There are plenty of circumstances that played a role in this. (1) By simply growing up, you tend to have less free time on your hands. Work and a burgeoning social life play a large role in that. (2) Aging also brings you to a point where you just don't find some of the angles as entertaining as you once did. (3) The brand extension/invasion angle, a storyline with infinite amounts of potential, was handled terribly. Injuries, pride, and poor writing were just a few of the culprits there. (4) The WWE's presence in social media and amount of multimedia viewing options are so wide-spread that you don't need to watch the shows regularly to keep up with all of the storylines. (5) Many of the stars that made wrestling mainstream during the Attitude Era were either approaching the twilight of their careers or had already packed it in. New stars had to be created. (6) On top of all that, there was then the death of Chris Benoit. This would forever change the way the entire wrestling world did business. The WWE changed all of its programming to TV-PG. Independents that emphasized blood and gore suddenly found themselves struggling for venues and dollars. So on top of the fact that new stars needed to be groomed, those stars had to tweak their gimmicks to become more family-friendly.
Every year when WrestleMania comes around, it usually generates enough buzz to keep you watching a little longer but then you tend to fall off again. But something feels different this year, very different...
WrestleMania had three incredible main events this year. Each one of those matches had a strong storyline, compelling characters, and good wrestling. Watching all of the lead-in to WrestleMania this year, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time. I was genuinely excited to watch wrestling again! Now, Rock/Cena got most of the air time, seeing as it was billed as the "once in a lifetime" match. And the "End of an Era" match between Triple H (my all-time favorite wrestler) and The Undertaker was truly an "Icon vs. Icon" situation with yet another icon (Shawn Michaels) serving as the special guest referee inside the Hell in the Cell. These matches were excellent and certainly captivated me but I have to be honest. There was one match that truly got me back into wrestling...CM Punk & Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship. As a matter of fact, I really have to credit the rise of CM Punk for bringing me back to the WWE.
Heading into 2011, Punk had a few World Title runs but none of them really cemented him as a bonafide main eventer. The potential had always been there. Punk was THE draw during his time in Ring of Honor. He was an instant hit when he came to WWE and became the ECW Champion within a year. He then won Money in the Bank not once but twice. He cashed in both times to become the World Heavyweight Champion but something about his runs still felt empty. The fear of many wrestling fans (myself included) was that Vince wasn't ever going to give the Punk the chance he deserved (and needed) to prove that he could be THE draw in the WWE. When summer rolled around, it was clear that Vince was past his big man fetish and willing to give true wrestlers another chance at being the face of the WWE.
Punk had an expiring contract and a free pass on the microphone. Punk dubbed the mic his personal "pipe bomb" and went off. Punk has lots going for him: his charisma, his wrestling ability, his mic skills, and the fact that he himself is a die-hard wrestling mark. He loves everything about the business and it is obvious to anyone who watches him perform. Fans respond to that, plain and simple. Punk was allowed to tell it like it is on the mic every Monday night. His verbal posturing and the fact that he was the anti-Cena afforded him a WWE Title shot at Money in the Bank in July. Punk played the angle perfectly, repeatedly stating that he would win the title and then leave the company unless they started treating him like the superstar he was. The pay-per-view was in Punk's hometown of Chicago, always a rabid and knowledgable fan base. Punk defeated Cena in an excellent match and then walked out of the company with the WWE Championship. When you throw in the hiring of Triple H as the on-screen COO, the WWE was once again on fire, pulling us right back in!
But it was the return of Punk a few weeks later, new contract in hand, that truly brought me back. When "Cult of Personality" hit and Punk walked out to interrupt Cena, it was a moment that truly took me back to the glory days. This was Attitude but better! It was Attitude that could actually wrestle and didn't need to bleed everywhere to get an audience! Punk continued to run roughshod over the company, entertaining us all the way through. His ongoing WWE Title run has galvanized him as the main eventer and a major drawing card/moneymaker. Punk's WWE Title match against Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XXVIII was easily the match of the night, pure wrestling at its finest.
Punk has spoken to those of us who truly love wrestling. He doesn't refer to the locker room as "sports entertainers." He references obscure wrestlers. He brought the old WWF ice cream bars back from oblivion. Every time Punk comes through the curtain you know you're getting 110% effort and a great show. Vince has given him the platform to put up or shut up and Punk has proven over and over again that he is indeed "The Best In The World" at what he does.
For me, it feels a lot like 2004. Pure wrestling ruled the Smackdown universe as Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle were headlining WrestleMania XX for the WWE Championship alongside RAW's Chris Benoit, Triple H, & Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight Championship. The Undertaker ended his four-year run as the badass biker and returned to his "Deadman" roots. JBL was a legitimate heel. John Cena's star was just beginning to rise. Randy Orton, Batista, Booker T, and Rob Van Dam solidified the mid-card. It was a great time to be a true wrestling fan.
Really, I just want to say thank you. Thank you, CM Punk, for bringing wrestling back to the forefront and back to the true fans. May the "pipe bombs" continue dropping...courtesy of "The Best In The World."
A few other notes:
1. The greatest postseason in sports is about to begin as the NHL regular season concluded on Saturday. The two-month quest for Lord Stanley's Cup is an intense journey that showcases the best in its competitors. Looking at the field, it's hard to believe that both the Atlantic Division (Devils, Rangers, Penguins, Flyers) and Central Division (Red Wings, Predators, Blues, Blackhawks) both had four teams finish with over 100 points during the regular season. As per usual, there are plenty of questions. Which Roberto Luongo will show up for the Canucks? Can the Sharks actually take the next step? Can the Bruins repeat? Are the Rangers for real? Will the Coyotes continue winning despite their tenuous ownership situation? Can the callow Blues make up for their inexperience with grit and determination? Will the Penguins/Flyers series have more goals or fights? As for Jersey's Team, you know I'll be there next week for Games 3 & 4! The Devils return to the postseason after a one-year hiatus to take on the Southeast Division champion Florida Panthers. Game 1 is Friday in Miami. Let's Go Devils!
2. Spring football has arrived and it is glorious. Colleges around the country are hitting the fields for their allotted 15 practices and the annual rite of passage known as the spring game. ESPN will once again quench my thirst for spring ball, televising the spring games of ten different colleges. Sports Illustrated also ran a great article on Arkansas running back Knile Davis and his recovery from last season's gruesome leg injury. Davis is being touted as a Heisman hopeful and Arkansas has made its way onto practically every preseason watch list. Of course, all of that was before head coach Bobby Petrino was put on adminstrative leave relating to his motorcycle accident. Gotta love those spring ball coaching storylines.
3. Major League Baseball is back. Opening Day is always exciting but after that I don't tend to tune into baseball until early June, after spring ball and the Stanley Cup Playoffs have reached their dramatic conclusions. The Mets looked like a totally different club than the one that stumbled to the finish last season, sweeping the Atlanta Braves on opening weekend. When you couple that with the Yankees dropping three straight to Tampa Bay, that's great news for Mets fans. Naturally, Yankee fans were quick to point out that the last time the Bronx Bombers started the season 0-3 was 1998...the same year they won 114 games and the World Series. Bottom line, this small sampling means a lot more to the Mets than the Yankees. Plus, Tampa Bay has what may be the best rotation in baseball so there's no shame in struggling at the Trop.
4. Am I the only one who finds Dwight Howard's entire 2011-2012 season quite comical? He wants out of Orlando. He doesn't want to go to LA. He wants to go to Jersey. He waffles. He drops his opt-out clause. He feuds with coach Stan Van Gundy. And through it all, he continues to put up ridiculous numbers. In the last two seasons, he has 35 games with 20+ points and 20+ rebounds. The next-closest player (Kevin Love) has just 15. While I have tremendous respect for his game, I've had enough of this speculation over his future. Although Howard hasn't blatantly stoked the rumor mill, he hasn't done much to break it up either. And I don't think feuding with your coach is going to do your "Q" rating any favors. Yet he just keeps producing. I will give him credit for one thing though. He said he didn't want to go to LA and mirror Shaquille O'Neal's career path. I respect that.
I will leave you with a picture from the Smackdown taping I went to a few weeks back. Enjoy "The Best In The World" taking a knee on the ramp as he makes his entrance.
Until next time.
- Meech
