Punk Scrum Thread II: Punk terminated from AEW

[Kalmia]

Punk's always been a bit of an asshole (and he'd probably be the first person to admit that) but when he was the little guy raging against the machine of the WWE, it was almost endearing. It was the real version of MJF and his line about being a scumbag but being our scumbag. Sure, Punk was being abrasive but didn't he have a reason to be sometimes?

When you're on top and you're still being an asshole though, it doesn't feel the same. The guy who isn't getting what he probably deserves and is angry about it is far more sympathetic than the guy who gets everything and is still angry about it.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Aug 30, 2023 9:43:39 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:34:50 GMT -5 ChitownKnight said:

I wonder what the hell happened during the 7 years he was gone. Was he this bad in 2011-2014 when he was on top of wwe?

Truth is, this is who Punk always was. The difference is that he previously had bosses who for better or worse,were able to keep something resembling a reign on him.

And also it was exponentially more easier to paint those bosses as the bad guys because… well, they kind of are in various ways.

[Denny Zen is Cooking™]

Aug 30, 2023 9:34:50 GMT -5 ChitownKnight said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:20:51 GMT -5 Push R Truth said:

Seeing Punk be exactly what he bitched about for years is oh so delicious.

I wonder what the hell happened during the 7 years he was gone. Was he this bad in 2011-2014 when he was on top of wwe?

I get the feeling that he's always been like this, WWE just doesn't allow its backstage skeletons to escape as readily as AEW apparently does, and Punk didn't have any actual authority in WWE, so he wasn't able to act on his worst impulses like he has in AEW.

Everything that has happened over the last 2 years has really painted Punk's exit from WWE and the grievances that he had on the Art of Wrestling podcast in a new light. At the time, I feel like most people really rallied behind his vitriol toward guys like Ryback and Miz, because we took it as Punk criticizing the WWE "system" and its unwillingness to ever truly get behind guys who didn't come up through the "WWE system." It felt like Punk was passionately defending the merits of indie wrestling. But, now, it just kind of feels like it was sour grapes because Punk felt entitled to be on top, and threw a temper tantrum when he didn't get to main event WrestleMania. Then you have things like his issues with management, and Triple H in particular. At the time, it felt like Punk was pushing back against a corporate system that treats its employees like cogs in a machine. But, now, it feels like he was probably just pissed that he wasn't getting preferential treatment in his travel accommodations, which he felt entitled to as "the champion." 

I think that's what Samoa Joe was kind of alluding to when he talked about friends who "commodify" friendship. It was beneficial for 2011-2014 CM Punk to present himself as a champion of independent wrestling, and someone who advocated for "indie guys" to make it in WWE, because it was directly beneficial to him. For modern, 44-year-old CM Punk, who is the top guy to an extent that he basically has his own show, that's no longer the case. I think that's probably why Hangman's "worker's rights" jab triggered him so much and set us on the path to this near-700 page thread. Punk has always been an entitled brat, but his entitlement often benefited people other than himself when he wasn't the "top guy." It makes me think about that jab he took at Colt during the original scrum meltdown, something like "the problem was I wanted to bring a guy with me to the top that did not want to see me at the top." Seemingly by his own admission, Punk cut bait with Cabana as a friend the second he no longer saw value in his friendship. 

This post has gotten a lot longer than I intended to. It's just so strange to look back at the CM Punk who was my favorite wrestler, who I watched as an absolute nobody having garbage matches in IWA-MS, who felt like the flag bearer for the type of wrestling that I prefer, and the first person to really "make it" on the big stage out of the Midwestern indies and see the kind of person that he is today. I don't think CM Punk is a bad guy at all, but he's someone who seems to have been fueled by grudges, a sense of entitlement, and a chip on his shoulder for his entire career, and that looks a lot different, and a lot worse, now that he's "made it," so to speak. 

[xxshoyuweeniexx]

Aug 29, 2023 23:24:02 GMT -5 markymark said:

HA... I see....

me when skye blue gets banned from collision

[Nosnorb]

So based on everything, CM Punk took issue with a spot Jack Perry (and presumably Hook) had planned that would have been more dangerous with sugar glass, took umbrage with a comment Perry made during a preshow match, then assaulted his co-worker, who was getting medical attention, in front of his boss. After Brawl Out last year, Punk should be given his marching orders.

[Eunös ✈]

If it smells like shit everywhere you go, might be time to check the bottom of your shoes.

[Mid-Carder]

I get that Jack shouldn't have made the comment to the camera but with Punk leaking that Jack "just wanted time off" I'd be pretty pissed off too. Don't know who he thinks he is, commenting on other people's time off.

[Bo Rida]

Aug 30, 2023 9:52:58 GMT -5 EoE: Well There's Your Problem said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:43:39 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Truth is, this is who Punk always was. The difference is that he previously had bosses who for better or worse,were able to keep something resembling a reign on him.

And also it was exponentially more easier to paint those bosses as the bad guys because… well, they kind of are in various ways.

Yeah he had plenty of legit complaints back then so the petty ones were easy to overlook.

Now it's gone the other way, he's been given everything and is still finding things to complain about. As a result any complaints he makes aren't taken as seriously even if he does have a point.

[pinja]

Aug 30, 2023 10:27:49 GMT -5 Mid-Carder said:

I get that Jack shouldn't have made the comment to the camera but with Punk leaking that Jack "just wanted time off" I'd be pretty pissed off too. Don't know who he thinks he is, commenting on other people's time off.

Confirmed: Britt and Punk falling out was over Punk missing time with his injuries. He couldn't fool Britt by pretending to be suspended.

[spagett]

The Coward shit promo

The All out press conference in its entirety

The brawl

The instagram posts where he insulted Jericho and Mox

The counterfeit bucks promo

The post collision promo burying Hangman to the crowd

This current All In shambles

Plus constant leaks from him where he's buried Jack Perry, and AEW and also confirmed he's banned people from attending AEW events

It really is insane what a horrible toxic presence he's been for AEW. And remember he was pretty much radio silent for about 6 months. He's managed to fit all that into the last 12 months despite only being active for less than half of it.

[Gerard Gerard]

Aug 30, 2023 10:02:00 GMT -5 Nosnorb said:

So based on everything, CM Punk took issue with a spot Jack Perry (and presumably Hook) had planned that would have been more dangerous with sugar glass, took umbrage with a comment Perry made during a preshow match, then assaulted his co-worker, who was getting medical attention, in front of his boss. After Brawl Out last year, Punk should be given his marching orders.

Yeah, but the t-shirt sales............

[polarbearpete]

Aug 30, 2023 10:27:49 GMT -5 Mid-Carder said:

I get that Jack shouldn't have made the comment to the camera but with Punk leaking that Jack "just wanted time off" I'd be pretty pissed off too. Don't know who he thinks he is, commenting on other people's time off.

He thinks he’s a guy trying to run a business here.

[ChitownKnight]

A part of me feels bad for Tony. Imagine being a fan of the guy, bringing him in after 7 years not only to appease himself but also the fans who have been dying to see him, giving him everything and then the guy just turning around and shitting all over him and ruining his reputation

[Kalmia]

One thing I've noticed this time around is that apart from the crazy die-hard Punk fans, there's a lot less sympathy for him. Even some of the more reasonable Punk fans who thought he was worth bringing back seem to think that now, he's more trouble than he's worth.

All of the wrestling meme groups I'm in have just been clowning on Punk 24/7 since this story broke. If nothing else, Punk is great for meme material.

[TOK Is the Target Demo]

Aug 30, 2023 10:39:42 GMT -5 Gerard Gerard said:

Aug 30, 2023 10:02:00 GMT -5 Nosnorb said:

So based on everything, CM Punk took issue with a spot Jack Perry (and presumably Hook) had planned that would have been more dangerous with sugar glass, took umbrage with a comment Perry made during a preshow match, then assaulted his co-worker, who was getting medical attention, in front of his boss. After Brawl Out last year, Punk should be given his marching orders.

Yeah, but the t-shirt sales............

I would understand the argument if he was the Hogan/Austin/Cena level draw that he and a sizable amount of people think he is but he clearly isn't. He stopped popping ratings after the MJF feud which was the only actual argument that made sense, doesn't do shit for buyrates, and AEW doesn't give a shit about t-shirt sales judging from how they contract out merch to PWT.

[markymark]

[CeilingFan]

Call me crazy, but I still say that MJF will fight CM Punk in a Unification match at Full Gear!

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

Aug 30, 2023 10:34:29 GMT -5 spagett said:

The Coward shit promo

The All out press conference in its entirety

The brawl

The instagram posts where he insulted Jericho and Mox

The counterfeit bucks promo

The post collision promo burying Hangman to the crowd

This current All In shambles

Plus constant leaks from him where he's buried Jack Perry, and AEW and also confirmed he's banned people from attending AEW events

It really is insane what a horrible toxic presence he's been for AEW. And remember he was pretty much radio silent for about 6 months. He's managed to fit all that into the last 12 months despite only being active for less than half of it.

And Punk said a reason he chose AEW was because the locker room kept quiet about Brodie's illness, he wanted to be part of that. Meanwhile he's leaking shit all the time to make himself look great.

Eddie's line to Punk of "Nobody wants you here. They never wanted you here" seems to be more truthful than previously thought.

Aug 30, 2023 10:57:37 GMT -5 TOK Is the Target Demo said:

Aug 30, 2023 10:39:42 GMT -5 Gerard Gerard said:

Yeah, but the t-shirt sales............

I would understand the argument if he was the Hogan/Austin/Cena level draw that he and a sizable amount of people think he is but he clearly isn't. He stopped popping ratings after the MJF feud which was the only actual argument that made sense, doesn't do shit for buyrates, and AEW doesn't give a shit about t-shirt sales judging from how they contract out merch to PWT.

Look no further than Collision's ratings. This is the Punk show, and college football hasn't kicked off (week 0 isn't college football kicking off), and ratings are already around what Warner was most likely expecting during the season. He isn't a big draw, he's probably turned a lot of people away from the company.

[Talent Name]

If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole

[HMARK Center]

Aug 30, 2023 10:32:59 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:52:58 GMT -5 EoE: Well There's Your Problem said:

And also it was exponentially more easier to paint those bosses as the bad guys because… well, they kind of are in various ways.

Yeah he had plenty of legit complaints back then so the petty ones were easy to overlook.

Now it's gone the other way, he's been given everything and is still finding things to complain about. As a result any complaints he makes aren't taken as seriously even if he does have a point.

Yeah, a lot of his complaints about WWE were legitimate: the schedule, the sense of "you'd better not take any time off if you like your spot", the way he giftwrapped them the hottest angle possible and it resulted in Triple H vs. Kevin Nash, the "you're up there, but there's still a glass ceiling" thing, the very real injuries, etc.

But it's pretty apparent that the guy wants all things done his way, full stop, and takes seemingly anything that runs counter to that as a personal offense. Like, shit, look at the thing about not having transportation from the airport: first off, it seems apparent that was the case for everyone, but even if it was something he wasn't happy about it means the guy arrived on Saturday, slept on it, woke up, got to the stadium, and was still mad enough about it that he spent however long just yelling at his boss behind closed doors. I wanted to give Punk a break on the recent postshow comment about Hangman (word is he regretted it and contacted Hangman to apologize...but again, who knows what's true given how these leaks have been working?), but if he's letting all this stuff pile up and make him miserable, my man, you've got to think about stepping away.

Given Khan's recent words that if anything were to happen to him that the booker spot should be handed to Bryan Danielson, and especially given the buzz that Punk might've finally harmed his relationship with Khan, it does make me wonder if the front office of AEW's future is taking shape: Danielson in a creative role, Jericho's new contract apparently includes office duties, and I think you could probably add Moxley and Samoa Joe in there.