RatedPhenom
Undercard
[MENTION=5934]Punkftw[/MENTION] Nicht deine Woche, hm? Zuerst die Geschichte mit Bryan und jetzt das 
CM Punk verlässt WWE - Eklat am Montag vor RAW!
- Starter*in ZackAttack
- Datum Start
Mark
Mark of the Year
Du gehst im Moment davon aus dass zum Zeitpunkt von Bryans Tweet die Story schon geplant war. Und Bryan hat das selbe, Tage vorher in einem Interview gesagt. Was, wenn bis zum Rumble das nicht der Plan war? Denn sowohl der PWInsider als auch F4WOnline berichteten letzte Woche, dass der Plan Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan heißt.
Ein Abgang von Punk ausgerechnet zu diesem Zeitpunkt des Jahres, kurz vor dem Start des Networks, kurz vor WM, macht (leider) überhaupt keinen Sinn. Vor allem wenn man es in den Shows totschweigt. Denn bisher geht Punks Abgang nur durch die Medien. Und AJ hat auf Twitter bestätigt, dass "Phils Abgang kein Work" ist. hat sie umgehend wieder gelöscht.
Ich gehe nicht davon aus, dass die Story bei Bryans Tweet schon geplant war. Ich bin mir total unsicher was man da gerade fabriziert, es gibt für fast jedes denkbare Szenario ernstzunehmende Argumente. Vielleicht hat man auch verstanden, dass sich kein Mensch für WM 30 interessiert und deshalb eine riesige "alternative" Story gezündet. Ich weiß es nicht aber ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, dass man Punk ohne ärztliches Attest auf der Road einfach so gehen lässt.
Das Interview von Bryan habe ich ehrlich gesagt nicht mehr im Kopf gehabt. Aber das halte ich nicht einmal für On Gimmick, einfach weil das gesamte Interview eher Bryan Danielson als Daniel Bryan gezeigt hat.
Ich bin mir echt nicht sicher was da gerade los ist.
Da sind wir schon 2!
Heute morgen hätte ich einen Work noch für durchaus denkbar gehalten. Aber nachdem ich Meltzer und Alvarez zugehört habe, und gelesen habe was PWInsider, PWTorch und Co. schreiben, habe ich größere Zweifel bekommen. Denn keiner von denen deutet auch nur an dass es ein Work sein könnte. Und das ist sehr ungewöhnlich. Dann müssten bei WWE wirklich ALLE mal dicht gehalten haben. Und das kommt so gut wie nie vor. Wir werden sehen wie es in den nächsten Wochen weiter geht. Schweigt man das Thema Punk weiterhin tot, dann wird es wohl Realität sein dass Punk die Biege gemacht hat.PS: ich fühle mich auf alle Fälle an den Frühsommer 2011 erinnert.
Leider aber auch an die Tage nach WM27, als Egde seine Karriere beendete 
Randy van Daniels
Sensei
Wenn einer die Eier für so eine Aktion hat, dann ist es definitiv CM Punk. Könnte natürlich auch ein Work sein, aber ich sehe das momentan ganz entspannt. Unter diesen Voraussetzungen wird es entweder eine große und hoffentlicht auch grandiose Storyline oder CM Punk kehrt in die Indys zurück. Für Smart Marks also eine Win-Win Situation. Wie bereits erwähnt: Punk lebt ziemlich bescheiden, hat einen Abgang/Rücktritt immer mal wieder angedeutet und ich gehe stark davon aus, dass Punk bei einem WWE-Abgang noch einige Zeit in den Indys worken würde. CM Punk beendet seine Karriere nicht ohne ein Abschiedsmatch mit Colt Cabana
Mark
Mark of the Year
Da sind wir schon 2!
PS: ich fühle mich auf alle Fälle an den Frühsommer 2011 erinnert.
Wie gesagt ich bin mir echt unsicher. Ich lese erst seit ein paar Jahren mit was in der WWE Backstage so abgeht und auch das meistens hier und nicht über die amerikanischen Newsseiten. Auf mich wirkt einfach nur die gesamte Situation irgendwie... unwirklich und vor allem widersprüchlich.
Das Karriereende von Edge habe ich nicht wirklich groß verfolgt. Ich habe nur die Shows gesehen ohne parallel dazu mitzulesen und war echt geschockt als ich bei seinem Open Air Auftritt als wahrscheinlich letzter Mensch der Erde von seinem Abgang gehört habe
Gott sei dank ist der weg
Ich hoffe das ist keine SL und der Spacko verlässt die WWE wirklich. Immer wenn sein Vertrag ausläuft wird er zur Diva und zeigt sein "wahres" Gesicht. Nur am Jammern und Quängeln und am Meckern. Wenn er genug Kohle gemacht hat, dann soll er ruhig verschwinden und Golf spielen.
Ich hoffe das ist keine SL und der Spacko verlässt die WWE wirklich. Immer wenn sein Vertrag ausläuft wird er zur Diva und zeigt sein "wahres" Gesicht. Nur am Jammern und Quängeln und am Meckern. Wenn er genug Kohle gemacht hat, dann soll er ruhig verschwinden und Golf spielen.
Rygel
World Champion
Das ist mir durchaus bekannt und deshalb würde ich auch Punk charakterlich jederzeit über das restliche Roster stellen. Aber trotzdem geht es mir gegen den Strich, wenn ich so etwas über Multi-Millionäre lese, so nach dem Motto "Er hat sich keine 28 Swimming Pools in seine 34 Villen gesemmelt, jetzt feiert ihn mal ab wegen seiner Sparsamkeit". Für mich gehen da die Relationen flöten. Ich gehe in 4 Monaten mit ungefähr 18.000 Euro aus meinem Job und wegen dieser ungeheuren Summe kann ich überhaupt erst machen, was ich will und muss nicht mehr auf mein Konto gucken. Einfach weil ich nicht im Monat 3.000 Ocken unter die Leute bringen muss, sondern kaum noch Fixkosten habe. Deshalb sehe ich mich aber nicht als supersparsam an, sondern als relativ normal. Und deshalb sehe ich auch Leute wie Punk nicht als sparsam an, sondern als relativ normal. Und ehemalige Superstars, die tatsächlich mehrere Millionen durchgebracht haben, als strunzdoofe, gierige XXXX, die es wirklich nicht anders verdient haben. Aber o. k., ich gebe zu, dass das natürlich nur eine persönliche Meinung ist.
AlivePhoenix
Undercard
Ich bin angetrunken und sowas von angepisst wenn Punk jetzt länger als 1-2 Monate weg ist. Wenn jetzt DBry bis WM nicht den Push des Jahrzehnt erhält, bin ich raus. RAUS!!!!
Spear
Wrestling Legende
Für mich ist das zu 99% keine Storyline. Da gibt es für mich einfach zu viele Punkte, die dagegen sprechen. Und warum sollte man das nur über das Internet machen, damit das nicht mal alle Fans mitkriegen? Man hätte dann sicherlich in den Shows auch etwas davon erwähnt, wenn auch nur ganz kurz. Aber eine Storyline, die man in den Shows erstmal komplett ignoriert? Das kann ich mir überhaupt nicht vorstellen, besonders da Punk sich schon einmal überlegte, die Promotion zu verlassen. Das dürfte sicherlich kein Work sein und wenn doch, würde ich mich fragen, ob das jetzt dann aus dem bereits von mir genannten Grund auch wirklich so gut gemacht wäre.
ESSO
Jobber
Wenn Punk erstmal weg ist dann wars ja mit "Summer of Punk" wie vor ein paar wochen es angedeutet wurde.
Denn ist ja Platz für Daniel Bryan!
Und was ist eigentlich mit Cena?
Irgendwie lassen seine Kräfte auch ein wenig nach und ist nicht mehr der Ausnahme Champ wie vor einigen Jahren.
Denn ist ja Platz für Daniel Bryan!
Und was ist eigentlich mit Cena?
Irgendwie lassen seine Kräfte auch ein wenig nach und ist nicht mehr der Ausnahme Champ wie vor einigen Jahren.
ebe3:16
Hall of Fame
Naja, warte mal ab. Spätestens nächstes Jahr wird er wieder Champion sein, da bin ich sicher.
Weil es sehr viel ist und im Grunde vieles bereits in einzelnen News berichtet wurde, hier mal der Artikel von Dave Meltzer aus dem heutigen Wrestling Observer Newsletter in voller Schönheit:
The departure of C.M. Punk (Phil Brooks, 35) after eight-and-a-half years under a WWE contract remained the most talked about thing in pro wrestling this past week, with chants for Punk at most of the arenas the company held shows in.
Not a lot has changed in the past week. Punk walked out on 1/27 in Cleveland, about 30 minutes before the Raw television show was going to go on the air. There have been a lot of claims as to why, including reports claiming he was mad Dave Bautista returned and was getting the WrestleMania title match at Randy Orton (which would contradict what he said in an interview with Ariel Helwani a few days earlier, where he said he was fine with that).
Those close to the situation say that people looking for a singular reason or a simple reason are missing the point. Nearly everyone who knew him reasonably well said that they knew he was going to leave. At one point, Orton vs. Punk for the title was planned for WrestleMania, but that changed some time back. Some had noted to us that they didn’t believe he’d last through July, when the three-year contract he signed in 2011 would expire.
From those within the company, the talk is that Vince McMahon wants him back, because he is the company’s second biggest merchandise seller, behind John Cena, and one of its key performers, plus was figured into a key WrestleMania match with HHH. McMahon is said to be the one who is going to handle this situation even though HHH, or Paul Levesque, as he’s really known by most who aren’t wrestlers, runs talent relations. Some have said that Levesque felt that Brooks walking out was unprofessional, and that the company didn’t need him or anyone. Others have noted that he can’t express that feeling and it’s best for him to stay quiet. Even though a guy walking out of a television shoot as a headliner and with no notice would be considered unprofessional, for him to express strong feelings would have people say he’s putting his personal wrestling angle ahead of business. A key is that Punk made it clear that a match with HHH was not a match he was interested in at WrestleMania. This is in a sense is a slap in the face of HHH as a performer.
The reality is that a match with HHH, because of his power and long-time stardom, is guaranteed to be one of the key pushed matches on the show. On the flip side, if Punk was going to leave in July, which was his plans, it really wouldn’t make sense for Punk to beat HHH, who is going to stay, and who, while not a full-time wrestler, will remain a key performer with the company for years to come. And even if HHH doesn’t want to win, he’s very well versed in both promos and matches at not really putting people over, even if he does get pinned in the end. And the reality is, if Punk is leaving, there is no reason for HHH to put him over past pacifying fans for the moment while not building the next step, unless it’s to build for a return where HHH does go over.
WWE has made no public statements. Punk has, however, been removed from all advertising going forward. His name was never mentioned on Raw and the chants for him were not acknowledged in any form. Some expected a big burial like the company did in 2002 when Steve Austin walked out under somewhat similar circumstances, but the company probably learned to have the foresight to avoid that.
Still, they are clearly not confident he’s coming back. He was removed from the open of the show and replaced with a shot of Kane. He was removed from a graphic on the app and replaced by Cena. On 2/4, a licensee was given the instructions to remove all graphics on merchandise going forward that was to have Punk and replace them with Randy Orton. The latter move, in particular, is a longterm move and wouldn’t have been called for unless they were pretty sure he wasn’t coming back soon.
Those who have spoken with him and told us to expect him to leave have noted his being unhappy about money and creative, that there were things he had been told would happen that didn’t pan out. It wasn’t any one thing, although his WrestleMania payoff for the Undertaker match was said to be one of many things. But it was made clear to me not to look so simply at one specific thing, past he had lost his enthusiasm and wanted out. Because he didn’t live high on the hog, and can afford to go home and with the way he lives, he’ll have no money worries for the rest of his life.
There was the continual frustration that he felt, correctly, that he didn’t have the look that they believe a top guy should have and it was keeping him from that position. There were also a lot of injuries to be considered. He had a few MRIs done over the past two months regarding various injuries, and underwent ImPact testing for a possible concussion (he tested negative) the night before.
The general feeling in the company was that a lot of people were tired of his negativity and from an office standpoint, many were glad he was gone. Unlike a lot of fans, there was a mood that because of the way he left that they should move on rather than have him come back for a few months to a relationship neither wants, even though he sells a lot of merchandise.
Mick Foley, in particular, noted that he would watch him and cringe when he would go to the top rope for the Randy Savage elbow drop, noting he knew how much it hurt him to do it and suggested Punk to take that move out of his repertoire. He noted Punk was going to do everything he could to have the best match possible until he left. Austin noted that, whether he agreed or not with the creative as it was in 2002 that led him to leave, he regrets doing so the way he did, because he left a lot of money on the table, as Punk is doing.
A key thing Austin brought up is that when he left, he, like Punk, would have been in breach of contract. They can’t force him back to work if he doesn’t want to work. However, when Austin left in 2002, because of the breach, they cut off all money, meaning he didn’t get any merchandising checks from items that bore his name and likeness, or from DVD’s sold featuring him, video game royalties, or any royalties. If he were to complete his contract, he would continue to get merchandise checks after leaving the company, which in his case, would be a significant amount of money.
McMahon did learn from the Austin situation, and situations with so many others who left on bad terms, that it’s not smart business to bury a major star after an abrupt departure, because it only leaves bad feelings if he does come back. There is nothing that has said they have called him in breach and are holding up all future payments, only that they do have the right to do so.
Punk would not be able to work in pro wrestling, or MMA, until his contract expires in July, but he would be free and clear from that point forward to go anywhere or do anything.
WWE had talked of changing up the planned WrestleMania show based not just on Punk leaving, but the crowd reactions at the Royal Rumble. At this point, we are not aware of any major changes. The belief is Daniel Bryan vs. HHH will take the place of Punk vs. HHH, and the Cena vs. Bray Wyatt, Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton vs. Batista WWE title matches will go as first scheduled. From TV, it did appear Orton vs. Batista is still a direction. Lesnar, Paul Heyman and Cena all didn’t work TV this week. Lesnar was pulled last week from the Raw show in Los Angeles. Cena will be back on that show and there is no word at this point if Heyman is booked on TV in Los Angeles and/or Ontario, CA.
Foley, who described himself as someone who knew Punk pretty well and had talked with him at length over his situation, said on one hand his leaving was shocking, but on the other hand, he wasn’t surprised. Foley, who has also left the company a few times, frustrated with working there for different reasons, said he, like many, were aware of how frustrated Punk had been and said he had tried to convince Punk to look at the glass as being half full instead of half empty. But he said that someone who fancies himself on being the best in the world is not going to be able to do that. “Punk is a really honest guy,” Foley said in a video talking about the situation. “He rubbed people the wrong way. A lot of people personally don’t like him, but if you were to ask the guy to change, you’d eliminate who he is. You’d take away his drive.”
Foley noted Punk was undersized and didn’t have the look that WWE wants, but in spite of that, he had become one of the top stars in the business. “The sky should have been the limit, and it hasn’t quite been. There have been some decisions made as far as his direction that I didn’t agree with. I knew he was thinking of leaving. I knew he was looking forward to leaving for a while.” Foley said he would tell Punk to just take time off and let his injuries heal and comeback refreshed. “He would say to me, `I’m not you. Once I’m done, I’m done.’” He said that he expects to talk to Punk and will tell him to work out his contract, then take time off and heal up. “If you still love the business, go back to the indies. Do it on your own terms. I have to believe he no longer needs the money but I think he’s going to love the wrestling business for a long time to come.”
Foley said he was glad Punk stood up for what he believed in, but felt it was an opportunity lost for both the WWE and Punk. He, like Austin, encouraged Punk to come back and at least work out his contract. Foley said he felt Punk’s promos had been lacking for the past several months. Punk, in interviews days before quitting, said that he had gotten tired of fighting and was just accepting things.
Foley said he would encourage WWE that if he does come back, to not script his interviews at all and let him say what he wants. Foley noted that when they worked together, Punk refused to do scripted lines that made fun of Foley’s weight. He said that a build for a Punk vs. HHH match would be a great buildup and almost guarantee a great match because both are good big game players.
A grandstand challenge to Punk for a fight that will likely never happen, was issued by Jason David Frank, the former Green Ranger of the “Power Rangers” and the World Series of Fighting. Their matchmaker and Executive Vice President, Ali Abded-Aziz confirmed to Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com that Frank’s manager contacted them about such a match and said they would be interested in promoting it. He also said they were interested in having Punk fight if he’d like to.
Bellator has also expressed interest in Punk. UFC President Dana White said he thought Punk, who he’s met at several shows, including on 1/26 in Chicago, was a cool guy, but said Punk made no hints at wanting to fight in UFC when they talked last week. He said he didn’t know if Punk could fight so didn’t give a definite answer when asked if they would be interested in using him. Punk had told Helwani that there’s a chance he’d fight, but he also says he’s thinking of fighting so he can entertain himself reading people talk shit about him on message boards. Frank, who is 40, fought three times as an amateur and once as a pro, as a heavyweight, but hasn’t fought in more than three years. If Punk were to fight, and the odds are against it because of the risk/reward aspect, based on his frame, he’d more likely fight at middleweight. But he has the same risk/reward as Dave Bautista, and is younger, and few really expected Bautista to fight, but it was something on his bucket list and he did it. Bill Goldberg, a big MMA fan who trained in the sport, had also entertained doing an MMA fight after WCW closed down, but in the end, decided against it.
The departure of C.M. Punk (Phil Brooks, 35) after eight-and-a-half years under a WWE contract remained the most talked about thing in pro wrestling this past week, with chants for Punk at most of the arenas the company held shows in.
Not a lot has changed in the past week. Punk walked out on 1/27 in Cleveland, about 30 minutes before the Raw television show was going to go on the air. There have been a lot of claims as to why, including reports claiming he was mad Dave Bautista returned and was getting the WrestleMania title match at Randy Orton (which would contradict what he said in an interview with Ariel Helwani a few days earlier, where he said he was fine with that).
Those close to the situation say that people looking for a singular reason or a simple reason are missing the point. Nearly everyone who knew him reasonably well said that they knew he was going to leave. At one point, Orton vs. Punk for the title was planned for WrestleMania, but that changed some time back. Some had noted to us that they didn’t believe he’d last through July, when the three-year contract he signed in 2011 would expire.
From those within the company, the talk is that Vince McMahon wants him back, because he is the company’s second biggest merchandise seller, behind John Cena, and one of its key performers, plus was figured into a key WrestleMania match with HHH. McMahon is said to be the one who is going to handle this situation even though HHH, or Paul Levesque, as he’s really known by most who aren’t wrestlers, runs talent relations. Some have said that Levesque felt that Brooks walking out was unprofessional, and that the company didn’t need him or anyone. Others have noted that he can’t express that feeling and it’s best for him to stay quiet. Even though a guy walking out of a television shoot as a headliner and with no notice would be considered unprofessional, for him to express strong feelings would have people say he’s putting his personal wrestling angle ahead of business. A key is that Punk made it clear that a match with HHH was not a match he was interested in at WrestleMania. This is in a sense is a slap in the face of HHH as a performer.
The reality is that a match with HHH, because of his power and long-time stardom, is guaranteed to be one of the key pushed matches on the show. On the flip side, if Punk was going to leave in July, which was his plans, it really wouldn’t make sense for Punk to beat HHH, who is going to stay, and who, while not a full-time wrestler, will remain a key performer with the company for years to come. And even if HHH doesn’t want to win, he’s very well versed in both promos and matches at not really putting people over, even if he does get pinned in the end. And the reality is, if Punk is leaving, there is no reason for HHH to put him over past pacifying fans for the moment while not building the next step, unless it’s to build for a return where HHH does go over.
WWE has made no public statements. Punk has, however, been removed from all advertising going forward. His name was never mentioned on Raw and the chants for him were not acknowledged in any form. Some expected a big burial like the company did in 2002 when Steve Austin walked out under somewhat similar circumstances, but the company probably learned to have the foresight to avoid that.
Still, they are clearly not confident he’s coming back. He was removed from the open of the show and replaced with a shot of Kane. He was removed from a graphic on the app and replaced by Cena. On 2/4, a licensee was given the instructions to remove all graphics on merchandise going forward that was to have Punk and replace them with Randy Orton. The latter move, in particular, is a longterm move and wouldn’t have been called for unless they were pretty sure he wasn’t coming back soon.
Those who have spoken with him and told us to expect him to leave have noted his being unhappy about money and creative, that there were things he had been told would happen that didn’t pan out. It wasn’t any one thing, although his WrestleMania payoff for the Undertaker match was said to be one of many things. But it was made clear to me not to look so simply at one specific thing, past he had lost his enthusiasm and wanted out. Because he didn’t live high on the hog, and can afford to go home and with the way he lives, he’ll have no money worries for the rest of his life.
There was the continual frustration that he felt, correctly, that he didn’t have the look that they believe a top guy should have and it was keeping him from that position. There were also a lot of injuries to be considered. He had a few MRIs done over the past two months regarding various injuries, and underwent ImPact testing for a possible concussion (he tested negative) the night before.
The general feeling in the company was that a lot of people were tired of his negativity and from an office standpoint, many were glad he was gone. Unlike a lot of fans, there was a mood that because of the way he left that they should move on rather than have him come back for a few months to a relationship neither wants, even though he sells a lot of merchandise.
Mick Foley, in particular, noted that he would watch him and cringe when he would go to the top rope for the Randy Savage elbow drop, noting he knew how much it hurt him to do it and suggested Punk to take that move out of his repertoire. He noted Punk was going to do everything he could to have the best match possible until he left. Austin noted that, whether he agreed or not with the creative as it was in 2002 that led him to leave, he regrets doing so the way he did, because he left a lot of money on the table, as Punk is doing.
A key thing Austin brought up is that when he left, he, like Punk, would have been in breach of contract. They can’t force him back to work if he doesn’t want to work. However, when Austin left in 2002, because of the breach, they cut off all money, meaning he didn’t get any merchandising checks from items that bore his name and likeness, or from DVD’s sold featuring him, video game royalties, or any royalties. If he were to complete his contract, he would continue to get merchandise checks after leaving the company, which in his case, would be a significant amount of money.
McMahon did learn from the Austin situation, and situations with so many others who left on bad terms, that it’s not smart business to bury a major star after an abrupt departure, because it only leaves bad feelings if he does come back. There is nothing that has said they have called him in breach and are holding up all future payments, only that they do have the right to do so.
Punk would not be able to work in pro wrestling, or MMA, until his contract expires in July, but he would be free and clear from that point forward to go anywhere or do anything.
WWE had talked of changing up the planned WrestleMania show based not just on Punk leaving, but the crowd reactions at the Royal Rumble. At this point, we are not aware of any major changes. The belief is Daniel Bryan vs. HHH will take the place of Punk vs. HHH, and the Cena vs. Bray Wyatt, Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton vs. Batista WWE title matches will go as first scheduled. From TV, it did appear Orton vs. Batista is still a direction. Lesnar, Paul Heyman and Cena all didn’t work TV this week. Lesnar was pulled last week from the Raw show in Los Angeles. Cena will be back on that show and there is no word at this point if Heyman is booked on TV in Los Angeles and/or Ontario, CA.
Foley, who described himself as someone who knew Punk pretty well and had talked with him at length over his situation, said on one hand his leaving was shocking, but on the other hand, he wasn’t surprised. Foley, who has also left the company a few times, frustrated with working there for different reasons, said he, like many, were aware of how frustrated Punk had been and said he had tried to convince Punk to look at the glass as being half full instead of half empty. But he said that someone who fancies himself on being the best in the world is not going to be able to do that. “Punk is a really honest guy,” Foley said in a video talking about the situation. “He rubbed people the wrong way. A lot of people personally don’t like him, but if you were to ask the guy to change, you’d eliminate who he is. You’d take away his drive.”
Foley noted Punk was undersized and didn’t have the look that WWE wants, but in spite of that, he had become one of the top stars in the business. “The sky should have been the limit, and it hasn’t quite been. There have been some decisions made as far as his direction that I didn’t agree with. I knew he was thinking of leaving. I knew he was looking forward to leaving for a while.” Foley said he would tell Punk to just take time off and let his injuries heal and comeback refreshed. “He would say to me, `I’m not you. Once I’m done, I’m done.’” He said that he expects to talk to Punk and will tell him to work out his contract, then take time off and heal up. “If you still love the business, go back to the indies. Do it on your own terms. I have to believe he no longer needs the money but I think he’s going to love the wrestling business for a long time to come.”
Foley said he was glad Punk stood up for what he believed in, but felt it was an opportunity lost for both the WWE and Punk. He, like Austin, encouraged Punk to come back and at least work out his contract. Foley said he felt Punk’s promos had been lacking for the past several months. Punk, in interviews days before quitting, said that he had gotten tired of fighting and was just accepting things.
Foley said he would encourage WWE that if he does come back, to not script his interviews at all and let him say what he wants. Foley noted that when they worked together, Punk refused to do scripted lines that made fun of Foley’s weight. He said that a build for a Punk vs. HHH match would be a great buildup and almost guarantee a great match because both are good big game players.
A grandstand challenge to Punk for a fight that will likely never happen, was issued by Jason David Frank, the former Green Ranger of the “Power Rangers” and the World Series of Fighting. Their matchmaker and Executive Vice President, Ali Abded-Aziz confirmed to Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com that Frank’s manager contacted them about such a match and said they would be interested in promoting it. He also said they were interested in having Punk fight if he’d like to.
Bellator has also expressed interest in Punk. UFC President Dana White said he thought Punk, who he’s met at several shows, including on 1/26 in Chicago, was a cool guy, but said Punk made no hints at wanting to fight in UFC when they talked last week. He said he didn’t know if Punk could fight so didn’t give a definite answer when asked if they would be interested in using him. Punk had told Helwani that there’s a chance he’d fight, but he also says he’s thinking of fighting so he can entertain himself reading people talk shit about him on message boards. Frank, who is 40, fought three times as an amateur and once as a pro, as a heavyweight, but hasn’t fought in more than three years. If Punk were to fight, and the odds are against it because of the risk/reward aspect, based on his frame, he’d more likely fight at middleweight. But he has the same risk/reward as Dave Bautista, and is younger, and few really expected Bautista to fight, but it was something on his bucket list and he did it. Bill Goldberg, a big MMA fan who trained in the sport, had also entertained doing an MMA fight after WCW closed down, but in the end, decided against it.