The Best in the World, Voice of the Voiceless, Second City Saint, blah blah blah. What the hell is going on with CM Punk?
Rewind
Let’s rewind to that moment in late November last year. The WWE Survivor Series 2023 main event had wrapped up, babyfaces celebrated in the ring, and then the roof blew off the building when the chords of Cult of Personality bounced off the infamous wooden ceiling inside the Allstate Arena.
In a white shirt and with a look of serious determination on his face, CM Punk walked down a WWE ramp after being away from the company for nearly 10 years. Fan cheers drowned out the chords, jaws hit the floor, and rabid posts on social media captured the momentous event from every angle imaginable.
Excitement ripped the building apart at the seams. Why? Well, lots of reasons. Punk and WWE making up after nearly a decade is major news in an of itself. Bigger than that was Punk coming to WWE from AEW after a dramatic and acrimonious split. WWE also produced the segment brilliantly — in a way where the surprise and re-debut of Punk was a genuine shock riddled with unpredictability.
Is the essence of CM Punk missing?
If you think about it, that’s the essence of CM Punk. He’s unpredictable. The character is rooted in that theme. He’s fun to watch and is attractive as a star because you don’t know what he’ll do or say next. He would never admit it, but CM Punk is a star that thrives when the lines blur between real life and televised pro wrestling. That’s his sweet spot. And why? Because audiences don’t know what’s real and isn’t. Like Punk, that material is unpredictable too.
So, I’ll ask again. What the hell is going on with CM Punk?
For a guy that has thrived on the unpredictable nature of his character and storylines, he’s become as predictable as John Cena boos in 2009. I mean Punk’s been trotting out tired and predictable tropes like the ready for t-shirts everywhere “it’s good to be alive in X city on Monday Night Raw” line. Or, promo lines about his momentum and notoriety being what it is because of “the people.” He’s even obsessed and triggered by a friendship bracelet that my five-year-old daughter could make in 11 seconds.
What the hell happened? The Punk material since that loud and tremendous night in Chicago last year has been as predictable as it gets and Punk is floundering because of it.