September 13, 2011
Triple H Deconstructs Punk’s Argument
On the Sept. 12 edition of Raw, CM Punk chastised COO Triple H for his implied view of what a World Champion should be. Big, muscular, intimidating – all attributes that Punk admittedly lacked. The Second City Saint then went on to say that the lack of attention paid to him by higher-ups like Triple H was a direct result of his contrast to that ideal. And then Triple H, without pausing, listed off a myriad of Punk’s accomplishments, all framed within the main event and World Championship.
1) Punk has won and successfully cashed in the Money In The Bank briefcase twice.
2) Punk has won seven titles in WWE, including four World Championships.
3) Punk has main-evented several WWE pay-per-views over the past six years.
Hmm. Well, he’s right. All of those facts are true, and undeniable. Yet, Punk still maintains that he’s been held down, and restrained from grabbing the elusive “brass ring.” But, he has grabbed it. Four times. And, in doing so, he shocked the world each time. Each of those World Championship wins catapulted Punk into the same stratosphere he claims now bars him from entry.
Maybe that’s not Punk’s point, though. Maybe the “Voice of the Voiceless” isn’t concerned so much with himself as he is with the future of WWE. Maybe he, more than anyone, realizes that change is inevitable and necessary, and resistance is futile and destructive. And, as a medium through which the voiceless can truly be heard, Punk is in a unique place – he’s a main-eventer, unhappy with the current, stale iterations of main events.
In addition to the list of facts and counter-arguments that The Game correctly rattled off, one more fact resonates even more importantly across the WWE landscape: Punk, at this point, is the only one who can truly engineer change. If that happens, though, who will Punk rebel against then?
source: wwe.com
The NFL Clotheslines Raw
The September 12th edition of Raw did a 2.72 rating with 3,856,000 viewers. The first hour did a 2.72 and the second did a 2.71.
The first NFL game on ESPN did a 10.62 with 14,568,000 viewers while the second game did a 8.21 rating with 11,109,000 viewers.
source: pwinsider.com
Kevin Eck Debuts New Weekly WWE.com Column
Former Baltimore Sun writer Kevin Eck has debuted a new weekly column on WWE.com called "Eck's Factor" that will appear every Tuesday and Saturday analyzing Raw and Smackdown.
To check out the column, click here.
Successors to The Game's Throne?
With COO Triple H putting his corporate title on the line at Night of Champions, the WWE Universe has to wonder: Who stands to gain the most should he lose this Sunday? WWE.com offers up several candidates to replace The Game:
JOHN LAURINAITIS
WWE’s Executive VP of Talent Relations has repeatedly involved himself in Triple H’s affairs ... and sometimes done so without the COO’s knowledge, as documented in recent weeks with the signing of Kevin Nash. Subsequently, upon Nash’s release from WWE last Monday, Laurinaitis released in a statement that “ultimately, [he doesn’t] make the rules around here.” That could very well change if Laurinaitis’ boss were to lose this Sunday.
SHAWN MICHAELS
Despite being Triple H’s best friend, the WWE Hall of Famer has also shared a hostile history with The Game, including a much-storied rivalry that lasted four years before they reconciled as D-Generation X in 2007. HBK has stated on many occasions that he has retired from active competition in WWE. Who’s to say, however, that he no longer wants to remain an integral part of WWE? Becoming COO would certainly give The Showstopper a lucrative new lease on life with the company.
THEODORE LONG
One could argue that being a successful General Manager in WWE is more difficult than becoming a 13-time World Champion. Yet since 2004, Teddy Long has not only survived in the role – cultivating top Superstars, deflecting power struggles with personnel and withstanding the wrath of a WWE Chairman all the while – he has made the Friday night brand Syfy’s most successful show. Long’s motivation for dethroning The King of Kings could be the fact that he no longer wants to simply “survive.” Perhaps he realizes that, if he seizes power, he can position himself to actually thrive in WWE’s top spot.
STEPHANIE McMAHON
Despite Triple H’s insistence otherwise, CM Punk and others are convinced that the COO’s wife is already pulling the strings and making the decisions around WWE. Stephanie has no love for Punk, certainly, but the temptation to take over in an official capacity could prove pivotal come Sunday night. After all, first and foremost, she’s a McMahon – a surname with a history of commanding power and authority by any means necessary.
ZACK RYDER
Wait, what? Say what you want, but The Long Island Iced Z knows how to make the most of a situation. He has established himself outside the ring as an Internet Champion with his own web series, and swayed enough Broskis in the WWE Universe to earn a spot as an assistant to SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long. In short, he knows how to manipulate just about anything to his advantage. Does anyone take him seriously as a threat? Probably not. But, that might all be part of Ryder’s plan to help CM Punk – a staunch Iced Z supporter – and assume control of the organization that once refused to pay him any attention.
THE ANONYMOUS RAW GENERAL MANAGER
Ever since Triple H became Chief Operating Officer, the only mystery bigger than the Raw GM’s identity has been his or her absence. There have been no flickering arena lights, no ominous e-mail sounds, and thankfully no reason for Michael Cole to arrogantly proclaim, “And I quote.” However, now that The Game has put his corporate title on the line at Night of Champions, the anonymous Raw GM may view this as a perfect occasion to log on and regain control of Monday nights. Will the laptop return to its podium prominence on Raw SuperShow? For that matter, could any of the aforementioned COO candidates be the Anonymous Raw General Manager?
September 12, 2011
CM Punk Wants to Piss You Off
CM Punk did an interview with the Toronto Sun and spoke about how well received his initial promo on Vince, Stephanie and Triple H was received by fellow wrestlers. "Backstage, everybody was throwing money at me, saying, ‘We’ll pay your fine,’" Punk recalled. "The biggest compliments have been from the guys in the back. But Vince knows money when he sees it."...More?
Limited Release of "Inside Out" Fails to Crack the Top 50
The WWE Studios release "Inside Out" starring Triple H did not make the top 50 box office list at the BoxOfficeMojo.com.
Mick Foley: I wasn't good value for TNA
The four-time world champion — who embarks on a multi-date UK Stand Up Comedy tour in November — joined Dixie Carter's organisation in late 2008, vowing to make an immediate impact with the wrestling firm.
But in an exclusive interview with SunSport, Foley conceded: "I cannot look back and say I did everything I wanted to do in TNA.
"I would have liked to have been considered a good investment that Dixie Carter made. I don't think that she or I would think that the investment they put into me paid off for them...More?
source: the sun
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Hawk (Michael James Hegstrand) of the Legion of Doom
September 12, 1957
Chris von Erich committed suicide at age 21.
September 12, 1991
Sting defeated Hulk Hogan for the WCW Heavyweight title.
September 12, 1999
September 11, 2011
