Somebody had to come out and say it. Because it’s true.
CM Punk is a cancer to professional wrestling.
More specifically to the locker room of any major professional wrestling organization. While I certainly understand the idea of Punk being a draw to a certain segment of the audience, is the risk really worth the reward?
As far as the reward goes, yes, CM Punk will likely help pop the ratings of AEW Dynamite. There is even a possibility that whatever week he debuts will likely generate a higher rating than Monday Night RAW that same week. That in conjunction with the eventual debut of Daniel Bryan, there is certainly going to be some new interest in the product. There is no denying that Punk’s return won’t help ratings in the short term. But what smart fans, and when I say smart I don’t mean internet fans, I mean fans with actual intelligence will tell you, CM Punk catered to a specific type of fan. The hardcore audience. If you think bringing him in is going to bolster some type of long term success, you couldn’t be anymore incorrect.
Like him or not, somebody like John Cena is someone who appeals to the masses. Men tune in to boo him, women tune in to gush over him, and children see him as a super hero. The same goes for Roman Reigns to some extent. As far as CM Punk goes, the casual fans could care less about him. It might pique their interest for a night or two, but it simply won’t last. Simply put, not as many people care about Punk as much as they once did. He just doesn’t have a big enough today as he did maybe five years ago to make that much of a long term impact.
Furthermore, it is known that Phil Brooks is a cancer in the locker room. Many people can testify that he has a bad attitude and does not exactly represent himself as a locker room leader like he should. You can find in interviews from many of his former colleagues and superiors that confirm the man has a pessimistic and negative attitude which would not work well in today’s locker room. The fish rots at he head, and if any organization whether it be WWE or AEW that is thinking about bringing him in as a top guy should know that. He has never been a beacon of positivity and when you hear him speak, even seven years later, he is more or less whining or complaining about something.
The bottom line is that CM Punk is cancerous to the wrestling industry. Everything will start out fine, then eventually you’ll begin to see cryptic tweets that express his displeasure. He’ll likely engage in Twitter battles with people. Eventually he will be at odds with Tony Khan or the other Executive VP’s of AEW (I use the titles Executive VP’s very loosely). Because CM Punk is the kind of guy who is never truly happy until he finds a way to make himself completely miserable.
The one thing we did not even address is the fact that it’s been seven years since Punk had an actual wrestling match in front of a live crowd. There is a great chance he has a significant amount of ring rust. Look at when Kurt Angle made his come back in WWE. Or Shawn Michaels when he wrestled in Saudi Arabia. Both of those men were far better in the ring than Punk, and at their age were a shell of who they were in their prime. While Punk is not quite as old as them, seven years off is a long time and I cannot imagine he is as good as he once was..
AEW, you have been warned. Phil Brooks AKA CM Punk will be a cancer to your organization if you sign him. The risk is certainly not worth the reward. In fact, his signing will be the beginning of the organization’s demise. I look forward to watching the fireworks and inevitable fire that burns AEW to the ground if they do bring him on board.
