CM Punk 2023–? Return Thread: Bracelet Chaser Arc

[hitman777]

I thought Punk looked beat and sloppy throughout his entire AEW run. Surprised at how many are seeing this as a new thing.

[BorneAgain]

As much as it might dilute the potential hype for the match, given Seth's injuries and Punk getting gassed this easily, Drew might be a necessity to the Raw title main event if just to be the active workhorse in it.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Jan 28, 2024 8:26:10 GMT -5 hitman777 said:

I thought Punk looked beat and sloppy throughout his entire AEW run. Surprised at how many are seeing this as a new thing.

Punk could still work a good match in AEW. He had missteps but he could still go, and he could put on clinics that went like an hour with the likes of MJF

That was a far cry from what we saw out there and that wasn't even two years ago. Hell it was a far cry from his Collision matches, and those were just a few MONTHS ago.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Jan 28, 2024 5:28:40 GMT -5 thechase said:

Word's spreading Punk might have injured his right tricep/elbow and gutted it out

Question now is how badly he hurt himself I guess

This whole Seth Rollins feud feels snakebit at this point. He's hurt and might not be even close to 100 percent for Mania, Punk got hurt in his first real match back, if I'm Drew McIntyre I'm asking for a blank f***ing check if they still intend to have them both in a Mania Main Event...

[Push R Truth]

Dude is washed. He needs to be a nostalgia act if he's gonna keep wrestling.

[john84]

He definitely looked knackered to me personally last night.

[clifford]

He's has, what, one match before last night since Wembley? Punk's at the age and level that he actually needs to be wrestling regularly to stay in rhythm and not look as bad as he did in the Rumble.

[TheMediocreWarrior]

Jan 28, 2024 6:24:49 GMT -5 BorneAgain said:

The thing with Punk that's becoming somewhat clear is that the idea of him has a bit more allure than the man himself. Not even getting into the personal issues of the past two years, it's just that between injuries, age, and cardio struggles, in ring wise there's some questions to be asked about his consistency. In a latter era AEW context where he could do six man tags with other talents who did the longer sections while he either sold or hit big spots? He generally looked great. But singles wise there's clear issue out there, and for every Wembley match with Joe, there's bouts like the Rumble where you're more concerned about his health than getting into his stuff.

He's still invaluable to have as part of the active roster, but if I were the WWE brass, I'd definitely be rethinking what kind of big singles matches to put him in without some smoke and mirrors to obfuscate his status.

Maybe have him mentor a younger wrestler in a tag team? That would help breathe life in the tag division while hiding Punk's limitations.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

I would say Punk looked great during his first AEW run. He definitely was rusty when he returned in 2023 but eventually found a groove although you could tell he was slower and had to work smarter to cover for that. But he could still deliver a great match as we saw at All In. His MSG match with Dominik was a perfectly fine TV match but he just looked out of it last night. If he was hurt, that makes sense but he also just looked gassed in a way I haven't seen during his comeback. Like that was a physical struggle despite him not doing that much relative to everyone else.

[Toilet Paper Roll]

I almost exipect to hear he has the flu or something. Because he looked like crap physically to go along with how easily gassed he was.

[Denny Zen is Cooking™]

The harbinger of his meltdown that caused the end of his AEW run, more than anything, was the fact that he could never get through a match without injuring himself.

If the rumors/reports are true and he hurt himself again his very first time out in a televised match, it does not bode well for the viability of this long-term run.

As a 45-year-old dude who was never all that athletic in the first place, and who has never REALLY been able to work off 7 years of ring rust, it seems like his in-ring days may be over.

[BorneAgain]

Thinking about it more, this is when Punk's lack of a stronger athletic background might be somewhat hurting him. He was able to get around that when he was young because he understood match psychology so well and was smart about picking his spots. But between his injuries, age, and not changing his style two better work with the first two issues, he's now just a guy in his mid 40s with all the wear & tear that entails and no real physical/conditioning discipline to counter it.

[Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story]

Jan 28, 2024 11:13:15 GMT -5 Denny Zen is Cooking™ said:

The harbinger of his meltdown that caused the end of his AEW run, more than anything, was the fact that he could never get through a match without injuring himself.

If the rumors/reports are true and he hurt himself again his very first time out in a televised match, it does not bode well for the viability of this long-term run.

As a 45-year-old dude who was never all that athletic in the first place, and who has never REALLY been able to work off 7 years of ring rust, it seems like his in-ring days may be over.

I feel like if he was actually hurt, one of the dirt sheets would have put out a report by now. It mostly feels like random social media speculation right now. We’ll see though.

[asuka007]

Older wrestlers have talked about how it’s actually much harder to stay in the groove and much easier to get injured once you stop wrestling regularly.

It’s hard to just stop for extended periods of time than then try and start again at that age.

The Rock got injured in both of his matches with Cena for example.

[Jonathan Michaels]

Jan 28, 2024 11:13:33 GMT -5 BorneAgain said:

Thinking about it more, this is when Punk's lack of a stronger athletic background might be somewhat hurting him. He was able to get around that when he was young because he understood match psychology so well and was smart about picking his spots. But between his injuries, age, and not changing his style two better work with the first two issues, he's now just a guy in his mid 40s with all the wear & tear that entails and no real physical/conditioning discipline to counter it.

Look at the other older guys on the roster, Lashley, Styles and Orton are all in tremendous shape for their age especially, Miz was a three sport athlete in high school and competed in things like The Challenge, and Rey and Truth are just freaks of nature.

And Punk is younger than all but Orton and Miz.

[mcstoklasa]

Jan 28, 2024 9:53:28 GMT -5 clifford said:

He's has, what, one match before last night since Wembley? Punk's at the age and level that he actually needs to be wrestling regularly to stay in rhythm and not look as bad as he did in the Rumble.

How does Brock do one match every four months and still be able to go pretty well?

[Fade]

Jan 28, 2024 12:54:44 GMT -5 mcstoklasa said:

Jan 28, 2024 9:53:28 GMT -5 clifford said:

He's has, what, one match before last night since Wembley? Punk's at the age and level that he actually needs to be wrestling regularly to stay in rhythm and not look as bad as he did in the Rumble.

How does Brock do one match every four months and still be able to go pretty well?

Brock’s a genetically gifted individual. Even then, age is catching up with him. Also he might’ve kept busy on his farm in terms of physical activities.

[Some Guy]

Jan 28, 2024 12:54:44 GMT -5 mcstoklasa said:

Jan 28, 2024 9:53:28 GMT -5 clifford said:

He's has, what, one match before last night since Wembley? Punk's at the age and level that he actually needs to be wrestling regularly to stay in rhythm and not look as bad as he did in the Rumble.

How does Brock do one match every four months and still be able to go pretty well?

Brock is absolutely beat red and gasping for air if he doesn't rest between moves in a short match

[clifford]

Jan 28, 2024 12:54:44 GMT -5 mcstoklasa said:

Jan 28, 2024 9:53:28 GMT -5 clifford said:

He's has, what, one match before last night since Wembley? Punk's at the age and level that he actually needs to be wrestling regularly to stay in rhythm and not look as bad as he did in the Rumble.

How does Brock do one match every four months and still be able to go pretty well?

Cause Brock Lesnar and CM Punk aren't the same person.

[Andew9001]

Jan 28, 2024 12:54:44 GMT -5 mcstoklasa said:

Jan 28, 2024 9:53:28 GMT -5 clifford said:

He's has, what, one match before last night since Wembley? Punk's at the age and level that he actually needs to be wrestling regularly to stay in rhythm and not look as bad as he did in the Rumble.

How does Brock do one match every four months and still be able to go pretty well?

In his last match with Cody he was bright red and sweating buckets to the point he left an inprint in the ring. Guy can't wrestle long, intense matches now either.