On this Day in Pro Wrestling History

1995 - WCW held its fifth-annual SuperBrawl pay-per-view event at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, before 13,390 fans. The show got a 0.95 buyrate. The results:
- Alex Wright pinned Paul Roma after a roll-up after a dropkick from behind.
- Jim Duggan pinned Bunkhouse Buck (with Col. Robert Parker and Meng) after a running clothesline after knocking Parker off the apron.
- Kevin Sullivan (with The Butcher) pinned Dave Sullivan with a roll-up and grabbing Dave's tights after ramming Dave into The Butcher on the apron.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray (with Sister Sherri)) defeated The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) by reverse decision to retain the title. Knobbs had originally pinned Stevie Ray after Sherri accidentally hit him with her loaded purse, but referee Randy Anderson came to the ring and informed match referee Nick Patrick that Sags threw Booker from the ring over the top rope soon before.
- The Blacktop Bully (with Col. Robert Parker) pinned Dustin Rhodes when Parker grabbed Rhodes' leg as he tried to suplex the Bully into the ring. Parker then held Rhodes foot down for the cover.
- Randy Savage and Sting defeated Avalanche and The Butcher, when Sting pinned Avalanche with a crossbody off the top.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan (with Jimmy Hart) defeated WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Vader by disqualification to retain his title, when Hogan attacked Ric Flair, who interfered.

1995 - Koji Kanemoto ends Norio Honaga's third IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title reign in Tokyo, Japan.

1998 - The Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance Heavyweight Title changes twice in Alexandria, Virginia, as Lance Diamond ends Cueball Carmichael's third reign, then loses the title to Jimmy Cicero.

Former WWE star has passed away!

WWE Superstar Nelson Frazier, Jr., aka: Viscera, Big Daddy V, and Mabel, has died at the age of 43 after suffering a massive heart attack.  
Cause of the massive heart attack is being investigated.  More information as I get it!

Knee-Jerk Reaction (RAW 02/17/2014)

Tonight's RAW is live from Denver, CO. You know, that Denver. Home of the Superbowl losing Denver Broncos. I wonder who will be the first heel to take advantage of that cheap heat. And it's an interesting question of rather or not the Denver fans will cheer for Daniel Bryan. He's from Washington state, after all. And he tweeted his jubilence after the Seattle Seahawks won the Superbowl. A tweet that WWE displayed on RAW. There might be some Denver fans who might hold that against him.

On this Day in Pro Wrestling History

1996 - ECW ran their Cyberslam event (held in conjunction with a fan convention) at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Here are the results:
- Judge Dredd & Bad Crew defeated Dino Sendoff, Don E. Allen & Shark Attack Kid. The Sandman then ran out and caned all six men.
- Spiros Greco defeated El Puerto Ricano with a side slam.
- Taz defeated Joel Hartgood in under two minutes with the Tazmission. Following the match, Taz took down several other wrestlers, and fought with Mikey Whipwreck.
- Brian Pillman made his ECW debut, appearing in the ring to cut an obscenity laced promo against Eric Bischoff and WCW, claiming he had been fired by the company. Pillman would end up being carted off by security after threatening to urinate in the ring. As he was carted off, Pillman attacked a "fan" (really worker Chris Krueger) and stabbed him with a fork. This was part of Pillman's famous work/shoot with WCW, trying to convince fans he really was fired from WCW and was a "loose cannon". Pillman would later get WCW to actually give him his release (to make the angle "more believable" as they were trying to work everyone with it) and jump to the WWF.  The ECW promo was one of the best interviews of Pillman's career.
- Buh Buh Ray Dudley defeated Mr. Hughes with a splash off the top rope.
- The Gangstas were scheduled to wrestle The Headhunters, but New Jack was unable to appear. Mustafa fought the Headhunters alone, and lost. This led into the next match....
- The Bruise Brothers (Ron & Don Harris)returned to defeat The Headhunters.
- An injured Tommy Dreamer, suffering from a separaed shoulder, confronted Raven, and the Bruise Brothers (who were there to back up Dreamer) turned on Dreamer, pulling him groin first into a ringpost.
- JT Smith defeated Axl Rotten after a chairshot.
- Francine & The Pitbulls defeated Stevie Richards & The Eliminators (John Kronus & Perry Saturn) in a Triple Dog Collar match when Francine pinned Richards after the Pitbulls gave him a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo.? After the match, the Eliminators gave the Pitbulls and Francine Total Elimination.
- ECW Television Champion 2 Cold Scorpio vs. Sabu went to a 30-minute draw.
- Shane Douglas defeated Cactus Jack. SMW (and future WCW referee) Mark Curtis was the special referee, and handed Douglas handcuffs during the match. With Foley cuffed, Douglas hit him with chairshots and put him in a figure four, with Cactus refusing to submit. Cactus called for Mikey Whipwreck to help him, and Mikey came in and blasted Cactus with a chairshot to give Douglas the win.
- ECW World Champion Raven defeated The Sandman with a DDT on a chair.

1997 - Psycho Sid (Vicious) defeats Bret Hart for the WWF World Heavyweight Title during a live edition of Raw from Nashville, Tennessee after Steve Austin interferes and hits Hart with a chair, allowing Sid to powerbomb Hart for the win. This ended Hart's fourth title reign after only one day as champion, having won the belt the previous night at the "Final Four" Pay-per-view event. It began Sid's second, and final, WWF Championship run.  After the match the Undertaker, who had been named number one contender to the title for Wrestlemania, came out and stared at Sid.

On this Day in Pro Wrestling History

1981 - WWF ran at Madison Square Garden in New York City with the following results:
- Killer Khan defeated Dominic DeNucci.
- The Great Yatsu defeated Johnny Rodz.
- Hulk Hogan defeated Rick McGraw.
- The Hangman defeated Frank Savage.
- S.D. Jones defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna.
- Intercontinental Champion Pedro Morales defeated Sgt. Slaughter via DQ when the referee caught Slaughter using a pair of brass knuckles.
- WWF World Champion Bob Backlund vs. Stan Hansen was ruled a draw when the referee decided that both men were bleeding too heavily to continue.  They kept brawling anyway, until security separated them.
- Rick Martel, Tony Garea & Pat Patterson defeated The Moondogs & Captain Lou Albano in a three falls match.

1985 - Bruno Sammartino ended his retirement, which had lasted for over three years, at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, teaming with his son David to defeat Paul Orndorff & Bobby Heenan when Orndroff hit Sammartino with a chair as Bruno had Heenan in a bearhug.

1987 - At a WWF television taping in New Haven, Connecticut, Rick Martel, Tom Zenk & Lanny Poffo defeated Adrian Adonis, Brutus Beefcake & Greg Valentine.  Adonis, who had been cutting locks of his opponents hair in building towards his Wrestlemania III Hair Vs. Hair match with Roddy Piper, went to cut Martel's hair as he was worked over in the corner by Beefcake.  However, as Adonis reached for his scissors, Martel grabbed Beefcake and reversed positions with him.  Adonis turned, and not realizing the switch, cut off some of Beefcake's hair.  Adonis soon realized his mistake, and as he and Beefcake argued, Martel rolled up Beefcake for the pin.  This was the first step towards the creation of Beefcake's "Barber" persona. 

On this Day in Pro Wrestling History

1997 - Battlanger and Masaaki Mochizuki defeat Lance Storm and Yuji Yasuraoka for the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title in Toyohashi, Japan, ending Storm and Yasuraoka's second reign.

1999 - An interesting turn of events took place at ECW's show at the Elks Lodge in Queens, New York (aka the Madhouse of Extreme). Originally, the Public Enemy, who had just recently returned to the company from WCW, were going to continue their new feud with the Dudley Boyz at the show. However, the Public Enemy bolted from the company and went to the WWF. In need of a surprise, ECW brought back Mustafa Saed and reformed the Gangstas with New Jack. However, the reunion didn't last long, as Mustafa turned on New Jack and joined with the Dudleys, revealing himself to be the "financial benefactor" of the Dudleys, and was soon called "Mr. Mustafa".

1999 - Trooper Gilmore defeats Curtis Slamdawg in Mansfield, Massachusetts for the NWA New England Heavyweight Title.

1999 - Steve Sharp defeats Greg Valentine in Springfield, Missouri to become the first World League Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.

Rock N' Roll Express needs your help, 4 days left!

If you loved the Rock N' Roll Express growing up, do your part help them out with their documentary!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1244526869/rock-n-roll-never-dies

On this Day in Pro Wrestling History

1996 - WCW held SuperBrawl VI at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. Here are the results from the show:
- The Road Warriors defeated Dick Slater & Bunkhouse Buck. This match was aired on "The Main Event" on TBS before the PPV began.
- Hugh Morrus defeated Chris Kanyon. This match was aired on "The Main Event" on TBS before the PPV began.
- Big Bubba Rogers & VK Wallstreet defeated Joey Maggs & Sgt. Craig Pittman. This match was aired on "The Main Event" on TBS before the PPV began.
- Hacksaw Duggan defeated Lock Ness by disqualification. This match was aired on "The Main Event" on TBS before the PPV began.
- The Nasty Boys defeated The Public Enemy in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
- Television Champion Johnny B. Badd defeated Diamond Dallas Page.
- World Tag Team Champions Sting & Lex Luger defeated Harlem Heat.
- United States Champion Konnan defeated One Man Gang.
- Kevin Sullivan defeated Brian Pillman in a strap match in which the winner could only be declared when the other wrestler said "I respect you". After a minute of fighting, Pillman suddenly stopped, took the mic and said "I respect you, Bookerman" and walked out. This was part of Brian Pillman's shoot-work in WCW to establish him as a "loose cannon", referring to Sullivan's real-life position as booker in WCW, and then walking out of the match. Arn Anderson came out and took Pillman's place in the match, but after a few minutes, Ric Flair came out and convinced the Anderson and Sullivan to stop fighting.
- World Tag Team Champions Sting & Lex Luger defeated The Road Warriors.
- Ric Flair defeated Randy Savage in a steel cage match to win the WCW World Title, ending Savage's second title reign, and beginning Flair's seventeenth World title reign (depending on which records you believe).
- Hulk Hogan defeated The Giant (Big Show) in a steel cage match.

Knee-Jerk Reaction (RAW 02/10/2014)

Both of the special attractions tonight (i.e. Betty White as guest star, Mark Henry's return) fall outside of the parameters of what I want to see. Don't get me wrong, I like Betty White but this is not her venue. Not unless she coming out to say she's a long-lost cousin of Moolah & Mae Young. Holy crap, that's the reason she's here and Mark Henry is back! They're gonna have a custody battle over the hand.

Road to Wrestlemania XXX, Part One

Wrestlemania XXX is rapidly approaching and we smarks generally think we know what WWE creative is going to give us to watch on the PPV. Everybody is guessing and prognosticating and predicting what Wrestlemania will look like, so I might as well throw my hat in the ring as well. In this weekly blog series, I attempt to predict the final card for Wrestlemania XXX based on the events portrayed on WWE television over the past few weeks.

On this Day in Pro Wrestling History, we lost a Great One!

1980 - The Matador (Jerry Stubbs) and Mike Stallings defeat Dennis Condrey and David Schultz in a rematch for the held-up NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title in Knoxville, Tennessee.
1984 - "The Yellow Rose of Texas" David Von Erich passes away at only 25 years old in a Tokyo, Japan hotel room during a tour with All Japan Pro Wrestling. His cause of death has been widely debated. Ric Flair said in his autobiography that he died from of drug overdose, with Bruiser Brody flushing the drugs before authorities arrived to cover it up. However, David's brother Kevin, World Class referee David Manning, and Gary Hart, on both Big Vision Entertainment and WWE's World Class documentaries, as well as the official autopsy report, say David died of a myocardial infarction (heart attack) due to acute enteritis (swelling of the small intestine), with the enteritis causing an intestinal rupture. David held All Japan's NWA United National Heavyweight Title at the time. In David's memory World Class would hold the David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas on May 6, at which Kerry Von Erich won the NWA World Heavyweight Title from Ric Flair.

On this Day in Pro Wrestling History

1986 - The WWF held an event at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results were:
- George Skaaland pinned Ron Shaw with a sunset flip.
- Pedro Morales pinned Reno Goulet with a reverse roll-up.
- Hercules pinned Scott McGhee after a backbreaker.
- Corporal Kirchner pinned The Iron Sheik after reversing an attempted suplex into an inside cradle.
- Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart) pinned George Wells after a DDT.
- The Junkyard Dog pinned Terry Funk (with Jimmy Hart) with a small package.
- WWF Tag Team Champions Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine (with Johnny V) defeated The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid), when Beefcake pinned Dynamite.
- Dan Spivey pinned Iron Mike Sharpe after a bulldog.
- WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defeated King Kong Bundy (with Bobby Heenan) by disqualification after Heenan interfered.

2003 - Nick Mondo defeats The Messiah for the CZW Ironman Title in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

2003 - Haku defeats Superstar Steve in El Dorado Springs, Missouri to win the World League Wrestling Heavyweight Title for a third time.

On this Day in Pro Wrestling History

1991 - El Signo defeats Gran Hamada for the UWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico, ending Hamada's second reign.

1992 - Money, Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster) defeat The Legion of Doom (Animal and Hawk) for the WWF Tag Team Title in Denver, Colorado. The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) proved that it was not smart to make them angry, as they cost LOD the title. Typhoon hit Hawk with a chair as Hawk was set up to deliver the Doomsday Device on DiBiase, knocking him from the top rope, and I.R.S. knocked Animal from the ring as well. All this happened while Sensational Sherri distracted the referee, allowing DiBiase to get the pin on the downed Hawk. The Disasters beat The Big Boss Man and Tito Santana earlier on in the show, and were originally scheduled to face LOD for the title, but the matches were switched by WWF President Jack Tunney. Tunney claimed The Natural Disasters had had enough unsuccessful attempts at winning the title.

1992 - Steve Doll defeats Ron Harris to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title in Eugene, Oregon, beginning his third reign.

On this Day in Pro Wrestling History

1986 - Shiro Koshinaka defeats The Cobra in a tournament final in Tokyo, Japan to become the first-ever IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.

1988 - The WWF held a matinee event at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 15,534 fans attended the show. The WWF also held an evening event with the same results at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before 13,112 fans. The results were:
- Lanny Poffo pinned Terry Gibbs.
- The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques and Raymond) defeated Steve Lombardi and Barry Horowitz, when Raymond pinned Horowitz.
- Sam Houston pinned Iron Mike Sharpe.
- WWF Women's Champion Sensational Sherri pinned Rockin' Robin.
- Bam Bam Bigelow (with Sir Oliver Humperdink) and Hulk Hogan defeated Andre the Giant and WWF Champion Ted DiBiase (with Virgil). DiBiase wore the belt to the ring and was introduced as the new WWF Champion as a result of the match on the previous night in Indianapolis, Indiana on The Main Event.
- Dino Bravo (with Frenchy Martin) vs. Ricky Steamboat ended in a double-countout.
- Danny Davis pinned Brady Boone.
- One Man Gang (with Slick) pinned George Steele.
- The Islanders (Haku and Tama) defeated The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid) by disqualification.

1988 - Super Black Ninja (Keiji Muto) defeats Invader I for the WWC Television Title in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, ending Invader I's third reign. At the same event, Bobby Jaggers and Dan Kroffat (Phil LaFon) defeat Chris and Mark Youngblood to win the WWC Caribbean Tag Team Title.

On this Day in Pro Wrestling History

1996 - In this week of the Monday Night War, WCW Monday Nitro narrowly defeated WWF RAW, 2.9 to 2.7 in the ratings.

WCW Monday Nitro was live from Jenkins Arena in Lakeland, Florida. The results were:
- Konnan defeated Devon Storm.
- Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater defeated The Barrio Brothers.
- WCW World Television Champion Johnny B. Badd defeated Diamond Dallas Page.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Randy Savage defeated Chris Benoit by disqualification.
- Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman defeated Hugh Morrus and Kevin Sullivan by disqualification.
- Ric Flair defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions Lex Luger and Sting defeated The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal).

WWF Monday Night RAW was taped on January 22 at the Stockton Civic Autitorium in Stockton, California. The results:
- Diesel and Shawn Michaels defeated The British Bulldog and Yokozuna (with Jim Cornette) by countout, after Yokozuna was knocked out of the ring by Michaels' Sweet Chin Music. Owen Hart came out and tried to help Bulldog revive Yoko and get him back in the ring but failed. Cornette berated Yoko after the match with Yoko finally turning on the three, clearing the ring.
- The 1-2-3 Kid (with Ted DiBiase) pinned Hakushi with a butterfly suplex off the top.
- WWF Champion Bret Hart fought The Undertaker to a no-contest to retain the title, when Diesel, who was on commentary, and while the referee was knocked out, got up and threw Bret into the ringpost before powerbombing him twice.

1996 - Hiroshi Itakura defeats Takashi Okano to win the WWA International Light Heavyweight Title in Chiba, Japan.

On this Day in Pro Wrestling History

1995 - ECW held "Double Tables" at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results:
- Jason the Terrible and The Pitbulls (#1 and #2) defeated Hack Myers and The Young Dragons (#1 (Paul Lauria) and #2 (Mikey Whipwreck)).
- Tommy Dreamer defeated Stevie Richards.
- Mikey Whipwreck defeated Paul Lauria.
- Ian Rotten defeated Axl Rotten.
- Chris Benoit defeated Al Snow.
- ECW World Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas defeated Tully Blanchard to retain the title.
- Cactus Jack defeated The Sandman in a Texas Death match.
- Sabu and Taz defeated ECW World Tag Team Champions The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and Rocco Rock) in a Double Tables match to win the title.

1998 - Gene Austin defeats The Canadian Destroyer in Sandusky, Michigan to become the first two-time Southern Michigan Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.

Knee-Jerk Reaction (RAW 02/03/2014)

Tonight should be interesting. There's already unrest within the WWE Universe about Daniel Bryan not getting his fair shot. And tonight is the first live program since CM Punk left the company. Omaha, Nebraska might not be known as the most raucous city in the world, but I imagine we'll hear plenty of 'Daniel Bryan' and 'CM Punk' chants tonight. I can't wait. Is that a cage I see hanging above the ring?

WWE so desperate, they met with a former Diva!

It has been confirmed that the WWE met with Stacy Keibler a few days ago.  They made her a lucrative offer to comeback to the WWE.  More information as I get it!

CM Punk Has Left The Building

Over the course of the last week it’s been revealed that CM Punk has walked out of WWE. The most commonly cited reasons are that he wasn’t pleased with the direction of his character, that he was burnt out (wrestling speak for exhausted), and that he wasn’t happy with his planned WrestleMania match (most commonly cited as being against Triple H). Reasons one and three are similar but distinct. The former pertains to the use he’s seen over the last few months, things that have happened. The latter pertains to the biggest show of the year and something that can still, theoretically, be changed.

The first thing that should be addressed when discussing this subject is whether or not it’s a work (that is, something fabricated by WWE as part of storylines but presented as being legitimate1). That this even needs mentioning does not reflect well on WWE’s current product. Wrestling fans are always going to have an interest in what’s going on behind the scenes, but right now that’s the primary focus for many people following WWE. Punk and the perceived burial of Daniel Bryan are of more interest than the supposed lead plot that is the return of Batista. WWE have been getting a lot of things right for the last year or so but presenting compelling lead storylines has not always been among them.

Personally I think the Punk situation is real. It could be a plot but then you’d have to ask who would benefit from it. And the answer to that would be nobody. Punk’s character is already well established as someone who’ll speak his mind and stand up for what he believes in. Pretending he’s walked out would do nothing to enhance that. In fact he noted (when he returned from his mishandled worked walkout in 2011) that he couldn’t change WWE from his couch. Storyline Punk is someone who wants to be a part of the show because he wants to make a difference.

WWE wouldn’t benefit from the worked shoot approach either. It’s not a question of having done it before: repetition never stops them doing anything. It’s more the fact that the period between January and late March-early April is the time of year at which they enjoy they’re highest viewing figures thanks to WrestleMania. A storyline walkout is something that would generally be held off for a quieter time of year when it could be more of a talking point on TV with more time dedicated to it. The addition of Batista and Brock Lesnar to RAW, and the imminent return of The Undertaker and possibly Hulk Hogan, will make RAW a packed weekly show and there won’t be the time to present the story of a man quitting in the way it needs to be to have the desired impact.

So, yeah, I think it’s real. Which makes the next question how will WWE address Punk’s absence? To get an answer to that we could try looking to ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin’s walkout in 2002 because on the surface it’s a similar situation. WWE’s response was to have The Rock cut a scathing promo about Austin “taking his ball” and going home. That could indicate that WWE will have someone acknowledge Punk’s absence in a promo. The frontrunners there would probably be Triple H, as lead antagonist, Kane, as the man who was seemingly going to face Punk at Elimination Chamber, and Batista, if WWE decided to do what could be considered the sensible thing and turn him into a bad guy, aligning him with the crowd’s reactions to him. Randy Orton is said to have made a comment along the lines of “If at first you don’t succeed… quit” over the last week so perhaps he’ll do the honours. That would seem unlikely though. The preference has been to present ‘The Viper’ as generally ineffective over the last several months.

In actuality I don’t think the Punk and Austin situations are that similar. Austin had a very specific reason for going home: he didn’t want to lose a match to Brock Lesnar on RAW with no build-up to it (a stance I completely understand). If we are to believe the rumours Punk has no such gripe, he’s just generally fed up. There’s also WrestleMania on the horizon now, something which was around ten months away when Austin left. As troublesome and irritating to deal with as he probably is CM Punk is one of the biggest names WWE has under contract. Those in charge would want to work out differences with him to ensure he appears on the card. They may not have planned to have him wrestle in a top match, but that’s how WWE, and wrestling in general operates. There are only so many slots available on even the biggest of events and not everyone can be in a huge match. Having all the big names on the bill and omitting lesser regulars creates the feeling that a show’s special, and that’s something WWE are always very keen to do with ‘Mania.

If I had to guess (which I don’t, but I will) I’d say Punk’s absence will be acknowledged on RAW before Elimination Chamber, because it would be strange for a major name to simply stop appearing. I’d expect some generally heelish, snarky remarks, especially if it’s Triple H delivering the “news”, but an undisguised burial of Punk would surprise me. If they want to re-sign him to a contract in the summer, and they absolutely will want that, and have him appear at WrestleMania they won’t be able to trash him. That would risk making the situation worse and, in theory, devalue him. Why do that to someone you’re hoping to rely on to attract viewers to an important, landmark event?

If the situation is genuine and Punk doesn’t return I don’t think we’ll see him wrestle elsewhere. He’s stated in interviews that he’s financially secure and the rumour that he’s claimed to be burnt out would indicate that he wants to step away from the grind of working matches for a while. Should this prove incorrect I think matches in New Japan, the second biggest wrestling company in the world, or EVOLVE, where his old boss Gabe Sapolsky works are likeliest (and even EVOLVE seems far-fetched). Ring of Honor’s a possibility but there have been a lot of changes in the nine years since Punk last worked there. Anyone saying that Punk wants to leave WWE to go to TNA has been smoking funny cigarettes.

For the most part I agree with Punk’s walkout, assuming the rumoured reasons for it are true. But I say this as much because I’ve been bored with his character since last summer as for anything else. Although that’s not to say he’s earned time off, because he has. Punk hasn’t been used well since his programme with Undertaker ended (his stuff with Heyman didn’t reach its full potential in my view) and the best thing the Punk character, and Punk the man, can do is take an extended break, returning when there are new people for him to face. His absence at WrestleMania would be noticeable but his participation isn’t necessary for the show’s success. There will be enough big names on offer with or without his involvement. He absolutely deserves to wrestle on the show, but WWE aren’t denying him that chance. He’s denying it to himself, and for reasons I can understand. But his absence will give WWE and other wrestlers the chance to raise some statuses. If I had the choice of that action being taken or watching CM Punk wrestle I’d pick the new names every single time. WWE’s future requires new marketable stars, not nicely wrestled matches featuring CM Punk.

***

1 It would be more accurate to say “worked shoot” but, honestly, who cares?

Written By Dave Hatton of That Wrestling Blog

P2B: Royal Rumble Weekend Recap

PLACE TO BE EPISODE 290

In this new episode of the PTB Podcast, Scott & Justin are joined by Brad Woodling & Chad Campbell as the boys recap their action-packed weekend in Pittsburgh. They talk about the PTB crew that was in attendance, their celebrity run-ins, Ring of Honor, Royal Rumble and a lot of funny stories in-between.

So fire up this action packed episode and join Scott, Justin, Brad & Chad because it is time for another edition of the PTB Podcast!

Download Here!

The Place To Be Podcast is presented by Place To Be Nation - your pop culture home!