Why CM Punk's AEW Run Is The Best Of His Career | partsFUNknown
Why CM Punk's AEW Run Is The Best Of His Career | partsFUNknown
What's your favourite CM Punk run in his career? Let us know in the comments!
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What's your favourite CM Punk run in his career? Let us know in the comments!
SUBSCRIBE TO partsFUNknown: https://bit.ly/2J2Hl6q
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/partsfunknown
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/partsfunknown/
Buy wrestling merchandise here: https://www.wrestleshop.com/
Read more Feature content here on WrestleTalk.com: https://wrestletalk.com/features/
Transcript
00:00 I'll be honest guys, there was a big part of me that was very skeptical of a CM Punk
00:05 return.
00:06 There was never a single doubt that Punk's return segment would be an all-timer, that's
00:09 not what I'm saying.
00:10 But would a 42-year-old, chick magnet Punk really be able to come out of retirement and
00:15 kick ass?
00:16 That absolutely was not a guarantee.
00:18 He was beat up when he left, and 42 is very different than 35 when you're trying to start
00:22 up again.
00:23 But lo and behold, Charlie McAvoy Punk has proven me a fool for being skeptical because
00:27 this man has been having the best run of his career in AEW, and I know that statement is
00:31 gonna ruffle some truffles, but really, I've just been genuinely enjoying the work that
00:35 CM Punk has been doing since his return to wrestling, and would like to provide my case
00:39 as to why this run has clobbered the most ass of all the runs he has had.
00:43 Simple as that, really.
00:44 And of course, if Punk's run takes an unexpected nosedive after Double or Nothing, then feel
00:48 free to dunk on me in the comments for all time always, I don't mind.
00:52 Keep coming back because Evergreen Content is just hunky dory.
00:55 I'm Tempest Hailing from PartsFunKnown, and this is why CM Punk's AEW run is the best
00:59 of his career.
01:00 Punk's early career falls under a pretty wide range.
01:03 Whether it was the not-teenage-teenage anarchist of ROH, the straight edge savior, or the best
01:08 in the world, what I would consider the consensus best runs of his career, unless you really
01:13 like IWA or something, they all captured the minds of fans through their fantastic matches
01:18 and captivating character work.
01:20 Throughout his career, CM Punk was able to connect to his audience as a character, and
01:24 honestly, I think that's always been his greatest strength as a wrestler.
01:27 Since arriving in AEW, CM Punk's character has been more raw, real, and emotional than
01:31 he had ever been on a consistent basis.
01:34 Whereas the Pipe Bomb promo was a sudden emotional peak, a jarring display of realism that we
01:39 as fans weren't used to at the time, now the lines separating CM Punk the character and
01:43 Phil Brooks the person had been blurred to the point that it is hard to believe we are
01:46 getting anything but the real, authentic human behind all the living color and ice cream
01:51 bars.
01:52 The internet has always had its fair share of crazy, wacky characters, and if you prefer
01:55 the more over-the-top performances of the straight edge society punk, I certainly won't
01:59 say you're wrong for it, but I just gravitate more towards the grounded, human characters
02:03 these days.
02:04 Since he walked through the tunnel at the United Center, Cookie Master Punk has been
02:10 one of, if not the most interesting character in all of wrestling.
02:14 He's taken that mantle from Hangman Page, and soon that might not be the only thing
02:18 he'll take from him.
02:19 But what has made this character so interesting?
02:22 If you watched my video last year chronicling the rise of everyone's focused yeehaw man,
02:26 you will know a big portion of that story is what makes Hangman Page a good hero.
02:31 Upon watching CM Punk's promo in Long Island on December 8th, I once again found myself
02:36 pondering what makes a good hero, as I became intrigued by the direction taken by Punk as
02:40 a character.
02:41 In true Bretton, Canada, Shawn in America fashion, Punk was booed in favor of the worst
02:46 human on earth probably, MJF.
02:48 Punk was inarguably the hero of this tale, but his closing line was what really opened
02:52 my third eye.
02:53 Referring to MJF, Punk tells the crowd, "To me, if that's your guy, if that's who you
02:58 back, you're all chicken s***."
02:59 Whereas your tried and true white knight babyface would probably ignore the jeers and take it
03:04 in stride, the aging punk rocker stood in front of the first crowd to really boo him
03:08 so totally in almost a decade and said, "No, f*** you."
03:13 And so this got me to question, is it better to be a character like Hangman Page, who is
03:17 more wholly good, or is it better to be a character like CM Punk, who feels wholly real?
03:22 I don't think there's a right answer to that question.
03:24 However, it is that realism that made CM Punk's work must watch since his return.
03:29 The first real example of this came as Chris Masters Punk stood opposite Eddie Kingston
03:33 in a promo duel on Rampage.
03:35 Now Eddie Kingston is the most authentic speaker in all of pro wrestling, and a ludicrously
03:40 popular star, so a promo between these two guys, who very publicly did not like each
03:44 other, could not feel anything but authentic.
03:47 What we got was a very personal, very real moment, pulling out dirt from decades beforehand
03:51 and providing a reason for these two stars to have a match on pay-per-view.
03:54 In one promo battle, CM Punk and Eddie Kingston told you everything you needed to know about
03:59 their history and how they felt about each other, and they sold a f*** ton of pay-per-view
04:03 buys in the process.
04:04 That to me is a massive success in one segment, but it would be indicative of what was to
04:08 come as well.
04:09 There was valid criticism that Punk's AEW run was a bit slow to get off the ground,
04:13 as he didn't launch himself into a main event feud immediately after All Out, but
04:18 to me it wasn't an issue.
04:19 His segments were never bad in the meantime, and AEW still told a logical story of Punk
04:24 dipping his toes in slowly with matches against Matt Sydal, Daniel Garcia and Bobby Fish,
04:29 rather than jumping in the deep end after seven years away from the ring.
04:33 That and the aura of CM Punk returning to wrestling really was enough to carry his segments
04:37 those first few months.
04:38 Honestly, it probably still could, because I mean, I don't know about you guys, but
04:41 this still hasn't even sunk in for me.
04:43 From that point onward, CM Punk's presence in AEW deepened, and immediately following
04:47 his defeat of Eddie Kingston at Full Gear, Punk would turn his attention to where it
04:50 would remain for most of his run so far - MJF.
04:54 While the Eddie Kingston rivalry opened the CM Punk brand of emotional worm cans, the
04:58 MJF feud furthered the actual character work of both Punk and his misguided former fan.
05:03 There could be a whole video dedicated solely to the CM Punk/MJF rivalry, as it is chock
05:08 full of long-talking segments, and I could never go over every detail here.
05:13 But the themes on display during this rivalry are what really needs to be focused on, rather
05:17 than the actual words.
05:19 When this rivalry started, MJF was taking potshots at Punk for his failed UFC career
05:23 and for walking away from WWE.
05:25 They generated big pops in the building, but those were low-hanging fruit, but intentionally
05:30 so, as called out by Punk himself.
05:32 The real sauce was coming, and as this rivalry progressed, you could almost feel things getting
05:36 more and more personal each week until the entire storyline took a completely unexpected
05:41 turn.
05:42 MJF revealed his supervillain origin story for the first time in AEW, emotionally talking
05:47 about being abused by anti-semitic teammates on his football team in high school, but taking
05:51 solace in meeting his hero CM Punk, only for Punk to quit wrestling in 2014, leaving Max
05:56 feeling abandoned.
05:58 Again, that Eddie promo broached the idea that everyone's favorite, CM Punk, who has
06:03 admittedly been a prick at times in his life, could be a scumbag.
06:07 And now Punk wasn't being shouted at by an angry Eddie Kingston because of locker room
06:11 beef from 20 years ago, he was being told by a crying fan that he had failed him.
06:16 Punk's next promo was the most powerful one yet, as Punk, when faced with the consequences
06:20 of his actions, did not lash out, but instead looked inward at himself and said that he'd
06:25 always asked himself whether he was the good guy, and now his answer is, he's trying.
06:30 Hook this content into my goddamn veins.
06:34 This promo really should be put on display, because it is perfect.
06:38 Literally perfect.
06:39 Could not be improved.
06:40 I could go on and on about how too often these days you see babyfaces letting their guard
06:45 down around heels, and when it bites them in the ass, you think to yourself, what a
06:49 stupid babyface, but this segment is just so much more nuanced than your typical wrestling
06:54 schlock.
06:55 Punk knows who MJF is, but he lets his guard down in one attempt to make MJF see the light,
07:00 only for MJF to once again stoop so low as to betray his idol.
07:04 It's like if the killing joke ended with the Joker killing Batman instead of the two having
07:08 a f*cking laugh.
07:09 Because while Punk may have been naive to trust MJF even a little, leaving himself open
07:14 to an attack in an attempt to save MJF's soul, to put this in way too dramatic of terms,
07:19 was the heroic thing to do.
07:21 It was the right thing to do.
07:23 You simply aren't finding this kind of ridiculously in-depth character development on other weekly
07:27 wrestling shows these days, folks.
07:29 Again, real characters are my cup of tea, and CM Punk has told one of the realest feeling
07:34 long-term stories, but still in a very concise manner, that I can remember experiencing as
07:39 a wrestling fan.
07:40 For years, Punk always said it was less about the dream match and more about the story he
07:44 could tell if he were to return to the ring.
07:46 Honestly, I don't think there is a story AEW could have told for CM Punk's first year back
07:50 in wrestling that would have been better than this one.
07:52 If you're comparing the character work of this run to the other periods in his career,
07:56 I have to give the point to this one.
07:57 Hey, did you know that CM Punk was referred to WWE at one point by Mick Foley, and Mick
08:01 Foley went to high school with Kevin James, and do you know what Kevin James wrote in
08:03 Mall Cop?
08:04 A segue!
08:05 Thanks for that segue, brain!
08:06 I got you, homie!
08:07 To take this conversation in a far different direction, how is it also possible that after
08:12 seven years away and at age 43, this is the best working CM Punk there has ever been?
08:18 Well, there are a few reasons as to why this is the case.
08:21 First of all, it is entirely possible that Charles Murphy Punk has just gotten wiser
08:24 and sharper despite not accumulating any reps in the ring during most of his time away.
08:28 Punk has never been the most athletic or coordinated guy.
08:32 In his WWE DVD, his trainer Ace Steel would say that Punk had lead in his ass, and you
08:36 can watch old clips of Punk struggling to do basic wrestling rolls, so it's very clear
08:40 that this did not come easily to him as it did to some others.
08:44 As such, I don't find it hard to believe whatsoever that Punk would be smarter about his wrestling
08:48 style today than he was in Ring of Honor or even in WWE.
08:51 I can believe that.
08:52 I can believe that Crash Mandicoot Punk will have become a smarter worker over time.
08:56 I can also believe that my man is living this run out as one giant Bret Hart tribute tour,
09:01 and ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, I am all the way here for it.
09:05 From literally the first match back against Darby Allin at All Out, the Bret Hart tribute
09:09 started.
09:10 Less than 30 seconds in and Darby gives him an arm drag, and Punk does a little head tilt
09:13 like damn, alright, it's go time.
09:14 This thing, this thing right here.
09:16 Perfectly ordinary thing to do, except it's a tribute to Bret's match with the 123 kid.
09:20 Does this make the matches any better?
09:22 Not considerably, but if you're someone who likes the smaller details in wrestling, these
09:26 are some of the moments of fan service that AEW really excels at.
09:29 Enhancing the story if you understand the extra context, but not making it the focal
09:34 point of the story so it becomes too niche, and honestly, if there is one person you should
09:38 emulate if you want timeless, consistently great matches, I don't think there's a single
09:43 better person to study than Bret Hart.
09:45 Punk's matches haven't been perfect.
09:47 A slip off the top rope against Pentahere, a messed up pin on Bobby Fish there, but botches
09:52 and mistakes are not a death sentence for a match if those involved can actually work.
09:56 I don't think you needed this masked man to tell you that CM Punk can certainly work.
10:00 And this really is why this run has been phenomenal so far in my opinion.
10:03 At the time I'm writing this, CM Punk has had 18 matches in AEW, and as I'm looking
10:08 down this list, there are only maybe 2 or 3 that haven't been at minimum really good.
10:13 The Sean Spears match was like 10 seconds, and the Wardlow bit was more of an angle than
10:17 a match if you want to get specific.
10:19 But otherwise, every time we see CM Punk in AEW these days, he's having a great match
10:23 or cutting a great promo.
10:25 If the rivalries and storylines are the building blocks of a great run, then the matches are
10:29 the cement that seeps between the cracks and holds everything together.
10:32 Part of this unbelievable string of performances is due to the strength of the AEW roster of
10:36 course.
10:37 I mean, a lot of people like to point to Punk's WWE Championship reign as his best run, and
10:42 I won't deny the impact and importance of that reign.
10:45 But as it was happening week to week, Punk was facing the Miz's, R-Truth's, Ryback's,
10:50 and Big Show's of the world more often than not.
10:53 You can take the differences in company philosophies about matches out of things for a moment,
10:57 but I don't think the names I just listed are going to outwork the likes of MJF, FTR,
11:02 Penta, Lee Moriarty, or Dustin Rhodes.
11:04 Not impossible by any means, but the results are in front of us, and I have to say these
11:08 matches are f*cking BOMB.
11:11 Also keep this in mind, the things that have made the AEW roster feel so special apply
11:15 to CM Punk as well.
11:17 He's able to wrestle his own style again, and mesh that style with the wide array of
11:22 styles AEW has to offer.
11:23 This is something that hasn't been possible for Punk since his days in ROH, and now he
11:28 has nearly two decades of additional experience and ring psychology to pull from.
11:32 These awesome TV matches have also been paired with some excellent performances on PPV, with
11:36 Punk and Eddie Kingston having one of the most emotionally driven matches of Full Gear,
11:40 and Punk and MJF having THE most emotionally driven match of Revolution.
11:44 But honestly, as much as CM Punk has completely reinvigorated his career with his fantastic
11:49 matches and his captivating character work, those are not the biggest reason as to why
11:53 this has been his best run.
11:54 The biggest reason is he's happy.
11:57 Look at him.
11:58 I bet CM Punk literally cried tears out of his face because he loves pro wrestling.
12:03 Congrats Righteous Reg, you earned the PlayStation trophy for making CM Punk cry.
12:07 But who thought we would be seeing this?
12:10 I tell ya, I probably could have been convinced in like 2015 that Punk would someday return
12:15 to wrestling, but I never thought I would see the day that CM Punk would be weeping
12:20 because wrestling means so much to him.
12:23 He's not shy about it.
12:24 He's been loudly proclaiming how much he loves wrestling since the day he came back, but
12:29 more than just being able to hear it, we're able to see it.
12:32 You can see it on his face every time he dove into the crowd with a real excited energy.
12:37 You can see it when he talks about the business with renewed vigor.
12:40 You can see it when Miserio Cantare blasts out to the audience at Revolution, only for
12:44 the fans to sing it right back to him.
12:46 These aren't meaningless, neat little moments that pass amidst a sea of other wrestling
12:51 things.
12:52 They matter.
12:53 Why is CM Punk's AEW run the best of his career?
12:56 Because it matters the most.
12:58 It matters most to the character of CM Punk, but it matters most to the person that is
13:02 Phil Brooks as well.
13:03 Don't get me wrong, I don't know CM Punk personally, but I can't help, as a fan, but to watch this
13:08 entire AEW run with the biggest smile on my face knowing that this man is happy and fulfilled.
13:14 And even if this doesn't end up being his all-time best run when all is said and done,
13:18 that doesn't mean it will have been any less special.
13:20 [MUSIC]
13:30 [MUSIC]