CM Punk's PPV record 1-17 since September 2009

I was catching up on some Wrestler Observer Newsletter goodness last night and came across an interesting stat on CM Punk from a previous issue.

“Since the Breaking Point PPV in September 2009 when he beat Undertaker in the “Montreal” finish (designed at the time, believe it or not, to set up a Vince McMahon vs. Undertaker match), he’s gone on a Chris Benoit being booked by Kevin Sullivan type of run. His only PPV win was over Mysterio at the 2010 Extreme rules in 16 PPV matches.”

Should be noted that this was published before Over The Limit which extends that run to 17 PPV’s when you include Mason Ryan and his defeat to Kane and Big Show.

That shows me two things; 1) Dave Meltzer will forever be the man for bothering to research the kind of stuff nobody else would think to do, and 2) CM Punk is bulletproof. How many other wrestlers could be booked on a run like this and still be as over as CM Punk is? The word going around from WrestleZone.com is that Punk will be the next man to be fed to Cena. A pretty sweet spot for his bank balance, but likely to extend his losing run.

It is sad to consider a talent as great as CM Punk is treated with so little regard by Vince McMahon. He has remained over despite bad booking and being lumbered with two of the worst wrestlers on the roster in Mason Ryan and David Otunga. Unfortunately he doesn’t seem to be a main event player in Vince McMahon’s eyes and is seemingly below The Miz, Alberto Del Rio and even R-Truth on the heel side of Raw. Perhaps a face turn would reverse CM Punk’s fortunes. It would be far better to be the second top face on Raw behind John Cena, then fourth top heel. He’d at least win a match and history shows he can deliver as a face.

taken from http:http://www.thepowerbomb.com/2011/05/cm-punk-is-1-16-on-ppv-since-september-2009/

Says a lot when someone can be beaten so many times and still be over with the fans.

Punk deserves a title shot even thought we all know he ain't going to win. If he did though .. well I won't go there

Its terrible booking, im not overly bothered with win/loss ratio's but you can never book someone so poorly, its senseless, I am a fan of turning him face though, I'd like to see Punk replace the trash he's paired with with Drew McIntyre and the tag team of Ryder and Hawkins, call them the Straight Edge Nation (shorten it to the Nation) and make them a HHH led DX type of stable and put them into a turf war with The Corre and have them try to invade SD

I've got so many ideas about this man

I read a theory somewhere that McMahon targets the lowest common denominator because that means more cash

The IWC likes CM Punk but Vince knows he has them in the palm of his hand no matter what tripe he puts out

His main target right now is kids & kids like Cena

Do you think Punk is overly bothered though?

Like Hero says, if a run with Cena happens then it would boost Punk financially. And I thought most wrestlers just want to earn enough money, without having injuries that would effect them in later life, and get out quick. There are exceptions of course, those with huge egos like Flair etc.

Punk knows he is over, and it puts him in a very good position. I mean he has been booked in the last 18 PPV's? (Am I right saying this?). Apart from the usual suspects, who else has that consistant showing? I think Punk is an educated man not fuelled by any "legacy" ambitions. He goes out, does his business and leaves...all the while collecting a substantial pay cheaque. I doubt he is having sleepless nights about not being a title holder or even being in the mix for it.

His time will come again, and he knows it. You can't keep good performers down for long.

xTwisTx wrote:Do you think Punk is overly bothered though?

Like Hero says, if a run with Cena happens then it would boost Punk financially. And I thought most wrestlers just want to earn enough money, without having injuries that would effect them in later life, and get out quick. There are exceptions of course, those with huge egos like Flair etc.

Punk knows he is over, and it puts him in a very good position. I mean he has been booked in the last 18 PPV's? (Am I right saying this?). Apart from the usual suspects, who else has that consistant showing? I think Punk is an educated man not fuelled by any "legacy" ambitions. He goes out, does his business and leaves...all the while collecting a substantial pay cheaque. I doubt he is having sleepless nights about not being a title holder or even being in the mix for it.

His time will come again, and he knows it. You can't keep good performers down for long.

This is exactly what I said on the topic a few days ago. To view wrestlers as any different to a footballer who is prepared to sit on a bench every Saturday for top money is naive and romantic. CM Punk seems like a very intelligent guy, and like Twist says - an intellignet wrestler will earn his money and get out of there as soon as possible. Who wants to end up like Hogan and Flair, tainting their legacy for cash, right?

Also. Maybe McMahon KNOWS how good a heel he's got in CM Punk, and KNOWS he can turn him up to main event level, top heel at any time he wants. However, why blow that load right now - why not use this opportunity to give people like Del Rio and R-Truth the push THEY need to also get to main event level. Then you have 3 great heels rather than 1 don't you?

What happens if you put all your effort into making CM Punk the number one heel, in a class of his own, then his knee blows up in a match? Who do you turn to then?

For all you know, they could have it planned that Cena will beat R-Truth - giving him a great heel push along the way, beat Del Rio giving him a great heel push along the way, THEN lose the title to Punk - who doesn't need a great heel push because he IS a great heel.

Just like any other business - you have to diversify your assets. You can't just put all your eggs in one basket or it leaves you vulnerable

But isn’t that something that for the most part WWE have done in Cena, the entire company is built around trying to get him to break through into popular culture rather than just within wrestling.

That's always been the same though - one face star who will "lead" the company into other avenues of media, to draw in new fans. The "Cash Cow" so to speak. Hogan, Rock now Cena.

But as far as top face is concerned, they know they can fall back on Orton, and they did know they could fall back on Edge (who now needs to be replaced), should anything happen to Cena.

I think their strategy of heel-creating is working perfectly. The Miz is now there. R Truth and Del Rio will hopefully be there once their programmes with Cena are done. And CM Punk has the skills to be there when he's needed.

I never really thought of it as showing how good CM Punk is at staying over, I viewed it just as poor booking.

But it really does take a great performer to stay over with fans when he gets buried by others, including clean losses to Orton, again and again.

It shows the difference between what the fans see and what the WWE see...or what they want us to see.

WWE know what talent they have, and how to utilize it far better than we do.

And of course he's going to lose clean to Orton. Orton is the face so he isn't going to need to cheat to beat Punk is he?

Oh no, I agree that Orton should win cleanly when he does. My issue is that Punk didn't win any match of note in the feud, even by cheating. It seemed to me like they could have afforded him one win, it would hardly affect Orton's status would it?

1-17 is an astonishing record. Being the heel you'd expect more losses than wins. I was going to try and justify it by asking what Sheamus & Wade Barrett's PPV record is but i'm sure they must have more wins than Punk?

Face turn is a must. As good as Punk is playing the heel i reckon the live crowds will go nuts for a Punk face turn.

I just hope, and really really hope, that he doesnt walk away ala Batista at the end of his contract this summer. If Vince lets Punk go, well, i already know he's a dooshbag, but it would be a monster error.

I think the WWE have tried to use CM Punk to elevate other wrestlers but it hasn't come off. Mason Ryan and Otunga have been a slight disappointment in my view. The same could have been said when Orton was in a stable with Rhodes and DiBiase - use the well known to elevate the new.

One point I would pick up on from Demon is the use of the cash cow "star" man to lead the company. I totally agree with this, but I would say that never has the WWE been so realiant on their main star. In the Hogan era you had Savage, Warrior, Slaughter, Steamboat etc. In the Rock era you had Austin, HHH, Michaels, Undertaker etc.

In the Cena era, it just seems to be force fed Cena and then nothing else of any real match value (even though WWE does have some talented but underused wrestlers on their books....CM Punk is the obvious example).

The clear example is Wrestlermania. The stand out match was by two wrestlers of the last era.

Not that I would ever wish ill on someone, I think (as harsh as it sounds) the WWE may benefit if Cena has a long injury lay off. Thats the only way I can see them elevating other wrestlers which they desperately need to do. At the moment they are a one man show.

I was genuinely surprised when I saw this statistic. But as has been said already, it's testament to Punk's ability to engage with the crowd. I'm sure if it was someone else, they wouldn't even be in the company anymore.

Personally, I think Punk's time will come again, it's just a case of him, and the IWC, having to be patient and wait for his chance.

It's like what Demon said on another thread re. storytelling. There's nobody better than Punk in my opinion and I'm sure the big wigs know this and want to keep him on board, it just remains the case of how Punk feels about it.

Do you think that Vince is deliberately holding him back a bit so that the pop is all the better when he does break through?

JoshSansom wrote:Do you think that Vince is deliberately holding him back a bit so that the pop is all the better when he does break through?

Potentially, but while he hasn't agreed a new contract with the WWE (and I believe he still hasn't) they are unlikely to let him go over people and make him look strong in case he pops up in TNA or elsewhere.

They probably see what they have on their hands though, and they will be trying desperately to get him signed up. The problem they have is that he wants a 'better' spot before he re-signs and they can't give it to him because he might leave!

well yes he is bothered. his terrible booking is one of the factors in him not signing a new contract yet

So he should be booked favourably because he's witholding signing a contract? Good reason.

He either wants to be with WWE or he doesn't. And WWE would live on, unharmed, without him. They would have lost a great asset - but it would have no negative effect whatsoever.

While how he is booked undoubtedly affects his motivation to sign a contract with WWE, I have also read that he wishes to take a break altogether.

But hey, maybe he is employing some brinksmanship to squeeze some cash!

Electric Demon wrote:So he should be booked favourably because he's witholding signing a contract? Good reason.

did i say that???

--------

i think burnout was his main reason for wanting to leave but ive read and watched many interviews of him and he isnt really happy at all. although this expected top card run may change things for him

It's been rumored on a couple of the dirtsheets that he hasn't been advertised in the main event for his home state, Illinois, in July.

A possible sign he is leaving?