Makes me wonder why they didn't go all out with the Punk

[jasonvorhees]

.. in 2011 with the "Punk vs. the Corporate establishment" storyline. Punk was completely on fire and many would argue that could have been the start of perhaps a new Boom.  The current storyline is alright but Bryan just can't take the place of punk as they anti-authority figure because he just is not as good on the stick nor possesses the same charisma as Punk.

If they would have gone with the current angle they have going now back in 2011 (especially maybe finally making Cena the corporate champ, Orton's role) they would have been rolling in the money and ratings I feel. 

Imagine how great this storyline would be if you just substitute Bryan (who's doing a great job of course) with Punk and see how big this thing would get.. 

... to this day I don't get it



Bryan is very good but overall Punk is just better. (especially in the role Bryan is currently playing)

[Joe Neglia]

Punk is most likely still considered too much of a real-life loose cannon for them to put all of their apples in his cart. His mouth gets him in trouble quite often and he's not the most ingratiating person on the roster to those outside the business.

[Chip]

WWE was already in a 3 year plan for the Rock/Cena feud, there was no way they were gonna turn him heel just for Punk. Only reason this angle is even going now is because USA (the network) demanded more of the McMahons on TV, without that we would probably be seeing a very different storyline. They did try something similar with Johnny Ace and Punk but nobody cared so Punk moved on and Cena came back to clean up after.

[Next Level was WRONG]

Bryan is vastly superior to Punk in-ring AND isn't insisting on cutting shitty promos were he blithers on about transvestites and toolboxes every god damn week.

[Deleted]

Surely it has something to do with Punk's general dickery.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

Punk's probably my favorite wrestler right now. that said, I got the feeling that while he (rightly) thought he should be used better, he never wanted to be THE guy like Daniel Bryan does. not saying Punk lacks passion or anything, it just seems that he's happy being the second biggest guy who doesn't have to run around doing the media circus like Cena does. Orton always came off the same to me.

[blackmegaman]

I think Bryan is more sympathetic in this role than Punk would have been.

[Allie Kitsune]

Aug 22, 2013 20:58:38 GMT -5 Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! said:

Punk's probably my favorite wrestler right now. that said, I got the feeling that while he (rightly) thought he should be used better, he never wanted to be THE guy like Daniel Bryan does. not saying Punk lacks passion or anything, it just seems that he's happy being the second biggest guy who doesn't have to run around doing the media circus like Cena does. Orton always came off the same to me.

Punk sort of strikes me as the type who would consider toning down his dickheadedness to be "abandoning [his] principles", so yeah.

True, Bryan isn't as edgy, but I don't think he needs to be. This angle isn't so much about the bomb-throwing-anarchist revolutionary burning down the system because he's a radical revolutionary. This is about Vince and Hunter's insecurity about a slightly undersized, pasty beardo working his way to the top of the company through talent alone.

[thelonewolf527]

The fact that CM Punk wasn't supposed to turn face in any of this

[The Legendary Ring Troll {BLM}]

As much as I love Punk, Bryan is killing it right now, catching on with almost EVERYONE and just seems to be hotter in more places than Punk was. I'm okay with Punk as Orton to Bryan's Cena, or Rock to Bryan's Stone Cold. Or Savage to Bryan's Hogan. Or...you get my meaning.

[Deleted]

I feel the same man. I just get can't behind the guy at all and if they didn't f*** up everything they had going back then things would have been a lot better for CM Punk I feel. inb4madbecausebryansinthisspotinsteadofpunk

[HMARK Center]

All I know is that while I still can't bring myself to watch Raw, it does make me smile to think back to seeing and cheering these guys live in ROH in 2005, and now seeing them being talked about as the top two guys in WWE. That's just cool.

[Deleted]

Because they're in line behind every Diva ever.

[Germansuplex]

Aug 22, 2013 21:41:28 GMT -5 blackmegaman said:

I think Bryan is more sympathetic in this role than Punk would have been.

Bingo. I like Punk quite a bit and his promo skills are second to none, but even as a face he's too much of a dick and a smartass to really get the crowd's sympathies. In a major angle where the lone wolf face must defeat the evil corporation, Bryan works way better in that role.

[worldsstrongestman]

Because Bryan's girlfriend is on Total Divas and Punk's girlfriend isn't.

[Hit Girl]

Because it's entirely possible they won't go all out on Daniel Bryan either.

The problem with angles like this, where WWE's managment culture is questioned openly, is that it often reveals real life problems with it, and those are problems WWE doesn't want to admit they have.

[cool guy]

I think it's entirely possible that Punk would have played this role better than Bryan, but they hampered that by f***ing over the angle completely, so them rehashing it with the same guy would be too noticeable, and Bryan was more hot at that very second. I prefer Punk, but they made the right call.

And I think them not going through it at the time is less because Punk was too volatile and more because the WWE was in a much shittier state in 2011 than it is now.

[wallabylikeyou]

I do hope they bring Punk into it a bit since Lesnar won't be around as much and he could be doing something more high profile than whooping Curtis Axel. It would make sense since Punk basically predicted all of this would happen and has storyline history with everyone involved, including Orton ad it might help nudge things along a bit if you want a slightly better promo on the face side. He could even say his problems with how the company is run have gotten even worse since in kayfabe Vickie hired Brock back seemingly without anyone noticing and Brock went on to break Vince's pelvis and attack Triple H again. Have them team up against this new Corporation a couple of times, until Triple H tells them they'll be wrestling each other on PPV to determine the number 1 contender, in a bid to divide and conquer. Bryan wins and while things remain amicable, Punk tells him that if Bryan wins the belt, he'll be waiting. Punk turns his attention back to the Heyman guys then.

[Rave]

Aug 22, 2013 20:29:42 GMT -5 Chip said:

WWE was already in a 3 year plan for the Rock/Cena feud, there was no way they were gonna turn him heel just for Punk. Only reason this angle is even going now is because USA (the network) demanded more of the McMahons on TV, without that we would probably be seeing a very different storyline. They did try something similar with Johnny Ace and Punk but nobody cared so Punk moved on and Cena came back to clean up after.

I remember hearing that USA actually didn't pass down that edict and that it was the McMahons themselves who booked all this.

[Deleted]

Punk vs. the machine was never going to start a new boom period.