Our Favourite RAW Moments

What's this? A shameless cash-in article because it's RAW 25 tonight? Absolutely not. Shut up. Don't go away though, read these views. 

I thought I'd ask our writers and a few friends what they've enjoyed the most over the last twenty five years and this is the collection of those views. What a treat for you the reader. We've got a cavalcade of the great and the good when it comes to ATPW involved Craig Hermit, 

CRAIG HERMIT 

Twenty Five years people, that's a quarter of a century. That's how long RAW has been on that long?! So what is my favourite moment? I genuinely can't give you one because think about it. You as an individual has changed throughout that time.

Case in point, I remember being a child cheering watching the RAW episode when Mr Perfect sent Ric Flair away to WCW after a career ending match. I wouldn't be having the same reaction now. I remember watching the Stone Cold vs Mr McMahon feud every week with something else added on, now I'd be saying this is just drawn out. 

Kurt Angle feuding with Stone Cold was my highlight of the Invasion, "Milkomania!"

Then when the Trish Stratus feud with Lita reached new levels, they main evented the show. WWE had consistently fed fans that Women in the division were eye candy, but damnit that match, both women displayed exactly why they were role models to women that this was just the beginning and it's to WWE's discredit that fans never saw more of this and more development from their wrestlers until recently.

And Daniel Bryan, or should I say the Daniel Bryan movement, wow, think about it, highjacking The Authority's Championship speech and then in the run to Wrestlemania highjacking the show.

Closing with Paige, remembering her first Divas Title victory. It was incredible, not the match but the moment. Fans who'd seen her in NXT, Shimmer and UK knew how awesome she is and this moment seeing her seize the Title. Damn incredible.

So those are some of the moments I remember, oh The Shield breaking up too, there we go!


Think about your 25 years, can you sum it up in one moment? Much like RAW, you can't.

JOZEF RACZKA

Not everything great in WWE happened in the Attitude Era. I'm sure a lot of them did but as someone whose first Wrestlemania was Thirty, it would be disingenuous to write about something that really had no meaning to me. The first full episode of RAW I watched was June 2nd 2014, does that mean anything to you? It should, it's when Seth Rollins, the Architect of The Shield brought it all crashing down around him when he beat Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose with a chair. It was the beginning of my understanding of why you dumb nerds watch this shit and also of me becoming one of you.

But here's the thing, that's not even the death of friendship, I wanted to talk about today. Sure, we've had the end of The Shield, we've had The Miz & Damien Mizdow but in recent years, there's no contender for one moment that we're going to all look back on , maybe even 25 years from now and think 'well that was basically perfect'. I talk to you, of course, about Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens' Festival of Friendship. The Festival is a tribute to the rock-solid nature of Owens and Jericho when it comes to character relations, you see, anyone who's been watching the programming could have worked out that Owens was going to turn on Jericho but Jericho being so blinded to how one-sided the friendship is at that point makes it all the more heartbreaking. Yet it doesn't forget in making Jericho the hero of the story, that he's also a grand-stage narcissist who talks of himself as a gift and makes his entrance with a chorus of showgirls, it's a celebration of friendship but very much, it's a Chris Jericho event, nothing of the flash or pomp suggests Kevin Owens. Wrestling is just a media through which the story is performed, stories of superheroes and supervillains can stand alongside more nuanced tales of broken people refusing to see that they can't make someone change.

That's what we got here and with all the Craigslist magicians, reinterpretations of The Creation of Adam and surprise Gillberg returns you could ask for. This segment was great, as good as the pipebomb, as good as The Rock: This Is Your Life. All this and we learnt one of the most important lessons that wrestling has taught us in years: "It's art! You don't need pants!"

SEAN TAYLOR-RICHARDSON

When Nitro commentator Tony Schiavone joked about Mick Foley’s title win putting butts on seats, he not only hammered a nail in the WCW coffin, he also pointed viewers in the direction of Raw’s greatest ever moment. In front of a wild crowd, Mankind and The Rock engaged in a fiery brawl, aided and abetted by a rich cast of supporting characters: from the McMahons to D-X, this who’s who of the Attitude Era was capped off by the arrival of the never-hotter Stone Cold Steve Austin. As the glass shattered, the fans came unglued; more than happy to see a major star, this pop was reminiscent of a home crowd witnessing a last minute winner over the local rivals Moments later and Mankind was champion: for all of Schiavone’s sarcasm, this represented one of the most genuine feel good moments in WWF/E history.

ANDY SCOTLAND 

I think for me personally, my favourite moment from Raw would be the segment between Mike Tyson and Steve Austin from January 19th, 1998. Steve Austin had just come off his Royal Rumble win and was as popular as anyone had ever been. Vince McMahon was a proud as could be about having “The Baddest Man On The Planet” Mike Tyson on Monday Night Raw and you just knew that Austin was coming to spoil the whole thing. I can still remember the whole segment almost from memory. I was glued to the TV watching it. You could have offered me anything in the world but as a 10 year old, nothing else existed for those minutes. It made regular news around the world. That brawl between the two was probably up there with the best brawl ever on TV, not just WWE. Over 20 years later, people still put it in the top moments in WWE history and I can completely agree.

JAMES MARSTON 

When I asked myself to write my favourite RAW moment, it seems like a lot of our writers I struggled to find my moment. Not because of a lack of choice, but because of the abundance of choice. As much as we, the fans, like to bemoan the WWE, there's no doubt that Vince McMahon and his pals know how to create moments that stick in your mind for years and years. Part of that is how often WWE likes to replay it's classic moments...how often have you seen D-Generation X invade on WCW get an outing on RAW? But another part is the power behind the moments themselves in the first place. Whilst storylines might not always hit home or end how we'd like to see them end, the moments along the way are what keeps us coming back. 

I was a young fan during the tail end of the Attitude Era, but didn't have Sky, so my main exposure to WWF was Sunday Night Heat on Channel 4 and the handful of PPVs they showed. Whilst I've obviously seen the majority of the iconic moments from this period, it would be wrong to choose something from here as it just didn't have the same impact on me watching them years after the fact and often knowing what was going to happen. I began finding WWE back again in 2007, before learning how to connect with RAW online a few years later. Therefore the moments I've been most effected by mostly come from after 2010. I remember being baffled by Donald Trump buying RAW, thrilled by the Nexus invasion angle and saddened by Edge's retirement...but the first time I remember coming away thinking "Holy shit, what has just happened?" was CM Punk's Pipebomb promo. 

Coming after a fairly forgettable Tables Match between R-Truth and John Cena, from the moment Punk sat cross-legged on ramp, clad in a "Stone Cold" Steve Austin t-shirt, his energy came straight through the screen and made me take notice of what was about to happen. Pre this moment, Punk's 2011 had been hit and miss, placed as the leader of the New Nexus, over as fuck and picking up victories over John Cena, Rey Mysterio and John Morrison, but also losing ever match in his series with Randy Orton, there was no particular indication of what was about to come. That's probably what made the subsequent promo so special. 

It might have launched a series of worked shoots that didn't always work, but in that moment as Punk began to rile off his issues with WWE, Vince McMahon, John Lauranitis and the fans, it felt like a real shift was occurring. Winks and nods to things outside the company, mentioning New Japan, Ring of Honor and even Colt Cabana, at a time when WWE was much more cut off from the rest of the wrestling world than it is today, felt like nothing else that had happened on that show, that month, year or beyond. Punk bought attitude, a real visceral energy as he spat his lines at the audience, the camera and mentioned the death of Vince McMahon. Pulling back the curtain and airing petty grievances, all whilst John Cena, the Micky Mouse to WWE's Disney, lay prone in the ring, selling a table bump for what felt like an age. It propelled storylines for months and months to come, resulting in a lengthy WWE title run for Punk, the return of Paul Heyman and gave WWE a genuine buzz. Even if WWE essentially dropped the ball after Money in the Bank, this promo also gave us one of the greatest WWE matches of all-time. 

(All this nice stuff and we're still blocked by CM Punk on Twitter!) 

--- 

Enjoy RAW 25 tonight folks, lets hope it brings us many more fantastic moments to talk about!

Article by Craig Hermit, Jozef Rackza (@NotJozefRaczka), Sean Taylor-Richardson (@GrownManCenaFan), Andy Scotland (@WrestleRopes) and James Marston (@IAmNotAlanDale) 

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times…John Cena

I had just turned 20 when John Cena debuted on WWE television, wrestling Kurt Angle on June 27, 2002. Over the next few years, Cena’s ascent was rapid, quickly progressing from promising young talent with a knack for rapping to perennial WWE champion who saluted a lot. As his rise to the top unfolded before my 20-something eyes, it became apparent that I wasn’t his demographic. As a young adult, I just couldn’t embrace the John Cena character. Whilst I never hated him and didn’t boo him with malice at live events (truly no Cena win would have made me consider rioting), I did find myself almost always cheering on his opponents and joining in with the odd round of “Cena Sucks” chants. I acknowledged his good matches but seemed to notice his bad ones more: he had to go some way to secure my approval.

But now, in my 30s, things have changed. I really like John Cena now; hell, my twitter handle pays testament to my change of heart. Part of the reason for my realignment of opinion is age: as a kid I had Hulk Hogan, a living, breathing cartoon character; through my teenage years, I was fed a diet of Stone Cold and The Rock; but my 20s were lacking an iconic figure to attach myself to. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the Attitude Era so this  All-American golden boy act wasn’t going to cut it. But now, as a father looking forward to taking his kids to live shows, I get the Cena character and see its worth. My generation, who have grown up with the WWE, are ready to embrace this former pariah as we joyfully enter an exclusive class of the Cenation: the parent’s enclosure. My toddler even hums “My Time is Now” whenever he plays with his wrestling figures. Now that’s being over.   

Cena’s recent acceptance by the (bulk of) die-hards is about more than just us growing up and having kids. He has proven himself by forging an undeniable legacy. Not only is he the most over performer on the roster, he is the best all-rounder: his promo work can only touched by The Miz and Paul Heyman and his in-ring credentials have been confirmed by a back catalogue of matches that defy the lazy “you can’t wrestle” chants. He has earned his place as one of the biggest stars in the history of North American wrestling and as he begins to slow down the schedule and go Hollywood, here’s a look at the best, and indeed the worst, of the career of John Cena.

Best Match

vs CM Punk (Money in the Bank 2011)

The atmosphere was electric, the Chicago faithful’s fervent enthusiasm maybe second only to the Calgary crowd at 1997’s Canadian Stampede in terms of the most passionate audiences of all-time. Furthermore, the stakes were as high as in any match of the modern era; the matter of who left with the WWE title that night felt legitimately significant. Of course, the presence of the red hot CM Punk in his hometown was crucial but he couldn’t have created this magic with anyone but Cena. An epic tussle that combined great storytelling with impressive wrestling, Cena may not have executed each move or exchange as smoothly as Punk but it mattered not: this was a thrill ride that has yet to be matched for drama since. 

Honourable mention: vs Umaga (Royal Rumble 2007), vs Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules 2012). vs Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins (Royal Rumble 2015), vs AJ Styles (Royal Rumble 2016)

Worst Match

vs John Laurinaitis (Over the Limit, 2012)

Big match John vs Big Johnny: what could go wrong? Well, everything: the promos building this up were awful, the “action” was the weakest attempt at comedy and the pay-off was the annual Big Show heel turn. Seriously, this contest was so bad that now, years later and with the two brought together by their shared passion of dating Bellas, I hope their post-dinner cigar sessions involve them sheepishly taking time to lament this trash. 

Honourable mention: vs Great Khali (One Night Stand 2007), vs The Miz (Wrestlemania 27).

Best Feud

vs The Rock (2011-13)

I toyed with the idea of Cena vs Punk here; certainly, if Punk were the focus of this piece, I would suggest that his best WWE feud was with Cena. However, Big Match John had a programme of such significance that it could not be ignored: his rivalry with the Great One.

A brilliant two year story was told: it started with The Rock returning to confront Cena over his part-time digs (oh the irony); then there was the run-in at Mania 27 leading to the announcement of the dream match a year in advance; the unlikely tag-team partnership at MSG; the blistering promos in the run-up to Mania 28; the Rock’s dramatic hometown win; Cena’s quest for redemption leading to a Rumble win on the same night the Rock lifted the title; and finally, Rocky returning the favour at Mania 29. Their first bout was decent, their second very good but this will be remembered less for the moves they exchanged and more for the moments they shared on the microphone. Commercially and critically, this was a smash.

Honourable mentions: vs Edge (2006), vs CM Punk (2011-13), vs AJ Styles (2016)

Worst Feud

vs JBL (2008)

The 2005 feud between Cena and JBL was okay: their Mania bout lacked genuine heat but they redeemed themselves with a bloody I Quit match a couple of months later. No real harm done, both men could move on to more fulfilling endeavours as their careers progressed. For a few years at least…

When they went back to the well in 2008, they found it bone dry. They had a boring, pointless match at Judgement Day, fought again at One Night Stand in an underwhelming First Blood match (fake blood klaxon) before finishing this epic waste of everyone’s time at the Great American Bash with a New York City Parking Lot Brawl. That’s right dear reader, the old NYC parking lot gimmick, which fortunately died along with this feud. For the real indicator of how bad this dispute was, consider this: it involved Cryme Tyme.

Honourable mentions: vs Great Khali (2007), vs Big Show (2009/ 2012)

Best Promo

Shooting on Reigns (Raw- 28^th August 2017)

Poor Roman...in a few years I’ll write an article about how unappreciated you are. But right now you occupy a position John knows only too well, that of the heavily pushed main eventer overcast by the shadows of more respected veterans. Back in 2006, ahead of their WrestleMania 22 match, Triple H roasted Cena on Monday Night Raw, mocking his move set and his character with outright glee. Fast forward to 2017 and the roles are reversed with Cena revelling in his role as the proven elder statesmen, daring his younger charge to step up to his level. The promo had exemplary delivery and perfect balance: the right mix of humour and edge and enough kayfabe for the casual fans to compliment the ‘behind the curtains’ references aimed at the smart fan. Some said that Cena went too far and buried Roman here, just as they had claimed Hunter had done 11 years ago. Cena recovered; so too will Roman. This promo achieved its sole purpose- to hype up a big time match that could define the landscape for WWE for the coming year.   

Honourable mention: Promo on Miz and Mayrse (Smackdown- 28^th March 2017)

Worst Promo

Interacting with the fans (Raw- January 21^st 2013)

Cena’s promos are at their worst when the focus is on pandering to the crowd rather than selling a concept, putting comedy over substance. Don’t get me wrong, the man can do funny (see the next pick) but his material (or at least that of the writers) can also bomb big time. This promo, supposedly designed with the purpose of putting over the upcoming Rumble match, saw him interact with fans at ringside, joking about Taylor Swift and video games, rather than promoting possible challengers in said Rumble match. The fact that his performance garnered heat backstage- likely because Cena squandered the opportunity to entice more PPV buyers and thereby lost dollars for the boys - says it all about this below par effort.

Honourable mention: Star Wars promo (Raw- 25^th June March 2012)

Best Film

Trainwreck (2015)

A hit with critics and audiences alike, Cena plays his role perfectly here. As the strongman with equally powerful emotions, he bares all (save for creative use of his towel gimmick) and throws serious shade at Mark Wahlberg, despite Marky Mark basically being his rap/acting sensi. Good work John. Four stars.

Honourable mentions: 12 Rounds (2009), Sisters (2015)

Worst Film

The Marine (2006)

If my opening paragraph, didn’t age me enough for younger readers, try this on for size: over a decade ago, I walked into town to rent this film on DVD from the local Blockbusters. Once you’ve put ‘DVD’ and ‘Blockbusters’ in your Google machine, you’ll fully appreciate the titanic effort I made to watch this back in the strange, alien era of 2006. These efforts were frankly unnecessary, the whole pursuit a needless misadventure as the film sucked. Cena tried too hard, the more experienced actors didn’t try hard enough and there was an unforgivable lack of puns to accompany the underwhelming explosions. One star.

Honourable mentions: Fred 2 (2011), Fred 3 (2012), Anything with Scooby Doo

Article by Sean Taylor-Richardson (@GrownManCenaFan)

Opinion: WrestleMania Main Event From Outta Nowhere!

To paraphrase, Sir Alex Ferguson: wrestling, bloody hell. I certainly didn’t see that coming.

The Undertaker was my pick at the start of the evening. Then when the match started, I fancied Jericho as he adopted the out of sight, out of mind approach that any self-respecting heel would. For a brief moment at the end, we all thought it would be Roman, all the while quietly praying that it would be Bray. But Orton? Wow.

I’m clearly referring to the fact that Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble. Just like that, he moves from tag teaming in a mid-card programme to the main event of the biggest show of the year. The finish got a good pop from the live crowd but once the “anyone but Roman” effect wore off, this became a result that divided the room. But then dividing a room is what Orton has done for much of his career. Whilst not as polarising as certain other babyfaces on the roster, he has proven to be a fairly Marmite character and has felt the wrath of an apathetic crowd or two in his time. Likewise, whilst having a career that many would kill for (he is behind only John Cena and Triple H for number of WWE World title runs and has twice headlined Wrestlemania), he never quite reached the absolute level of stardom that many experts forecast on his debut in 2002. By all accounts, Orton, a third generation star with a great look and an undoubted aptitude for the wrestling game, was the clear choice to step up to the plate and become the WWE’s next big thing as the smoke cleared on the Attitude era. So why has he gone on to have an A- career? True, this is far from shameful but with all of his gifts, he should have been an A* player for years. Why has his Rumble win, and the opportunity to revitalise his career, been viewed as a mistake by the WWE?

When evaluating why Orton hasn’t hit the heights expected of him, it comes down to two factors: the WWE and Orton himself. Let’s look at the role of the machine in shaping Orton’s career. Have the WWE truly booked Randy to his fullest potential? No, probably not.  Hotshot booking saw Randy win the title too soon back in 2004 but he was rehabilitated on screen to the point that by 2007 he was an engaging heel character that warranted his main event positioning. He was at his hottest in late 2008 when, as the leader of Legacy, his arrogant heel promos demanded audience attention. A showdown with CM Punk on Raw in September 2008, in which he branded the Straight Edge star an unfit champion was an excellent piece of business in which Orton came across as a more edgy, real character than Punk himself. His brutal beat down of all things McMahon certainly helped and led to him headlining Wrestlemania 25 where, unfortunately, he was beaten in a flat, uninspiring match by Triple H. Had Orton won a cracker and moved onto a lengthy and dramatic championship reign then I think he would have reached a new level. But he didn’t and I’m not sure he ever really fully recovered from that setback. Since then there have been title wins but none on a stage so grand or with a build so strong. Throw in far too many similar feuds (the volume of Cena matches is just too much- they’ve even had two Hell in a Cell matches now) and you can understand some of the audience burn out we’ve seen in recent years.

But some blame has to lay with Randy Orton, the man: the way he interacts with fans and fellow pros helps us understand his inability to rule the promotion and establish a close bond with the audience. Prior to entering the wrestling business, Orton received a bad conduct discharge from the Marine Corps. This could be a reason some portions of the audience (particularly the more patriotic element) have failed to warm to him; a couple of summers ago, his past was the cause of an angry Twitter exchange with an enraged fan. It even cost Orton a part in the WWE film franchise, The Marine 2 and in doing so an opportunity to further his case to the company as a reliable and multi-faceted performer. Orton has had on-screen meltdowns (screaming at fans who cheered his shoulder injury in 2008 and publicly chastising Kofi Kingston for a blown spot during a 2010 Raw encounter) and multiple backstage issues (unsubstantiated rumour and innuendo is that the divas had good reason not to leave their handbags unattended when Orton was in the vicinity). Most notable of all, he has served two suspensions for violating the Wellness Policy. With all of these transgressions, one can see why WWE haven’t made Orton the face of the company and this brings us to the man with whom Orton has been tied since his debut: John Cena.

It is quite fitting that on the night Orton surprisingly won the Rumble, Cena won his 16^th World title in grand fashion. Cena has gone on to become a part of WWE’s Mount Rushmore, in the conversation of greats with Bruno and Hogan, Rock and Austin, while Orton is a level below. It’s not because Cena is a better worker (although he has amassed more great matches); it’s because John knows how to connect with (most of) the crowd and, to Vince, is a safer, more reliable option. Orton has too much baggage to be the face of the promotion. However, despite this Orton is still seen as a made man by swathes of the audience. For whilst the WWE haven’t made Orton the top dog, they have protected his interests significantly. His win-loss record is excellent and the family connections will always suggest his path to the top was easier than that of others: the fact that he was never an indie darling is held against him in some quarters.

The crux of the problem is this: fans see Orton as a contradiction- an edgy, outspoken anarchist who is also an untouchable part of the corporate machine. So long as Orton remains opinionated and unpredictable, management will never make him the true star of the show; so long as he is protected by the top brass, fans will never fully embrace him as one of their own. 

In the short term, the outlook is bright for Randy: his programme with the Wyatts has been interesting and chances are that by Mania, his match will involve Bray, allowing their story to come to a head on the biggest stage of them all. However, it probably won’t headline the show and there is every chance Orton won’t even win: for the second time in his career, a Rumble victory would not culminate in a meaningful title run, which would be symbolic of his standing in the industry. Randy is good, very good, but he’ll likely fall short of the title of an all-time great. Unless he has one last big run, a classic feud or a dramatic character reinvention that, like his final RKO from Sunday's match, comes from literally outta no-where.

Words - Sean Taylor-Richardson

Images - James Marston

Editor - James Marston 

Twitter - @ATPWrestling 

Facebook - /acrossthepondwrestling 

Instagram - @ATPWrestling

Opinion: The Punk Legacy

Source - aroundtheoctagon.com

So the CM Punk MMA experiment is over. After a near two year build, the fight finally went down at UFC 203 in Cleveland, Ohio this past Saturday. As Cult of Personality rung out throughout the arena, Punk strode down to the cage, his demeanour far more relaxed than those of his coaches, whose facial expressions somewhat telegraphed the finish. Indeed, their worst fears were realised when Punk, keen to make an impression, naively rushed into the range of the young, but talented, Mickey Gall and was dominated and tapped out inside a round. Many delighted in the hubris of his fall; others commended the guts and desire he exhibited stepping inside the Octagon. Whether he fights again is debatable; head honcho Dana White suggested the UFC would not book such an attraction (although that was before the impressive PPV buys were reported!) and even Punk himself may reflect that he has lived his (most recent) dream and step away from the cage. So when the history books of MMA are written and pored over, CM Punk will likely be a footnote, an exercise in marketing celebrities in sports, a fable of the everyman who dreams too big. Pondering on this led me to debate his legacy in wrestling. How will he be remembered in this industry? And have his contributions to the field truly concluded?

First of all, I must confess, I do really like CM Punk. True, he did turn heel on this very website and there are rumours that even his best friend doesn’t care for him that much anymore. I find it disheartening that he says he hates wrestling now and given his reputation as a somewhat crotchety individual, I don’t think he is the celeb I’d love to meet and have a drink with (that’d be Austin because craft beer wins over Pepsi all day long). But I never needed CM Punk to be my friend; I needed him to be a character and personality that leapt out of the television and gave me memories for a lifetime. And that he did.

Second confession: I’ve seen, maybe, three ROH matches of CM Punk’s. I’ve got a two disc DVD set of the famed Summer of Punk but it’s hard to find time to watch it because, as you may have noticed, there is a lot of wrestling on the box these days. So it’s the eight year WWE run of 2006-14 that I have the most experience of, Eight years. A lot of the roster is afforded eight years to make their mark on the industry but many don’t manage to craft even eight moments of magic. Moments are what a career is about: a visual, a match, a promo, something that will make the highlight packages for years to come. Punk’s epic title reign has him in the history books; his match against Cena in Chicago in 2011 will always be remembered as an emotional night where the result mattered more than the performance; as of right now, he has had the Undertaker’s last great Wrestlemania match. His pipe bomb promo is a genuine Raw moment, a rare piece of modern wrestling already cherished as dearly as any angle from the Attitude Era. Just as we have fond childhood memories of Hart and Michaels, Austin and Rock, Punk has provided real moments for our adult selves to savour. His place in fan’s hearts is secure.

But CM Punk has transcended being just a great wrestler; CM Punk is now an idea. While the Yes movement dominated storylines, Punk’s post Royal Rumble walk out triggered a real crusade amongst the fanbase. His infamous podcast with Colt Cabana solidified this as he tore WWE a new everything: creative was mocked; Vince was castigated while Hunter was disrespected; Ryback and the fed’s doctor were outright savaged. Punk became the unofficial spokesman for the crowd who thought that wrestling just wasn’t as good as it used to be. For them, a new way of expressing themselves was born and it exists to this day. The mantra is still clear: if the match or promo isn’t good enough, chant CM Punk. If you don’t like the act or the way the booking is headed, shout out loud CM Punk. Maybe it’s because smart fans believe the urban legend that if you say his name often enough, he will actually appear or maybe his name is shorthand for rebellion. CM Punk is the harsh, uncompromising literary critic that every smart fan wants to reference in their work. And whilst the chants can get tiresome, if WWE wants to eliminate the practice, they have to book smartly to satisfy the increasingly demanding fan base. CM Punk’s ghost haunts them and will only be exorcised if they present the sort of hard hitting, modernised product that he had been clamouring for. Punk might not be in the back, badgering creative and demanding change anymore but he doesn’t have to be; he has thousands of people in the crowd doing it for him. In his 2011 promos, he promised the audience he would usher in change. Punk’s words felt genuine and the crowd bought in for real. The expectations of a generation have been shaped and even if he isn’t on hand to take credit for it, Punk may well be responsible for much if what is the New Era.

Source - Wikipedia.org

So Punk’s past will live on. But what of his future? If the MMA is out of his system, might he wrestle again? He has certainly softened on this notion. Never has become never say never which is all certain rumour mills need to get ridiculously excited. For my money, I wouldn’t expect him to ever wrestle for WWE again; at best, in 20 years he may return to accept a place in the Hall of Fame, becoming the next Bruno or Warrior, a man older, calmer and ready to embrace his past successes. Then again his legacy could be becoming the headline guy who doesn’t resolve his differences and return to the fold. Until the law suit between Punk and WWE is settled, it will be hard to judge the finality of their divorce. But the wrestling world is bigger than the WWE universe and other opportunities may wait. He has spoken in interviews of his original career plan; to wrestle in Japan and return to the States a man without fame. Whilst it’s too late for the latter, he could still do the former. Maybe he’ll show up and compete in BOLA one year or possibly even return to ROH for special events. The latter is particularly interesting: if he could ignite a smaller company, using his fame to grow the business and increase the level of competition in the industry, his legacy really would be one of change, just as he promised it would be all those years ago.

Whatever happens, I hope Punk finds peace with wrestling and appreciates his place in its history. That was his first love (MMA is clearly a rebound fling; she even looks like wrestling!) and maybe he can love it again. Whether he wrestles, puts on a HOF ring or even just watches an episode of NXT, I want Punk to once more realise what he knew all those years ago. Wrestling is to be enjoyed. 

Words - Sean Taylor-Richardson

Images - James Marston

Editor - James Marston

The Merch Table #11 - WWE, TNA, GPWA, Into Absence & SPLX (Craig Hermit)

Good morning, afternoon and evening, all men, women, boys, girls, dogs, cats and everything in between, this is my Merch Table. Basically this is the place in Across the Pond Wrestling where I find the new wrestling merchandise around that you may not have known existed and I make it easier for you to locate it, so let’s begin…

WWE

WWE T-Shirt's have gone vintage, yup WWE have released a whole new range dedicated to giving fans that classic vintage feel, the ones I've selected this week, 'The Boss' Sasha Banks and the returning Seth Rollins, both equally stylish and equally brilliant.

Sasha Banks "The Legit Boss" Vintage T-Shirt

Price - £22.00 

Available in Sizes - S to 2XL.

http://euroshop.wwe.com/en_GB/sasha-banks-the-legit-boss-vintage-t-shirt/W11273.html

Seth Rollins "The Man" Vintage T-Shirt

Price -  £22.00

Available in Sizes - S to 2XL.

http://euroshop.wwe.com/en_GB/seth-rollins-the-man-vintage-t-shirt/W10938.html

Still think Dean Ambrose capturing his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank was a dream? Commemorating his Money In The Bank cash in is this 15 x 17 Photo Frame thats Limited Edition, Contains actual piece of used ring canvas from Money In The Bank 2016.

Dean Ambrose Money in the Bank Frame

Price - £57.00

http://euroshop.wwe.com/en_GB/dean-ambrose-money-in-the-bank-2016-15-x-17-framed-photo-w%2F-ring-canvas/W11846.html

TNA

Looking at TNA, they have released some new accessories. Do you have fond memories of TNA when it was in the Asylum and you think the first volume didn't have everything you wanted well Volume 2 has been issued.

TNA The Best of The Asylum Year Vol. 2 DVD (2 DISC)

This takes you back to where it all started featuring 25 complete matches. Relive some of the best of TNA's early days from the Asylum Years from 2002 through 2004, including AJ Styles, CM Punk, Jeff Hardy, Jerry Lynn, Raven, Sting, Jeff Jarrett, Eric Young, Abyss and many more!

Price - £14.99

http://www.tnaeurostore.com/tna-the-best-of-the-asylum-years-volume-2-dvd-2-disc.html

Autographed Limited Edition 18X24 Poster of VELVET SKY

Are you missing seeing Velvet Sky on your TV, well TNA have issued an Exclusive Autographed Limited Edition 2016 Knockouts Calendar Cover 18"x24" " Poster and each poster is shipped with a Certificate of Authenticity.

£30.00

http://www.tnaeurostore.com/accessories/limited-edition-collectibles/autographed-limited-edition-18x24-poster-velvet-sky.html

GPWA 

Asylum T-Shirt

Since opening in November 2014, GPWA has quickly established itself as a fantastic pro wrestling training facility with a team of coaches from British Wrestling's finest including Wolfgang, Jack Jester, Lionheart, BT Gunn and Red Lightning. Squared Circle are a sponsor  of the training facility to release their official t-shirt.

Price - £16.00

Available is sizes - S to 4XL.

http://www.squaredcircle.com/product/gpwa-asylum-shirt

Into Absence.

Next up I wanted to look at Into Absence. They are Glasgow’s latest alternative clothing brand. A company that was started by three friends who grew tired of seeing the same mundane threads on clothing hangers across the city so sought to bring their own unique touch to what’s currently on the market. The styles they bring are fantastic, definitely unique and brilliantly styled.

Hail Satan & Watch Wrestling

Price £16.99

Available in Sizes - S to XL.

http://www.intoabsence.com/product/hail-satan-watch-wrestling

And finally…

SPLX

SPLX Wrestling has released their new Summer range, and here is a small selection of their exciting new wrestling styles.

Angélico "Diablo Del Aire" T-Shirt (First Collaboration)

Price £16.99

Available in Sizes - S to 2XL.

http://store.suplexapparel.com/product/angelico-diablo-del-aire-t-shirt-first-splx-collaboration

Prince Devitt ‘JR Champion’ T-Shirt

Price £16.99

Available in Sizes - S to 2XL

http://store.suplexapparel.com/product/prince-devitt-junior-heavyweight-champion-commemorative-t-shirt

So that was this week's extended Merch Table, hope you enjoy the weekend I was @craighermit and I’ll be back next week.