded Triple H into a fight. The only reason
Punk still cares about Nash is payback for an ass kicking.
1b) Seeing as how they're playing up the reality angle, The Board only cares about what's best for business. If Triple H asks for it, and
they see money in HHH vs CM Punk --- why NOT book that instead? Nash can't step through the ropes without breaking both knees off. They removed
Vince for business. A real company board adheres to the bottom line, nothing else.
3) I think you're missing how perfect of a storm the Punk vs Cena feud was. He got the cheers he got because he was a heel who felt how the
audience felt about a face. CM Punk is the heel they cheered over John Cena, the face they booed. He can't get that reaction from any other
opponent, no matter who it is. Of course he polarizing vs Triple H. People actually like Triple H.
With that said, Punk has no choice BUT to go after Triple H, because his gimmick is predicated on him bucking authority by breaking down backstage
walls. He can't fight a heel OR a non-authority face, because he'd have nothing to talk about that wasn't purely kayfabe. Punk
degenerating to pure heel / face foil kills his character as sure as anything else.
As for 2, I can sum that one up for you in one sentence.
"The crowd goes nuts when his music hits."
He's not going anywhere as far as the main event is concerned.
"...and everything I touch, shall wither and die."
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TommyD420
Man of a Thousand Holds 
Posts 1655
Registered 12-30-2005 Location Worcester, MA Member Is Offline Mood: Smurfy
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| posted on 9-1-2011 at 09:04 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by cloak and dagger
He's not going anywhere as far as the main event is concerned.
lol. He's already out of the main event.
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theflammablemanimal
The Man
Posts 5000
Registered 9-2-2008 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 9-1-2011 at 11:21 AM |
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C&D;, well put.
A few things:
1-A paycheck for an asskicking has always been more than enough for a whole feud. Plus, you saw when Nash came out how mad Punk is and how badly he
wants to best him. And even if Punk is happy about getting HHH, his character should still have taken that opportunity to punk out a guy who kicked
his ass and cost him the title.
As for Punk being happy he's not fighting Nash because he's off tv, Nash is still on tv and now Punk can't do anything about it. If
they had a match, he could just kick him in the knee and get rid of him.
1a- That would really be shortsighted by the board, wouldn't it? There's money in find of HHH matches (or, at the very least, we're
supposed to believe there are) but the story they've told is that the board believes HHH is more valuable as COO and that means no fighting.
There should be a better explanation than money (which was never mentioned) if they're going to risk their CEO on, at best, the third biggest
match of a second-tier ppv.
Plus, Truth and Miz have been calling HHH out on the mic too. Surely there's money in HHH/Miz. Is HHH going to come out of retirement for that
too?
3-I don't know what you mean about Punk not going anywhere I'm the main event. If you mean his push is over, that's sadly possible.
If you mean he isn't a main eventer, then you are wrong. And going by your own logic, if the board thought a HHH/Punk match was worth money,
then they think Punk is a main eventer.
The first undisputed OO draft champion of the world
Get the pistons pumping and let the pigeons loose on my yambag
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blackdragon
The Great One 
Posts 3550
Registered 11-9-2003 Member Is Offline Mood: Awesome
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| posted on 9-1-2011 at 12:11 PM |
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I think he means his issues with HHH don't take him out of the main event.
A ho fucks everybody. A bitch fucks everybody but you.
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gobbledygooker
Sister Act 2 
Posts 6071
Registered 12-17-2002 Location Charlotte, NC Member Is Offline Mood: Opus Eponymous
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| posted on 9-1-2011 at 01:28 PM |
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These comments about Punk being a main eventer remind me of something Goon and I talked about the other day which is that HHH-Punk could easily main
event Night Of Champions. Not sure this would happen since the PPV IS called "Night Of Champions" so you would think a championship match would
headline but I think HHH-Punk has a hell of a lot more luster than Del Rio-Cena and a shit-ton more luster than Orton-Henry.
Anyone who lets their hair grow below their ears to where I can't see their ears means they don't wash. If they don't wash, they
stink, and if they stink, I don't want the son-of-a-bitch around me.
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Frank Lloyd Wright
Man of a Thousand Holds 
Posts 1034
Registered 10-2-2007 Location Fallingwater Member Is Offline Mood: Megalomaniac
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| posted on 9-1-2011 at 02:43 PM |
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That Barrett/Cena match was one of the most deflating things I've ever seen. He cuts a decent promo against Cena and then proceeds to get
squashed. This is the same guy who beat Daniel Bryan in a PPV match last month.
Speaking of Daniel Bryan, I don't know what they are trying to do with this losing streak he is on. The announcers constantly keep reminding us
about his promise of headlining Wrestlemania. I'm hoping it doesn't lead to him getting frustrated and cashing in his MITB briefcase
early, only to wind up getting squashed.
What else is there to be said about the Orton/Christian rivalry in 2011? I can't think of another being better this year. Transitioning Orton
to be "the guy" on the Smackdown brand, has proven to have been the right move. He has really raised his game to a new level. I'm not a huge
fan of cage matches, but that was a thing of beauty. The multiple counters and fake outs, were brilliant. It's sad to see their feud come to
an end. Time to get excited, Mark Henry is next! (eyes rolling)
I have two ambitions in life: one is to drink every pub dry, the other is to sleep with every woman on earth -- Oliver Reed
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gobbledygooker
Sister Act 2
Posts 6071
Registered 12-17-2002 Location Charlotte, NC Member Is Offline Mood: Opus Eponymous
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| posted on 9-1-2011 at 02:58 PM |
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D-Bryan is a permanent fixture towards the top of Booker's Fave Five. He ain't going anywhere.
Anyone who lets their hair grow below their ears to where I can't see their ears means they don't wash. If they don't wash, they
stink, and if they stink, I don't want the son-of-a-bitch around me.
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S Kid J E T S 48
Man of a Thousand Holds
Posts 1651
Registered 10-12-2007 Location New York Member Is Offline Mood: You Know It
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| posted on 9-1-2011 at 03:40 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Frank Lloyd Wright
What else is there to be said about the Orton/Christian rivalry in 2011? I can't think of another being better this year. Transitioning Orton
to be "the guy" on the Smackdown brand, has proven to have been the right move. He has really raised his game to a new level. I'm not a huge
fan of cage matches, but that was a thing of beauty. The multiple counters and fake outs, were brilliant. It's sad to see their feud come to
an end. Time to get excited, Mark Henry is next! (eyes rolling)
Looking at it a different way...at least they're getting Mark Henry out of the way now before the bigger PPVs come up. They'll have their
match now, and 21 days later, we have Hell in a Cell and it should be done by then. The way they've been slightly stretching the PG aspect
lately, perhaps the HITC match can get some of its violence back. Orton/Henry could be pretty good in one...especially if they decide to add Sheamus
to it. Then, we're done with Henry as a main eventer by Survivor Series and we can move onto other business. Hopefully Orton can get back to
the quality matches he's been having when he moves onto Barrett or someone else.
FREE ZACK RYDER
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cloak and dagger
Creepy Little Bastard
Posts 63
Registered 8-24-2011 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 9-3-2011 at 10:22 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by blackdragon
I think he means his issues with HHH don't take him out of the main event.
This. I wasn't cutting CM Punk's main event status down. I was saying that he's still solidly in the main event despite (or maybe
because of) his involvement with HHH. TommyD says he's out of the main event already, but I don't think that you have to hold the title to
be the main event. Of everything that's going on right now, I'm more pumped to see Punk vs HHH than anything ADR or Orton.
If Punk's not the main event right now, who is?
"...and everything I touch, shall wither and die."
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knuckleballschwartz
Showstopper
Posts 724
Registered 5-24-2006 Member Is Offline Mood: on strike
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| posted on 9-3-2011 at 11:31 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by cloak and dagger
This. I wasn't cutting CM Punk's main event status down. I was saying that he's still solidly in the main event despite (or maybe
because of) his involvement with HHH. TommyD says he's out of the main event already, but I don't think that you have to hold the title to
be the main event. Of everything that's going on right now, I'm more pumped to see Punk vs HHH than anything ADR or Orton.
If Punk's not the main event right now, who is?
The problem I have with the punk plotline isn't any reduction in status now. It's what happens next. Clearly HHH can't just
annihilate punk; that would be ridiculous but how does Punk win out? If he beats HHH does HHH have some massive change of heart and accept the need to
follow punk's ideas for the future? I doubt it. Do we go to heel HHH abusing his power to punish punk? Face HHH and Punk united against Stef and
the WWE corporate machinery? Both possible but if so lame. I just don't see a good out from this storyline.
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Devineman
Fella 
Posts 453
Registered 10-7-2006 Location UK Member Is Offline Mood: Cynical
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| posted on 9-3-2011 at 01:34 PM |
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Still not watching, still don't care.
It's funny reading this though and comparing the opinions of the pro-WWE crowd now to the pro-WWE crowd post Summerslam.
They dropped the ball on Punk at Summerslam, as they have consistently proven, week after week. They had something and they blew it.
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JMD
Fella
Posts 447
Registered 6-25-2006 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 9-3-2011 at 06:17 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Devineman
Still not watching, still don't care.
It's funny reading this though and comparing the opinions of the pro-WWE crowd now to the pro-WWE crowd post Summerslam.
They dropped the ball on Punk at Summerslam, as they have consistently proven, week after week. They had something and they blew it.
If they're going to stick with "shooty" comments in this angle, they should probably just have Punk actually jump a shark at this point.
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cloak and dagger
Creepy Little Bastard
Posts 63
Registered 8-24-2011 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 9-4-2011 at 04:02 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by knuckleballschwartz
The problem I have with the punk plotline isn't any reduction in status now. It's what happens next. Clearly HHH can't just
annihilate punk; that would be ridiculous but how does Punk win out? If he beats HHH does HHH have some massive change of heart and accept the need to
follow punk's ideas for the future? I doubt it. Do we go to heel HHH abusing his power to punish punk? Face HHH and Punk united against Stef and
the WWE corporate machinery? Both possible but if so lame. I just don't see a good out from this storyline.
That's overthinking it to me. It's pro wrestling, not a John Grisham novel. Two guys have a difference of opinion, get in a fight, and the
winner gets to lord his win over the loser in future promos and/or clashes. End scene.
The only thing I see happening is Punk getting more preachy about his "Best in the World" status. Maybe he'll claim to tear down all Triple
H's champions next 'til he sees the change he wants. Maybe he'll wrestle an "anti-WWE" style, just to be a dick. Maybe he'll
curse his ass off in every promo. There's all kinds of ways to remain a thorn in Hunter's side, win lose or draw.
Hell, I remember people bitching about how Punk should've won the title at SummerSlam, and gone on to feud with Triple H in a neo Austin/McMahon
type of deal. Here we are, minus the title, and nobody's happy. Don't get me wrong --- they've had some stumbling blocks, and I feel
you guys on those. In the midst of being skeptical though, I don't think Punk and crew are getting credit for the things they're doing
right. They're not perfect overnight, but CM Punk and HHH are promo machines and great wrestlers. They've got 2 more weeks to flesh out
the story before the PPV, right? Sit back and enjoy those, then get ready for these two to kick each other's asses come Night of Champions
instead of fantasy booking them under the bus.
If nothing else, the match itself should be dope.
"...and everything I touch, shall wither and die."
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FistHiccups
Man of a Thousand Holds
Posts 1165
Registered 6-27-2007 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 9-4-2011 at 04:27 PM |
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If the last couple of weeks have proven anything, it's that free reign on the mic isn't a good thing. There's so little real
direction to what Punk's doing now. He should be pissed off and looking for revenge for being screwed out of the title, but he seems more
focused on making remarks about Stephanie (which itself is pretty fucking stupid, since Triple H is as big an established babyface as there is, so
it's not going to help Punk's status with fans) and complaining that wrestling's not fun anymore. In 1998, millions of people
related to drinking beer and beating up the boss. In 2011, Punk is trying to build a superstar career with "lol wrestling sux these days, Cena is
overpushed... Hey, remember ice cream bars and Jack Tunney?" and it's falling flat in arenas and doing nothing for the numbers.
But ultimately, it's like they can't decide on what Punk is, other than a smarmy thorn in Triple H's side. There was great potential
(and still is some) in this conspiracy thing, but it seems like the WWE braintrust just went "imagine if we get CM Punk and Kevin Nash making shooty
comments about each other" and never put much thought into it beyond that. Triple H talking about destroying Punk then holding Punk back from a
separate fight was stupid as fuck. Punk and Nash have both largely been shitty in their interviews, too.
Still, at least the Money in the Bank and SummerSlam endings were awesome. And if WWE really decides on where this is all going soon, it should still
be good. But if they're just meandering around hoping one of the participants comes up with a zinger that will get people talking on forums,
it's fucked.
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