Paul Bearer Reveals The Undertaker’s Endorsement Of CM Punk

During an interview with the late Paul Bearer (William Moody) in August 2012 PWTorch Livecast asked Bearer his thoughts on then WWE Champion CM Punk. Bearer revealed that The Undertaker gave CM Punk major endorsement in the WWE locker room during their introduction:

“C.M. Punk is a class act, and he’s got it,” Bearer exclusively told PWTorch editor Wade Keller. “I didn’t meet Punk until I went back for that six-month run (2010-2011). I had watched him on television, of course, but I had never met him in-person before.

“I’ll never forget myself, Undertaker, Big Show, and a couple of other guys standing over in the corner just shooting the breeze. C.M. Punk came walking by and Taker says, ‘Percy, have you ever met Punk?’ I said, ‘No, I haven’t.’ Taker called him over there and he’s very, very respectful to our business and to me for having never met me before.”

“Taker introduced me to him and Taker’s exact words to me were: ‘Punk – he’s one of us.’ That was how I was introduced to C.M. Punk by The Undertaker. For him to say that about a talent, that just means everything in the world. And to say, ‘He’s one of us,’ that just meant something to that little group that was there.”

Listen to the full interview with the late Paul Bearer here.

ProWrestlingTorch.com

C.M. Punk and John Cena: The Greatest Rivalry of All Time?

When you think of superior rivalries in professional wrestling, you automatically think of the classics – Nature Boy Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes,  Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant, Bret “The Hitman” Hart and Shawn Michaels, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Those names and those matches would be exemplified as some of the most timeless and unforgettable in-ring moments that we have seen in the history of professional wrestling. But it is an honor to say that there is now one more – the current rivalry between John Cena and CM Punk.

From the moment these two has their first big time match at Money In The Bank 2011 in Chicago, the two men have never had less than a five-star match. We have seen these two in a variety of main event matches for almost two years now, and the match quality has never grown old.

In fact, living in an era where we tend to see recycled material in repeated matches, their series of matches have never had repeated scenarios or situations.

What makes a rivalry so significant is the way how the wrestlers and the fans identify with each other. Cena represents the fan that truly believes in optimism, the positive way of going about everything in life, and showing that perseverance and will is the key to get to the top.

Punk, on the other hand, represents the fan that is a non-conformist, who believes that one lives by the rules that they set for themselves and most importantly, a fan that is anti-establishment.

Both of these sides is a bold example of what the wrestling fan personifies today, and this is why no matter how many times we see this  match, fans want more.

With Punk now not being a part of the WWE Championship title picture for Wrestlemania 29, it is a very big mystery as to whom his Wrestlemania opponent may be. Some say The Undertaker, some say Randy Orton or Ryback.

However whomever Punk is going to be facing at the biggest stage of them all, his presence will be missed in the championship main event. Punk not only has elevated himself when it comes to being an individual superstar, but he has brought out the best out of John Cena.

I believe I speak for all fans when I say “this rivalry needs to last forever”.

WWE: Why the Undertaker Should Beat CM Punk at WrestleMania

So after much speculation and worry, the Undertaker made his return to WWE at a house show in Waco, Texas a few days ago.  Before his return, there were many news reports stating that Taker was too injured to compete at WrestleMania and his rumored match with CM Punk was in doubt.

However, now that Undertaker has returned, WWE has to build the match with Punk with only five weeks remaining until the biggest show of the year.  Fortunately for them, Undertaker matches need very little build storyline-wise because Taker himself is the draw. 

WrestleMania has turned into a showcase for the Undertaker and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.  Taker’s streak is more over than any title in the entire promotion and people genuinely care when Undertaker seems in trouble during his matches.

Think back to the Undertaker-Triple H End of an Era match with Shawn Michaels as the referee.  I honestly thought the live crowd was going to have a collective heart attack after the “Sweet Chin Music into Pedigree” spot.  Even the group of people watching the event at my house gasped all at once and they were only casual wrestling fans. 

The truth of the matter is that people pay for WrestleMania to watch the Undertaker extend his streak.  No fan of WWE really wants the streak to end because that means an end to the last two decades of dominance. 

That is the exact reason why the Undertaker should beat CM Punk at WrestleMania.

Now, there is a very vocal minority of fans who state that Punk should be the one to end the streak because he has the most to gain from the victory.  I would argue Punk doesn’t need a victory over the Undertaker at all because it wouldn’t help him in the long run.

Look at it this way, Punk is clearly the No. 2 wrestler in the company right now behind John Cena The hierarchy in WWE looks like this:

1.  John Cena

2.  CM Punk

3.  Everyone else on the roster

I don’t count the Rock because he is a part-timer even as world champion and Taker only appears two months out of the year.

So how would beating the Undertaker help CM Punk?  Punk is so head and shoulders above everyone else on the roster that Taker’s rub wouldn’t mean anything.  It’s not going to propel him above John Cena (and really, why would you want that anyways?), so what’s the point?

CM Punk can lose to Taker in a fantastic match and then milk heel heat for the next couple of months by whining and complaining about the loss in classic heel fashion.  A rub from Taker is only going to serve to end the streak, nothing more.

In my humble opinion, Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania should never end.  When it’s WrestleMania 50 and an elderly Undertaker is sitting at ringside, the streak will still mean something.  You could argue that the streak has been the most prestigious title defended at WrestleMania over the last ten years.

So if the victory over Undertaker won’t help CM Punk, then there is no point to doing it.  Have Taker defeat Punk, pop the crowd huge like usual and then, if the rumors are true, you can focus on Undertaker’s farewell match next year.

It’s what the fans want to see.

WWE: Why the Undertaker Shoul

Will CM Punk Lose His Title Due to the Shield Interference?

After their onslaught on the People’s Champion during the latest edition of Monday Night Raw, the team of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns—better known as the Shield—have been banned from interfering with the WWE Championship match between current champion CM Punk and his challenger the Rock at this Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view event.

The announcement was made on Tuesday via a WWE.com update on a supposed injury the Rock had.

According to the WWE.com update, “Mr. McMahon has added a new stipulation to Sunday’s WWE Championship Match: If The Shield interfere in this bout, Punk will be stripped of his title.”

Ever since the Shield’s debut on November 8, 2012 during the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns have been instrumental in allowing the 400-plus-days champion CM Punk to retain his title. Could the Shield once again join Punk in the ring?

With the Rock expected to win the WWE title against CM Punk this weekend, the Shield’s intervention at the Royal Rumble could set up the perfect scenario where Punk can both drop the strap and seem like a strong champion.

If Punk was to lose his title to the Rock as a result of a disqualification—on account of the latest stipulation on their match—he could set up a rematch claiming that he was “robbed” of his title.

It remains to be seen whether the Shield will have a presence this Sunday, but if CM Punk is to lose his title, what better way than to do so because of outside interference.

CM Punk GTS Pizza

Pizza and wrestling fans alike love Ian’s Pizza Wrigleyville’s CM Punk-inspired Go to Sleep (G.T.S.) pizza!

“The G.T.S. pizza is the best in the world. Would you expect anything less from a pizza inspired by me?” stated CM Punk.

This meaty slice, which originally debuted for a limited time in July 2011, it is named for WWE superstar and Chicago native CM Punk’s finishing move Go To Sleep. Featuring smoked turkey leg, sliced potatoes, Swiss cheese and French fried onions on a creme fraiche base, it’s perfect for a pre-Thanksgiving feast(It returns on special occasional including  Thanksgiving (11/21 – 11/27,).

“Its incredible, people would not stop asking for the G.T.S. Punk’s fans just started pouring out of the woodwork to show their support by eating his namesake,” says Ian’s managing partner Dimitri Syrkin-Nikolau.

Here’s some videos, ones the Ian’s Pizza’s Trailer and the other is CM Punk making the Go To Sleep (G.T.S) pizza!

Why CM Punk Never Does The Pepsi Plunge

The Pepsi Plunge CM Punk’s famous finishing move never ever seen in a WWE Ring. Why?

There are a couple of theories as to why, and here they are

Most Common Answer: HHH

It’s a pedigree from the top rope, do think think Triple H would allow someone to do a pedigree that looks better that his? quite frankly I doubt HHH would care really he’s all about the ‘business’ now (and I actually belive that) and whats good for business is spectacular moves right?

Which leads me to the Second Common answer: Its too dangerous,

You could actually snap the guys neck, apparently its worse than a tom stone for botches… but come on I think WWE superstars are used for a few risks. China even manage to do it on Jericho once.

So it can’t be that its too dangerous for the WWE now can it, I mean think Jeff Hardy, how many utterly insane moves did we see him do? However Rey Mysterio is banned from doing the 450 splash, the Shooting Star Press, or many other intricate moves. They are both difficult and dangerous to perform, and we all know how easily many WWE wrestlers get injured

Third most common answer (and the one im going with): Punk doesnt like it anymore

This is mostly down to the fact it could lead to re-inuring his knee’s. Punk loves working (or wrestling depending on how you look at things) so why would he risk long term injury he is the WWE’s top star now he cant be taking high risk spots. The move was almost close to damaging his knees permanently. I think this ties into the danger but I think ultimately its up to CM Punk himself not to do it.

Notable forth common answer: Copyright

Its called the “Pepsi” plunge goddammit! (Vince McMahon). If CM Punk did think fans would know it was the pespi plunge and the WWE commentors (and punk) would have to rename it. I dont know if that would be a problem but then it wouldn’t carry the past with it, changing the name would damage the legacy. Perhaps CM Punk doesn’t want that to happen to his Pepsi Plunge.

WWE CM Punk Vs. Ryback – First Raw 2013

There were rumors circulating that the promotion wanted to make sure Ryback got one more crack at the WWE championship before the Royal Rumble, making up for the match he didn’t get at the TLC pay-per-view (PPV) because of CM Punk’s untimely injury.

Now it appears there’s a date for that match and it’s Jan. 7, 2013, on the very first episode of Monday Night Raw of the new year. Not only that but on the Christmas Eve episode of Raw, Ryback reveals he wants it to be a tables, ladders, and chairs match.

This is interesting for a number of reasons. For starters, Punk was taken off the holiday house show tour because he needed more time to heal. Having him come back to a match type like that against a wrestler like Ryback seems risky, especially considering the stakes.

After all, it’s just a few weeks away from the Rumble and Punk’s planned match with The Rock.

TLC makes sense however it allows for interference on Punk’s behalf; and it’ll be a ladder match, meaning Ryback can lose without being pinned. It works, keeps the title on Punk, and leaves open the run in possibility to get Ryback into a feud elsewhere and out of the immediate title picture.

“The Great One” is also back the first episode of Raw, on Jan. 7 in Tampa, Florida. That sets up easy for Punk to beat Ryback and Rock to make his presence felt immediately after, or any other number of scenarios that ultimately results in some sort of interaction with Rock and Punk.

That should be fun, but this is WWE we could see some serious screw ups.

CM Punk continues to prove he’s terribly petty and insecure

CM Punk is an extremely talented professional wrestler. He’s a hard working athlete who has tirelessly worked to hone his skills to help make him what he is today, the WWE champion and one of the very best in the entire world. He’s great on a microphone too, having nearly perfected the art of the promo.

He’s also one of the most petty and insecure individuals you will ever come across.

He’s shown this throughout his career, as so many who have come into contact with him can attest to how he acts in certain situations, but it’s his twitter account that is most revealing. He mercilessly mocks his critics and those who attempt to interact with him using poor spelling and improper grammar. There’s no real issue with that part of it because, really, no one is bleeding for some idiot calling out Punk on the Internet through the cloak of anonymity.

But there are times when he goes much further, seemingly for no reason at all. Today was one of those days.

He needlessly called out the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer by using the sword he attempts to wield so mightily:

“I am getting X-rays. Thought you should know. @davemeltzerWON #scoop”

Petty and childish, but harmless enough, right? He later followed that up with:

“Suckers. Was a chest X-ray for a physical so I can go up in an F-18. Remember who pulls the strings. #BITW”

These tweets, in and of themselves, really don’t seem so bad but if you’ve followed Punk long enough, you know this is the norm. He seems to get off on this idea that he’s some grand magician who casts the line and enjoys a big hearty laugh at the marks as he reels them in.

I don’t know CM Punk personally, nor will I ever pretend to. But his disdain for his own fanbase and the manner in which he treats said fans makes it seem as though he’s angry at them because, well, he is them. And he hates that. He was that kid who idolized Stone Cold Steve Austin while embarking on a journey to become him, the very best in the world. Along the way, he was met with crushing criticism from all sides, a lot of which no doubt helped shape him into the man he is today.

Bitter and insecure.

Chris Jericho often uses his Twitter account to work WWE fans, oftentimes deliberately lying or tweeting misleading information. But he rarely does so maliciously. Punk takes pleasure in smacking down his fans, always reminding them that he is the magician who knows how to do the tricks and you are nothing more than the mark fan who will never know how he pulls it off.

And you are lesser because of that.

In this instance, he extends that to Meltzer, a respected pro wrestling reporter who faces the same issue any pro wrestling reporter does — it’s all bullshit. Everything is a work and everyone is trying to work everyone else so concrete information is incredibly difficult to come by. He, like so many others (myself included), tries his best and that’s all anyone can ask for.

So what’s the point in baiting him like this? Is it just to lord over everyone that Punk is in on the con while Meltzer is the one always trying to find out how the magic trick is done?

There really isn’t a point to it, and that’s the problem. It’s just Punk being petty and continuing to prove that even though he has come this far and achieved more success than anyone could have ever predicted for him, even himself, he can’t shake those insecurities.

But hey, this is pro wrestling, he’s a heel, and it’s all totally cool, right?

The Walking Dead’s Michael Rooker Responds To CM Punk’s Title Offer

CM Punk offered The Walking Dead’s Michael Rooker a shot at the WWE title on a bonus episode of Talking Dead. Interestingly enough, both CM Punk and Michael Rooker are appearing at Wizard World Comic Con in New Orleans this weekend.

Through his Twitter Michael Rooker responded to the challenge. Rooker tweeted, “@CMPunk heard you on the Talking Dead man, be looking for ya and that title belt at New Orleans #wizardworld LOVE ROOKER/MERLE”

Through his Twitter, CM Punk tweeted back, “New Orleans! Tomorrow @WizardWorld @Michael_Rooker gets his shot at the champ!”

So did the fight go down? No official word yet on if there is a new WWE Champion, but the two definitely did meet up at Wizard World in New Orleans. The following picture has been circulating on Twitter that shows CM Punk with title belt in hand staring down Michael Rooker.

Wizard World Comic Con continues in New Orleans on Sunday, December 2, so there could be more action during The Walking Dead panel at 1 PM.

CM Punk Twitter Q&A

WWE Champion CM Punk did a Q & A via his Twitter account over the weekend. Here is some of what Punk had to say:

@CMPunk Who would you like to main event Wrestlemania with if you were given the chance to choose? #SaveColtsFinger

@Jeisner2 the ole rattlesnake

@CMPunk If you could wrestle anyone from wrestling history who is not currently active in wrestling who would it be?#SaveColtsFinger

@CMTesoriero24 Samoa Joe