In tonight’s WWE Money in the Bank pay per view, the clock may be a deciding factor in the CM Punk fiasco. With more “hype” surrounding it since WrestleMania, I wonder just how much of that hype is real.
Take a look at the RAW’s surprising 2.9 rating. Was it due to the baseball home run derby? Did fans not realize Punk was going to be on the show? Was this a hold-over from the previous week’s holiday and folks getting caught up to real life after returning from vacation? Or does the average fan just not care about the particular storyline?
As much hype as this show has, it may be one with a surprisingly low buy rate. Hardcore wrestling fans are rejoicing in this storyline, with Punk’s mentions of ice cream bars, Colt Cabana, and “WHAT A MANEUVER!”, but as I watch I can’t help think of Chris Jericho and Steve Austin from 10 years ago. Heck, Punk was even inexplicably wearing a Steve Austin t-shirt when he delivered his first promo “heard ’round the world”.
Going back ten years, Jericho was here to save the WWE and Steve Austin was there to undermine authority. Watching Punk I could see the BIG ANGLE simularities. Let’s go outside of the norm, the writer’s say. Can we say this? How about this? Vince MacMahon must be worried about the business today to give Punk this much free reign. Then again, this is almost a blow by blow re-enactment of Punk leaving Ring of Honor a few years back, except when he ran the title in his last match there he stuck around for a few more months.
In case you didn’t know, Punk’s WWE contract expires tonight, the same night he faces John Cena for the World title. If Punk wins, he says he’ll leave and take the WWE belt with him, perhaps to Japan or ROH. Also if he wins, MacMahon says he will fire Cena. You know, like he did last year when Cena didn’t miss any shows.
Just watch the clock.
Lets go over each match and try to get a grasp on how much the WWE is panicking after a 2.9 rating. As usual, I’ll guess the order of the matches.
In the US, pro wrestling was down because WWE was down. TNA was more putrid than ever, which is a shame because they started 2010 with such high hopes. ROH and Dragon Gate USA continue to put out a product that, for the most part, their audiences like, but their audiences are small and hardcore. And based on what Alan has said, there’s some great stuff in some of the bigger independent organizations.
There’s always good stuff. Sometimes, you just have to dig. Alan, Duan, myself, and Stevie J from Angry Marks have listed our picks for our awards. Also, we have Big D making his return to the site for “One Night Only”, giving his thoughts as well. You can find D at Superfriends Universe.
Most Outstanding Wrestler Of The Year
Alan – Chris Hero
Career year for Metropolis’ finest. He tore it up in NOAH, PWG, ROH, EVOLVE and wXw during the course of the year, having one great match after another. Shined in both singles and tags (as part of the Kings Of Wrestling). His matches with Akira Tozawa, the Briscoes, Martin Stone and Davey Richards were crazy good.
Duan – John Cena
Another brilliant year for Cena. He delivered his best work when needed and remains the best reason to tune into WWE TV.
Big D and I are back to talk about the passing of Kanyon, who passed away this weekend. D remembers a few tidbits about his career, including a WWE house show he was at that Kanyon showed up to unannounced.
We talk fallout of WrestleMania, including the retirement of Shawn Michaels and three other men who we probably won’t see on WWE TV again. We discuss the aftermath of UFC 111 and what you do with Frank Mir. We talk about the Super Six tournament and the debacle of a fight between Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins.
We also preview UFC 112, which is this weekend. And lastly, Big D quickly talks about the ROH Big Bang PPV from the weekend as well. Lots of stuff, but we get through it with a quickness.
FIP Owner Sal Hamaoui, FIP Champion/ROH Tag Team Champion Davey Richards, and former ROH/FIP booker and current Dragon Gate USA booker Gabe Sapolski, possibly believing that ROH’s days are numbered, have opened a new wrestling promotion for the Northeast entitled EVOLVE. Hamaoui recently has made a bid to be granted a New York State promoter’s license, which is the first step.
The project has been worked on in secrecy for months and I heard clues and hints about it at the last FIP show I attended, but as usual they worked me. Bastards. Seriously though, this partially explains the union between Dragon Gate and FIP as now Sal plans to expand into the Northeast market.
The company is beginning the tease with an online viral campaign, starting with this YouTube video, teasing the birth of the company.
The company’s homepage is already in effect over at www.EVOLVEwrestling.com. There is no word as to whether or not they will feature Dragon Gate talent, but I have a feeling that they will. Will they compete against Ring of Honor? Well considering DGUSA is running in Arizona the same day that ROH is for Wrestlemania weekend, that seems to be the case. I don’t know if competing for the same 2000 or so fans is that great of an idea, but whatever.
I’m excited to see what this trio can come up with!
In the US, pro wrestling was down because WWE was down. TNA was more putrid than ever, which is a shame because they started 2010 with such high hopes. ROH and Dragon Gate USA continue to put out a product that, for the most part, their audiences like, but their audiences are small and hardcore. And based on what Alan has said, there’s some great stuff in some of the bigger independent organizations.
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