And away we go…
Hi Scott, hope you are well.
The recent kafuffling with Daniel Bryan, and now with CM Punk going home, has crystallized something which had been running around my brain for a while. In some ways, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk remind me of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels during the 90s. It's not a completely perfect comparison, and heaven knows I don't think Bryan and Punk have the tension between them that Bret & Shawn did (and lets hope they never do), but I do see some similarities.
Two of the most talented in-ring WWF/E performers of their era, who weren't supposed to be top guys because of their size/not looking like a star, and have to scrap and claw their way up the roster while the serious/hardcore fans are very much into them. Individually, there are also some comparisons that can be made.
Bret/Bryan:
Technical wrestlers who fall into somewhat of a traditionalist role.
Gets paired with a large powerhouse but becomes the fan favourite before moving on.
The company always looking for someone else while the fans keep wanting them as a/the top guy.
Shawn/Punk:
Very talented guys who were/are douchebags backstage.
Large chips on their shoulders.
Often butting heads with management.
Will take his ball and go home.
Now obviously, there are differences. They appear to get along much better than Bret & Shawn did (at least circa 96-97). But then again, those two got along quite well during the late 80s & early 90s. And Punk & Bryan haven't really been pitted against each other in any big way, either on camera or backstage. However, it wouldn't be above Hunter and Vince to play them off of one another at some point, both on and off camera. Let's hope they know enough not to fall in to those traps, assuming those traps get set, and they could do good stuff together (also assuming Punk come back).
And of course there is the irony of Shawn having trained the Bret guy (Bryan).
Like I said, it's far from a perfect comparison, but I think it's interesting to consider. Thoughts?
Take care.
It is indeed an interesting comparison, and hopefully things won’t end as badly for Bryan as they did for Bret. But wait…does this make Colt Cabana Kevin Nash?
Hey Scott,
It dawned on me earlier today when I read that Punk bailed... Whether it's a work or a shoot, he just made a terrific move. One of the complaints for the last decade or so is the over-exposure of the top stars and how no big matches seem special anymore because they're on free TV all the time. Well, Brock, Rock, Undertaker, Batista, and Jericho figured it out. And maybe we can add Punk to the list:
Whose matches have the most meaning?
Who has been headlining the most recent Wrestlemanias?
Who do we welcome back every time they decide to wrestle?
Who is seen on regular TV the least and doesn't do asinine non-title matches and deal with 50/50 booking?
These guys have their cake and eat it, too. They have this in common with late '80s Hogan. They can all pursue other agendas while staying fresh and staying "strong" booking-wise. Sadly (and smartly), they let the guys like Ziggler, Bryan, and whoever else lose on TV all they want. It's genius, actually. It just takes some extra $$$ or another job to make sure you have some leverage
Maybe WWE will make the connection.
And really, Punk was doing nothing ever since the Brock feud anyway, and has nothing left to prove as far as being a full-time guy. He won all the titles, did the Undertaker match, and got his big moment with Money in the Bank. As long as he saved his money, he should be able to pull a Jericho and just come back when he feels like it. Maybe he can go book ROH or something to occupy his time.
How in the hell did CM Punk avoid the WWE Filtering Process and come in from the farm league as "CM Punk" instead of by some horseshit ring name "Tam Goodkind" or "Derek Zach Smyser"? It's now requisite that you drop your indy mantle and bear the mark of the WWE. So how did CM Punk get lucky? Different marketing philosophy?
I believe he just made sure to fight for it, but this was also during a time when they weren’t pushing so hard for guys to change their indy names in developmental. And I’m pretty sure having Paul Heyman on his side helped, too.
Hey Scott,
OK, let's say Punk is indeed gone and Bryan loses again at the Chamber. Batista stays face and challenges Orton for the title at Mania. How the hell does WWE keep the crowds from hijacking every Raw the next 2 months with constant "CM Punk" "Daniel Bryan" and "J-B-L" chants? I mean, Batista and Orton segments won't have a chance, that's for sure. I could even seeing things get so bad that fans just start shitting on everything, maybe even Taker or Hogan segments.
Raw's in New York the week before Mania! Holy shit that's gonna be rough.
Thoughts?
It’s the bed they made. Really, they need to get that title onto Bryan NOW. Whatever half-assed plan they have for Batista v. Orton can’t be worth all the headaches it’s gonna cause them if they continue to ignore the problem. Put it on Bryan at the Chamber, HHH can challenge him for it because his golden boy couldn’t get the job done, and there’s your big WM moment for him.
If Randy Orton loses the title at EC couldn't he be moved into a feud with HHH? It would solve the issue of him not belonging in a Bryan vs. Batista or Brock match and although Orton vs. HHH isn't exactly a fresh matchup, I think Randy going over decisively in an "I'm not your bitch" type angle could help him recover some of the overness he had before he got the belt.
Yeah, but he hates being a babyface so I doubt he’d go back to it so soon without making a big stink about it.
So...what's the over/under on possible WWE Network subscribers on launch day and for year one? Hulu Plus has surpassed five million; Netflix is 44 million. Does one million for the Network sound far-fetched for the first year?
Without a way to pre-order, WWE is likely going to double-stress their servers on day one - once with people rushing to sign up, and the second with all those new subscribers browsing and gorging on content. Wonder if they've stress tested it yet.
I kinda think they announced it too soon and now they’re losing momentum on it. If they had done the announcement and then got everyone to rush out and sign up, they’d clear the million easily. But they’re not exactly making it a household name right now and the more the Bryan/Punk stuff drags on for hardcore fans, the less they’re gonna feel the need to buy the network for the increasingly crappy PPVs. That being said, Royal Rumble streamed without a hitch for me, so the servers seem to be fine.
Am I the only one who thinks its kinda funny Vince just spitting in everones face? Imagine the grapefruits on vince if he walks out and says DB is fired and does not have a no compete clause. If you all love him so much lets see you try and watch TNA. Could DB save TNA?
That's how crazy things are getting. I'm starting to wonder if DB is so red hot right could he move the meter in TNA? Thats Vince's point right. The man wont be able to draw. I would just love to see someone proven right or wrong.
Pretty sure that if Bryan can’t sell out a house show in WWE, he’s not moving the needle in TNA.
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