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Post by Hit Girl on Dec 1, 2013 23:46:12 GMT -5
I tend to agree with the OP. Punk has hit the maximum height that WWE have allowed him to. Could have been higher had his big angle not been sabotaged, but that's the new pattern now in WWE
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Post by BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps on Dec 2, 2013 0:32:42 GMT -5
I think it's odd that we're discussing the possible peak of a HOF lock, in fact one that's likely over and popular enough to close out an induction ceremony.
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Post by DZ: WF Legacy on Dec 2, 2013 0:45:22 GMT -5
If Punk leaves next year as rumored (3 years since MITB), him taking another 3 years off and returning could be huge for him. Look at what it did for Jericho. His heel run was so good that many people cite it as their favorite iteration of Jericho, even though Jericho had other great runs in the past that could be considered his best just as easily.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2013 0:57:15 GMT -5
I think it's odd that we're discussing the possible peak of a HOF lock, in fact one that's likely over and popular enough to close out an induction ceremony. Yeah we're talking about a guy here that, while not on the level of the Rocks and Austins, really isn't so far below them either. If I were to sit down and carefully think out a "top 20 most over WWF/E wrestlers of all time", I could make a case for Punk being just outside the top 10 or maybe even just barely in it.
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Glitch
Grimlock
Not Going To Die; Childs, we're goin' out to give Blair the test. If he tries to make it back here and we're not with him... burn him.
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Post by Glitch on Dec 2, 2013 1:17:34 GMT -5
I kinda feel bad for him having to have his heyday in this incarnation of the wwe.
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Post by rnrk supports BLM on Dec 2, 2013 1:43:54 GMT -5
I kinda feel bad for him having to have his heyday in this incarnation of the wwe. I'd say the exact opposite, that Punk's success is the result of being the first wrestler to really figure out how to capitalize on the current zeitgeist of who's watching pro wrestling these days and how to play to that demographic.
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Post by GEOLINK on Dec 2, 2013 3:19:20 GMT -5
I'm not necessarily saying you're wrong, but that's what people were saying about Hogan in 1993, and then he became the biggest heel in the industry in 1996. People also were saying the same thing about Chris Jericho in 2005, and then he reinvented himself and had the best run of his career in 2008. It does seem as though Punk has hit the high point of his career with the huge title reign, but you never know. The angle he ends his career with might be huge. I did point out that I thought facing Stone Cold could help his career drastically. I made a scenario thread of Punk reinventing himself in a feud with Stone Cold and the aftershock of it. Bottom line is, I said that Punk could go up high with an anomaly. The nWo was an anomaly. Business Jericho was a shock, too. Punk would need to do something drastic again. Corporate Punk!
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Post by Hit Girl on Dec 2, 2013 3:22:49 GMT -5
Maybe they should have picked him as the face of the company. Would have been an awesome feud with Daniel Bryan. Corporate Punk would have been hilarious.
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BigBadZ
Grimlock
The Rumors Are All True
Posts: 13,923
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Post by BigBadZ on Dec 2, 2013 3:29:48 GMT -5
If he does retire from the ring in a couple of years, I would want him to replace Lawler. Punk is money on the mic and proved he can do commentary very well. Could even give him to have a match here and there because I truly don't think Punk will ever completely retire from wrestling but he won't be Terry Funk either.
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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Dec 2, 2013 6:48:26 GMT -5
Punk has peaked.
So?
Austin peaked in '98. He didn't retire until '03.
How many wrestlers have gone out at their peak? I can think of none.
I started a thread on here a few years ago about how the only wrestler I can think of who retired immediately after his greatest match was Mike Awesome, who I thought retired in '05, but I think I read somewhere since that he did some Japanese tours after that.
Every wrestler peaks well before they retire. But the nature of this business is that most of them peak many, many years before they retire.
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Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on Dec 2, 2013 10:09:35 GMT -5
Cena maybe. say what you will about Orton, he isn't that stupid. That's the guy who is one strike away from losing his main event career 10 years in the making. that's true but I also don't see Orton as the kind of guy whose such a company man that he'll mortgage his future well-being for pro wrestling the way Cena would (and probably already is if the stories about his elbow are true).
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Post by The Gambler Fan on Dec 2, 2013 11:12:11 GMT -5
I cannot believe that people believes that he would retire in 3-5 years. I know that he claims that he would but when the WWE offers him a RVD or a HBK contract he would stay for another 7-8 years. WWE will give him a ton of money to work only Raw’s and PPV’s. Even though I cannot stand the guy, he is over and sells a lot of merchandise. WWE will not let him go until he is too old to wrestle or he is injured. Money would keep him in the WWE for a long time from now.
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Post by xCompackx on Dec 2, 2013 11:17:11 GMT -5
I tend to agree with the OP. Punk has hit the maximum height that WWE have allowed him to. Could have been higher had his big angle not been sabotaged, but that's the new pattern now in WWE I think he came out of that okay. Honestly, his 434-day Championship reign was probably better than whatever they had planned in the first place.
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Post by buttersock on Dec 2, 2013 11:23:42 GMT -5
Maybe when he does retire, he can be a commentator again. Wrestling needs another Jesse Ventura-ish commentator. youtu.be/Duzwm9GWSN8
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Post by BatPunk on Dec 2, 2013 15:15:59 GMT -5
I'm not too sure about 'peaked'. I think Punk will retire in the next couple of years, but he's going to be wanting to have the type of matches that he wants to have on his way out. So, I think match quality wise, we are going to see a better Punk than we've seen in a long time, purely because he'll be enjoying what he's doing and having fun with wrestling again.
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Post by Hit Girl on Dec 2, 2013 15:50:55 GMT -5
I tend to agree with the OP. Punk has hit the maximum height that WWE have allowed him to. Could have been higher had his big angle not been sabotaged, but that's the new pattern now in WWE I think he came out of that okay. Honestly, his 434-day Championship reign was probably better than whatever they had planned in the first place. I'm not so sure. I think having the champion leave with the title, possibly appear at indie feds, and continue dropping pipe bombs about the real issues the company faces could have made a bigger impact than just an incredibly long title reign. The WWE could have done things which really were outside the box, but they reverted immediately to the status quo. A new belt, Cena as champ....blah blah.
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Professor Chaos
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by Professor Chaos on Dec 2, 2013 16:06:29 GMT -5
There's still some stuff in the basement.
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Post by angryfan on Dec 2, 2013 16:21:16 GMT -5
This thread has me wondering. We've talked about Punk's peak drawing period, the height of what he can do in terms of bringing people in and all that.
What about Orton and Cena? When was their peak?
I'd say Orton had his with Legacy when he was punting Vince. As for Cena, that's a tough one. He's been getting mixed reactions, which I get that's what they want, but to me it feels like 1995 Hulk Hogan. You know the reaction that will happen, you know how the match will end, it's like a song on repeat. If you love the song, then you're cool with it, if you hate the song then you're praying for tinnitus.
So to me, unless they do something to change up both characters, the peaks are in the past. Cena's was either his time working with Edge, and maybe some with Punk 2 years ago, but that's it.
Punk, it just feels like a natural to say "yeah, he's peaked" because he's been at the top of the card as a face and a heel, he's made crowds both love and hate him, and he's worked with, and both won and lost to, everyone.
Austin is his last big match.
Cena, as he is now, has nothing he can offer short of beating Undertaker, and any Mania feud with them has to end with Cena winning, either straight up or in the rematch. Character-wise it's the only way it can go. Outside of that, though, there's nothing left. I guess Hogan, but....just no.
Orton...I honestly can't think of any match left that would give him the "big match" feel. Foley, Edge, Triple H, Cena, Taker, Rey, there's no one left to get a money match out of him.
Honestly, writing this just depresses me for the future of the company.
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Chip
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Slam Jam Death.
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Post by Chip on Dec 2, 2013 16:26:17 GMT -5
Every wrestler peaks well before they retire. But the nature of this business is that most of them peak many, many years before they retire. It's often necessary in a lot of instances as them peaking is often what get's them over enough with the audience to keep going on and making more money.
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543Y2J
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Post by 543Y2J on Dec 2, 2013 16:37:47 GMT -5
He has said in recent years (since MITB2011 onwardsish) that his main goal is to have the last match at a Mania. I hope he has the last match to at one Mania before he retires, its a great goal to have. You can "main event Mania" being in one of the top 3 or 4 matches, but only a select few have gone on last (for better or worse, in some cases it should have been other main event matches that went on last). Plus I really see Punk as a guy who can elevate the Rumble back to the importance it had, like Jericho/Bryan it would just feel right to me for him to have a Rumble win on his resume. Instead of picking someone like Sheamus/ADR for the next Rumble, this time go with a solidified and already made guy (who isn't Cena) that deserves to have (what should be) the honor of having a Rumble win in your career. Facing Taker this year was an amazing achievement, maybe having an excellent/magnificent match worthy of it even more so (especially with Takers age). So that is a massive feather in the cap for him and something very few people can say they have done (facing Taker), and probably half of that having good matches with him at an event, and he is a part of both groups. So to me, he hasn't hit his peak, and I think he knows it as well. I personally really really hope he gets a Rumble win and final match at Mania before his career is over. He deserves both of them and then done with the impact he has made in the current generation, he changed the game and the whole context of what kayfabe and storytelling is to wrestling, blurring the lines for both the audience and the people within the company., while at the same time putting on classic matches. The 2 craziest things Punk could do to reinvent himself would be to betray his straight edge beliefs or become a Corporate guy. I would pay good money for both of these. Especially Corporate suit wearing Punk. He is such a great actor, that he could make up any character/persona he would like and still get the absolute most out of it. I hope and think that he is currently coming up with a new one at the moment, as they seem to have given him less time to develop one in the last year (or maybe two). Just let him do what he wants to do, and you will have another epic persona (to make up the general character of CM Punk, with all his dimensions he has added to it over the years) like Second City Saint, SES/Preacher Punk, Straight Edge Punk (specifically vs jeff), Loose Cannon Punk 2011 etc etc.
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