ArticlePunk’s appearance has already been compared to his victory over John Cena at the 2011 Money in the Bank, where he won the WWE Championship. When asked how this moment measured up to that, Punk stated he preferred his appearance at the First Dance.
“This felt more organic,” Punk admitted. “Everything I ever did prior to being here felt like a fight, and it kind of squeezed the life out of stuff. This was a joyful moment that didn’t need to get overproduced. It didn’t need everybody’s input, it needed a few select people’s input and just an understanding that it’s pro wrestling. You don’t need to slip it up and lather it and shine it up too much. It needed to be real. So to compare the two moments, this one did not feel like a job.”
Punk also revealed that, despite his seven year absence, he never really hated pro wrestling like many thought. Rather he despised what WWE brought to the table, which Punk, who didn’t mention WWE by name, ultimately doesn’t consider to be pro wrestling.
“I do not want to give negative answers and talk badly about anybody,” Punk said. “This is why I made the distinction on August 13, 2005, I left professional wrestling. And on August 20, 2021, I am back in professional wrestling. I don’t think I ever hated professional wrestling. I could watch a Terry Funk match, I could watch a Bill Watts UWF/Mid South, I could watch Jim Crockett Promotions and enjoy it. Rest in Power, Bobby Eaton, I could watch a Midnight Express match. I could listen to Steve Austin, ‘Stunning’ or otherwise cut promos.
“I just think there needs to be a real distinction made of what I despised, and it wasn’t professional wrestling. And they don’t try to pretend that it is. So why are we going to continue to try to pretend that’s what it is? Because it’s not. So if everybody’s happy going forward, we’re pro wrestling. And I think that’s a beautiful thing.”
CM Punk: WWE is Not Pro Wrestling
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People think Punk's being bitter with this, he's not, he's being a smart-ass. WWE do everything they can to be "sports-entertainment" and not "pro wrestling", he's just throwing it back at them.
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He's saying what he has to in order to get some brownie points from the AEW hardcores that actually think AEW are extremely different to WWE (which they aren't).
Granted, AEW don't do it in as dumb of a way as WWE but their brand is very much the same as WWE's. A variety show with both silly and serious segments to see what sticks while chasing mainstream success through celebrity involvement. The AEW tribalists may have deluded themselves into thinking otherwise but AEW are a lot more like WWE than ROH or NJPW.
Granted, AEW don't do it in as dumb of a way as WWE but their brand is very much the same as WWE's. A variety show with both silly and serious segments to see what sticks while chasing mainstream success through celebrity involvement. The AEW tribalists may have deluded themselves into thinking otherwise but AEW are a lot more like WWE than ROH or NJPW.
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WWE isn't pro wrestling, WCW wasn't pro wrestling, TNA wasn't pro wrestling, Ecw wasn't pro wrestling and AEW isn't pro wrestling
All are completely different business model to what pro wrestling was.
All are completely different business model to what pro wrestling was.
WWE won't let anyone refer to their talent as wrestlers . If you arnt allowed to be called a wrestler then you don't work for a professional wrestling company.. they want to be sports entertainment over wrestling, that's why their 3 hour raw show has about 40 minutes of actual wrestling each week and over 2 hours of other crap like interviews etc...
Where as aew has a 2 hour show and it has about an hour and 40 minutes of wrestling, and 20 minutes of backstage shenanigans
Where as aew has a 2 hour show and it has about an hour and 40 minutes of wrestling, and 20 minutes of backstage shenanigans
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2,591 Posts
WWE markets itself as a provider of sports-entertainment media and merch across it's media/retail platforms existing creatively in it's own universe.
Vince anecdotally hates being 'the wrestling guy' seeing himself more as a mogul and entrepreneur. So Punk ain't wrong.
Vince anecdotally hates being 'the wrestling guy' seeing himself more as a mogul and entrepreneur. So Punk ain't wrong.
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He is just saying that he hated WWE and no pro-wrestling, as WWE is not equal to pro wresting, because people used to think he leave because he just didn't like wrestling anymore.
However, I now for sure, I'm 100% convinced Punk got tired about pro wrestling for a while, a it's pretty normal.
However, I now for sure, I'm 100% convinced Punk got tired about pro wrestling for a while, a it's pretty normal.
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AEW is mostly cirque-du-soleil with a lot of no-selling. Some people would say that this isn't pro wrestling ether. But, to each their own.
The WWE has a ton of problems, but they helped turn Punk into the star that he is. UFC certainly didn't. He's just throwing shade at the competition because he knows that it'll be popular with AEW's fanbase.
The WWE has a ton of problems, but they helped turn Punk into the star that he is. UFC certainly didn't. He's just throwing shade at the competition because he knows that it'll be popular with AEW's fanbase.
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AEW had a one hour show last night and the first 30 minutes was Punk entrance, commercial, promo and another commercial..
Punk can criticise all he wants but he is an entertainer not a pro wrestler. Pro wrestlers were shooters or came from athletic backgrounds. Punks a guy with zero athletic background who made it big because of his soap opera character and mic ability. He is about as far removed from Gotch, Thesz and Lewis as anyone in this business
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Yea no, anyone actually coming at punk for his comments is lacking a few chromosomes. Vince thinks he’s a movie company. It’s “entertainment” he thinks they are actors doing a performance.
AEW is real wrestling. Pro Wrestling. If your unable to know the difference, then you are not a wrestling fan, your a sports entertainment fan.
AEW is real wrestling. Pro Wrestling. If your unable to know the difference, then you are not a wrestling fan, your a sports entertainment fan.
They're different enough. Just compare WWE's scripted skits and promos with Punk's obviously not scripted speech.
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"It's sports entertainment dammit"
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I was there live at Mania 29 when Punk took on Undertaker in a great match. That was pro wrestling at its best. Punk vs Cena at MITB was pro wrestling. Or before that when Punk won MITB. It’s insulting to everyone and to the performers in WWE such as Undertaker to say otherwise.
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And who is cutting great promos on AEW? Because I don't see it, perhaps they have no mic workers or they just script as much.
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So the 30 minute match between Cena and Punk at MITB was not pro wrestling? What was it then? WWE is both pro wrestling and sports entertainment.
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No, the problem is is that Punk seems to have this mindset that ring work should be more important than the story telling. Which is odd considering Punk's greatest asset is his psychology. WWE has neither of these really. But neither does AEW, in fact they do everything people blame wwe for but ten times worse. At least with wwe they train some guys to be ready for tv, but AEW just puts guys three months into training on tv and has them wrestle ten minutes with a star.
So punk is right here, but he's deliberately ignoring that AEW isn't wrestling either.
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