CM Punk is looking pretty strong against Rock..

[Corporate H]

Anybody else surprised by the booking here? It's the first time in a long while it seems that the heel hasn't been portrayed as a complete pussy. Punk actually ran up to Rock, got a takedown and then a full-mount last night and looked pretty good doing it. I know this is probably just to make him look strong going into the match because he's likely going to lose, but you gotta admit it's pretty unusual for the WWE, promos and all.

EDIT: I should add that for the first time since Money in the Bank '11 I'm actually interested in seeing a WWE main event.

[Allie Kitsune]

No, it's really, really, really not surprising.

Punk's basically booked as "The one man who isn't shackled to kayfabe", and in essence, booked as if he's the only one ALLOWED to be free of the typical trappings of kayfabe.

Everyone else is just kind of on rails, and Punk's the guy allowed to point at all of it and say "This is all fake, this is all bullshit, I'm the only real thing here! How can you all be so stupid to swallow this shit?" Everyone else has their "role" so to speak, and they have to play it. Punk's the guy allowed to mock everyone for playing a role while he just gets to "be".

He's booked as the only guy on the show that means a damn (no matter if Rock or Cena gets more promo time, they're still just automatons who have to execute their program no matter what), in that manner.

It's like the Kilgore Trout story that Vonnegut talks about in "Breakfast of Champions", where everybody else alive isn't real, they're just a robot that exists to evoke a reaction from the reader (though in this case, Punk is the reader).

And Punk's reaction is "This is all bullshit!".

[Stone Cold Eleanor Shellstrop]

And yet he still reads.

But yes, at the very least, Punk and Rock physically mixing it up as much as both men cut to the heart of the matter on the mic as to why the match at the Royal Rumble is happening, is a lot more fun to watch than whatever Rock and Cena were doing last year.

[Texas Tornado]

Jan 15, 2013 15:47:34 GMT -5 Allie Kitsune said:

No, it's really, really, really not surprising.

Punk's basically booked as "The one man who isn't shackled to kayfabe", and in essence, booked as if he's the only one ALLOWED to be free of the typical trappings of kayfabe.

Everyone else is just kind of on rails, and Punk's the guy allowed to point at all of it and say "This is all fake, this is all bulls***, I'm the only real thing here! How can you all be so stupid to swallow this s***?" Everyone else has their "role" so to speak, and they have to play it. Punk's the guy allowed to mock everyone for playing a role while he just gets to "be".

He's booked as the only guy on the show that means a damn (no matter if Rock or Cena gets more promo time, they're still just automatons who have to execute their program no matter what), in that manner.

It's like the Kilgore Trout story that Vonnegut talks about in "Breakfast of Champions", where everybody else alive isn't real, they're just a robot that exists to evoke a reaction from the reader (though in this case, Punk is the reader).

And Punk's reaction is "This is all bulls***!".

The hell are you talking about? Punk's been a cheap, chickens*** heel ever since he's turned. Are you watching a different show?

Edit: And yeah, I'm glad they're switching it up now, but they probably realized that they have to. If Punk continued to be some sniveling coward going into a match with The Rock there'd be no doubt of who would win.

[The Doctor]

Jan 15, 2013 15:47:34 GMT -5 Allie Kitsune said:

No, it's really, really, really not surprising.

Punk's basically booked as "The one man who isn't shackled to kayfabe", and in essence, booked as if he's the only one ALLOWED to be free of the typical trappings of kayfabe.

Everyone else is just kind of on rails, and Punk's the guy allowed to point at all of it and say "This is all fake, this is all bulls***, I'm the only real thing here! How can you all be so stupid to swallow this s***?" Everyone else has their "role" so to speak, and they have to play it. Punk's the guy allowed to mock everyone for playing a role while he just gets to "be".

He's booked as the only guy on the show that means a damn (no matter if Rock or Cena gets more promo time, they're still just automatons who have to execute their program no matter what), in that manner.

It's like the Kilgore Trout story that Vonnegut talks about in "Breakfast of Champions", where everybody else alive isn't real, they're just a robot that exists to evoke a reaction from the reader (though in this case, Punk is the reader).

And Punk's reaction is "This is all bulls***!".

That's not quite what's happening. Punk THINKS that is what's happening. But it's not. Just like The Shield THINK they are serving justice but actually aren't.

Make no mistake Punk is a heel. A heel trying to get EVERYONE to boo him any which way he can. He isn't just 'being' at all. He just thinks that he is.

And as the OP says he is generally quite sneaky and cowardly. But in this feud he is being more cocky and aggressive. So it is kind of different.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

I like it as a feud. I don't like it in the context of Punk's character, which has been a pussy since the heel turn.

The implication here is that Punk is afraid for Ryback but not afraid of Rock, suggesting Rock should be more afraid of Ryback.

[The Doctor]

Jan 15, 2013 17:14:01 GMT -5 "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay said:

I like it as a feud. I don't like it in the context of Punk's character, which has been a pussy since the heel turn.

The implication here is that Punk is afraid for Ryback but not afraid of Rock, suggesting Rock should be more afraid of Ryback.

Which sort of makes sense. Because Ryback is supposed to be almost an animal. The Rock is, at least, a normal human. So he's less scary.

[viking85]

it was interesting how punk went after rock so fearless at the end of raw, it made me think the sheild was going to help punk but no punk had no fear. it was a strange to see a heel do such a thing and i liked it.

[Djm Doesn't Find You Funny]

So, Punk turns heel and plays chickenshit heel up until Rock shows up and goes back to being almost on the level of what he was with the Straight Edge Society: An Extremely Rare Heel who is completely confident in himself without running away, and now, he doesn't have followers as backup. He truly, truly believes he is the best in the world.

And I'm not even remotely bothered by it. This is the heel CM Punk that NEEDS to stand up against The Rock.

[xCompackx]

I thought it was great and so far it's a really nicely simple feud. Rock wants championship, Punk wants to keep championship, they're gonna fight for the championship. Very little of the "You weren't here!" BS that infected Cena vs. Rock so badly last year. I'm loving it.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2013 17:16:13 GMT -5 The Doctor said:

Jan 15, 2013 17:14:01 GMT -5 "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay said:

I like it as a feud. I don't like it in the context of Punk's character, which has been a pussy since the heel turn.

The implication here is that Punk is afraid for Ryback but not afraid of Rock, suggesting Rock should be more afraid of Ryback.

Which sort of makes sense. Because Ryback is supposed to be almost an animal. The Rock is, at least, a normal human. So he's less scary.

That does make sense, but the problem is that Rock is bigger and more jacked than Ryback these days. They treat Ryback like he's bigger than he is, and Rock like he's smaller than he is. I can get over it.

[The Doctor]

Jan 15, 2013 17:29:47 GMT -5 @lovehater said:

Jan 15, 2013 17:16:13 GMT -5 The Doctor said:

Which sort of makes sense. Because Ryback is supposed to be almost an animal. The Rock is, at least, a normal human. So he's less scary.

That does make sense, but the problem is that Rock is bigger and more jacked than Ryback these days. They treat Ryback like he's bigger than he is, and Rock like he's smaller than he is. I can get over it.

True. But it's down to their gimmicks more than their size. Ryback is scary because he seems inhuman.

[DragonMasterP]

Jan 15, 2013 17:28:28 GMT -5 Djm Doesn't Find You Funny said:

So, Punk turns heel and plays chickens*** heel up until Rock shows up and goes back to being almost on the level of what he was with the Straight Edge Society: An Extremely Rare Heel who is completely confident in himself without running away, and now, he doesn't have followers as backup. He truly, truly believes he is the best in the world.

And I'm not even remotely bothered by it. This is the heel CM Punk that NEEDS to stand up against The Rock.

I agree with this. It keeps Punk from being too garden variety heel kind of thing.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

Jan 15, 2013 17:31:37 GMT -5 The Doctor said:

Jan 15, 2013 17:29:47 GMT -5 @lovehater said:

That does make sense, but the problem is that Rock is bigger and more jacked than Ryback these days. They treat Ryback like he's bigger than he is, and Rock like he's smaller than he is. I can get over it.

True. But it's down to their gimmicks more than their size. Ryback is scary because he seems inhuman.

And in fairness, The Rock was around for years, and was never a 'squash' guy. Ryback is a new, unknown quantity who squashes people all over the place and generally only goes down against three guys.