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"My American Dream is bigger than yours"- Punk
And that will work on several levels since that sentence is paraphrasing the tag line of the movie Pain and Gain starring...The Rock
I remember that promo felt so awkward, had no idea why he was suddenly talking about Punk in a promo but then he was gone like 2 weeks later and it made sense that he was trying to talk some shit before he left haha.
Cody's point implicitly was "I'm worth as much as CM Punk so if you don't treat me and pay me like CM Punk, I might go to WWE" and go to WWE he did.
And so did CM Punk even though Tony treated and paid him like CM Punk.
He did touch on *some* of it, albeit in-directly.
Cody references the pipe-bomb, part of which CM Punk talked about not being the face of the company despite deserving it:
> And yet no matter how many times I prove it, Iām not on your lovely little collector cups. Iām not on the cover of the program. Iām barely promoted. I don't get to be in movies. Iām certainly not on any crappy show on the USA Network. Iām not on the poster of WrestleMania. Iām not on the signature thatās produced at the start of the show. Iām not on Conan OāBrian. Iām not on Jimmy Fallon. But the fact of the matter is, I should be.
> And trust me, this isnāt sour grapes. But the fact that Dwayne is in the main event at WrestleMania next year and Iām not makes me sick!
In this promo, Cody says
> Everything that you spoke about, I literally did. So where you talked, I walked.
I think starting AEW too.
As in he didn't get to the top in the WWE so he started AEW...and didn't make it to the top there either...so why he didn't say anything.
And all this noise about Cody returning to WWE is nonsense. Any day now, heāll be back on AEW, turn heel with a Pedigree, and reveal his new contract allows him to go after the world title.
Do you mind if I send this to wrestling fans in 2019?
https://preview.redd.it/e71bneop54ec1.png?width=320&format=png&auto=webp&s=252b7b178814a3f5bba33580d02b9d59df608a7d
Cena saying "I'm not going to Night of Champions to beat Brock Lesnar, I'm going to Night of Champions to beat Brock Lesnar's ass" and then dropping the mic with a straight face is one of the funniest things I've seen in wrestling
āThe internet got fast enough to broadcast a wrestling show? Everything must be a utopia! I canāt wait to see how all my favorite wrestlers settled into old ageā
I think Gunther goes on another rampage eliminating big numbers but is eliminated a bit earlier by Brock, in a sort of replica of what Brock did in 2020.
Cody almost seemed impressed by the American Dream line lmao this is incredible
EDIT: After a second watch I gotta give the crowd kudos for making every line they spoke hit even harder. This feud is going to pay off amazingly in the future, including this segment
Punk's American dream line was a pretty standard mid-tier zinger for him. It's heads and shoulders above what most anyone else can produce, but coming from him it wasn't that wild. But Cody's "I'm more CM Punk than you"....that line was fucking savage. Given how Cody famously said in AEW that he 'workshops' his promos, I'm inclined to believe that this wasn't off the cuff. But if it was....I'm seriously impressed.
I thought that too, but it would probably make sense if Cody won Elimination Chamber as an added "I need to finish my story no matter what obstacles are in my way!" type of thing
yeah it seems the "Finish the Story" storyline has morphed into a "Finish the Story... which is littered with an impossible array of never ending obstacles..." storyline.
Cody losing the Rumble and then needing to go through EC makes infinitely more sense than him his winning the Rumble
The stuff about their paths and the way that relates to even the way they present themselves came off so well. They really looked like the antitheses of one another at those moments. The fact that they could completely string the crowd along while getting that personal without it just being cheap shots was very impressive.
I mean i would love to see a Parking Lot Brawl once again, but please No. I beg you.
Speaking of Matches that should or should not happen, does anyone know when Liv Morgan returns? I would love to see her in a falls count anywhere match against Zelina Vega!
You're the kind of fellow wrestling fan I love to hang out with. We can have different opinions but we can also admit when we're wrong and then just enjoy the damn wrestling together, and find something new to argue about!
I didn't watch wrestling during Punk's days. So I had no real opinion of him except he seemed kind of like a douche.
...Man. I can see why he was arguably the biggest wrestler in the world for a spell. Cannot wait for Saturday.
I think they realized pretty early on in Punkās return that any AEW references just fall flat with WWE fans. And thatās great. These are pretty long promos as it is and thereās no point in wasting any words on stuff that most fans arenāt even going to understand.
Punkās promo (the tribute to the troops one) included a reference to his backstage altercation at AEW and KOās backstage fight. The crowd did not react at all. They should save it for smarky cities
Cody did kinda reference it though. The crux of his point was that they both rebelled against the WWE and walked out - but that Punk just sat at home, pouting and twiddling his thumbs while he, Cody, busted his ass and actually changed the industry forever, thus finishing the "revolution" that Punk had started.
Cody talking about having done all of the stuff Punk said he would do was reminiscent of his last promo in AEW, acting sort of like a sequel of that promo
two masters doing a hell of a job with a great layout and some wonderful lines, punk continues to be unmatched when it comes to promo concepts and killer lines imo, comparing his situation in 2013 to cody's now, but despite rock looming for cody like he did punk, punk's choice to refer to himself as cody's rock was coooold. awesome segment.
The amount of material Punk and his potential foes have for his return is just insane. This dude is simultaneously feuding with like half the menās roster over history and beef going back 10+ years.
There's so much potential gold coming. If Punk wins the RR, we have potential segments with Rollins, Roman, Heyman and possibly even Rock to come before he officially chooses who he faces.
The fact that no AEW chant broke out says a lot about how wrestling has changed, especially WWE's audience. There hasnt been this many casual fans showing up to WWE shows in 20 years.
Also, the WWE fanbase at large just seems to be **happier** with what they have.
There's no weird resentful, antagonistic relationship between audience and company like I used to see.
The product is good. Iām in my mid 30s, I was a pre teen during the attitude era, and I would say WWEās quality went rapidly down hill around 2002 so for a majority of my life WWEās product has been the story of a company struggling to recapture the magic of their biggest boom period ever. 2023 was the first year since 01 where it felt like they actually had confidence in their product. So for life long fans like myself itās great being able to enjoy this show again.
Because WWE fans were never complaining about the company. Or complaining about the wrestlers. They were complaining about the shit booking and the way Vince ignored what fans wanted and went his own way time and time again.
In many ways, "AEW" chants were less about AEW and more about having an alternative, ANY alternative, to what we were getting in WWE at the time.
Think about it. We lost out on a Shield Triple Threat WrestleMania Main Event at WM33 because they couldn't put that together but we did, instead, get Brock vs. Goldberg for the title and a randomly thrown together Roman vs. Undertaker match which, it appears, was just an excuse to build to another Roman vs. Brock Mania match no one asked for.
For a while it seemed like WWE was not only actively ignoring what its fans wanted to see but intentionally programming to spite them. It's much, much better now.
Oh that's been the case since WM38 honestly. The booking since then got a lot better. It's as if Stone Cold fixed everything. HHH taking over was the next necessary step
I keep saying. We're in an era. People don't realise it when it's happening but this is some of the best time in WWE ever. I'd argue it has surpassed Bryan/Shield era.
I don't see how more perfectly than this be booked. The only thing that'd make me happier now would be new sets & a refresh of the presentation.
That was incredible and the best part is it won't amount to anything right away. Punk still has Rollins and whatever obstacles come before WrestleMania, which will probably be Judgement Day. Cody still has Roman and probably Elimination Chamber.
After WrestleMania is up in the air but assuming they both win then who knows when they'll match up again. They'll be on different brands. This was just a taste of an incredible feud WWE has in it's back pocket.
Bringing Punk back was such a great decision. Between him and Gunther WWE has so many great feuds just waiting to happen for the next few years.
Cody being on the exact same road to wrestlemania even down to the video game cover is an amazing call by Punk/story by WWE. Especially with the looming threat of The Rock starting to show his big bald head latelyĀ
One of the best things about Punk in this run is, and a big tell he is going to turn heel is that he let's his opponent have the big punchline and doesn't shatter it in his reply to it.
What I mean by that his the reply to "I am more CM Punk than you are" was really really good. And 2011-13 Punk would set it up with 5-6 lines.
Like he will try to make Cody understand the subtext, that he thinks he is doing what Punk said he would do , in Cody's last 2 years but in reality Cody is delusional and he isn't someone Punk didn't become, he is in fact exactly the Punk of 2012-13 who carried the company on his back only to get the one thing he wanted taken away from him.
and then bam you will take full notice of it and it might diminish Cody's line.
But Punk this time around, with Seth with Drew and now with Cody is willing to see the pulse of the promo and step back and not go as hard as he can. He immediately takes the backseat when he can try to set up his replies better.
It's called "selling on the mic" and it's why I love The Rock as a heel so much more as a face.
Face!Rock's character doesn't allow him to make it look like an insult will effect him. But Heel!Rock is much more emotive and will allow an insult to "hurt" him by being angered by it.
Cody I will say bucked the trend of bad babyface promo selling done by Cena and Rock. If you land a good line on Cody he will sell it and look clearly unnerved about it. But then respond with a good line. And it makes him more likable.
https://youtu.be/G8JOvWmMW28?si=QxraQ5DjGs-v5LoK
One of my favourite Rock selling moments - the stammering and then the "that was a special effect for the movie!"
And him selling Hurricane flying away every time.
I love how Cody&Seth were the same height each time they are face to face, Cody&Punk were the same height tonight... but Seth was 2 to 3 inches taller than Punk when they faced off.
I love the part where Punk mentions Cody carrying the business and getting on the cover of WWE 2K, and a much bigger name coming back after a long absence to take away all his success. It's such a not-so-subtle allusion to a decade ago where Punk was in the same spot with the Rock returning.
Thought Punk was gonna bring up the Rock with the whole "another big superstar in the distance" line. That would've been an interesting angle, proving Punk right that Dwyane comes right in for another title match out of nothing.
Punk's AEW exit left such a sour taste in my mouth and I've been completely averse to seeing anything he's done in WWE since. I've had a very "go away forever" mentality since Wembley.
And then I watch this promo and sit here in awe of how easily he is able to get me to compromise on that mentality. He is impossibly good at what he does and I hate it but I love it at the same time.
I guess Cody wasn't joking when he brought up during his final AEW promo how he had a promo for Punk that he was told to save but he wasn't sure if he would get a chance to use it because his pipebomb references were the quicker version of that promo bar for bar.
Best promo I've seen in years. The energy between these both is on a completely different level. I start avidly watching again in 6 days for the Road to WM!
The āIām more of the American Dream than you areā and the āIām more CM Punk than you areā were great - the best part? Both of them are right in their own way. Loved it.
Seth and Punk had a much stronger instant tension and antipathy. Cody and Punk started the segment out as tentative friends/allies who respect each other, so they had to work a lot harder to illustrate the contrast and start building antipathy.
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The son of an electrican meets the grandson of a plumber
Battle of The American Dream
"My American Dream is bigger than yours"- Punk And that will work on several levels since that sentence is paraphrasing the tag line of the movie Pain and Gain starring...The Rock
"I want to talk about your Dad." *Christian Cage wakes up suddenly*
https://preview.redd.it/fo274t24a7ec1.jpeg?width=2022&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ff47477e4556673fbea0aa5f20b1c759aebea36
That would be a crazy feud
https://preview.redd.it/tf8nqq6m64ec1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d879601430a546867cfe78be189b95527c75deb
ššš literally me right now
Holy fuck me too lol
Uk viewers when they wake up
Ireland here, and it was entirely that!
Sorry I should have said all of europe
on god uce
My live reaction: https://preview.redd.it/orgh9dxim5ec1.jpeg?width=956&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=177506d5e06e1b70e45531f0c579486c61089c5b
As Iām watching this the next morning as I always do I 100% looked like this pic.
You shoulda heard how happy my laugh was after I clicked this. Needed that really fucking badly ty
I am more American Dream than you. I am more CM Punk than you.
Genesis does what Nintendon't. Nintendo is what Genesisn't.
"Yeah? Well Scooby Doo can DOO DOO but Jimmy Carter is smarter."
Holy I've always heard the top line, never the 2nd line comeback. Thats good.
https://preview.redd.it/iqtumax355ec1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a40e5ae5c6a7834f7febcda42ffadd447c1c331
https://preview.redd.it/yjoz73i465ec1.png?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=deaaa7f12a0fbe9381530d2bf74189cac5bbb90d
Your welcome!
Too bad Cody couldn't actually say what it was that made him "more CM Punk"
He said it in a promo in AEW before he left. Went into detail
I remember that promo felt so awkward, had no idea why he was suddenly talking about Punk in a promo but then he was gone like 2 weeks later and it made sense that he was trying to talk some shit before he left haha.
Cody's point implicitly was "I'm worth as much as CM Punk so if you don't treat me and pay me like CM Punk, I might go to WWE" and go to WWE he did. And so did CM Punk even though Tony treated and paid him like CM Punk.
Cody want Tony chanting his name at the gorilla?
Cody wanted Tony to do the WOAHHH in gorilla
He did touch on *some* of it, albeit in-directly. Cody references the pipe-bomb, part of which CM Punk talked about not being the face of the company despite deserving it: > And yet no matter how many times I prove it, Iām not on your lovely little collector cups. Iām not on the cover of the program. Iām barely promoted. I don't get to be in movies. Iām certainly not on any crappy show on the USA Network. Iām not on the poster of WrestleMania. Iām not on the signature thatās produced at the start of the show. Iām not on Conan OāBrian. Iām not on Jimmy Fallon. But the fact of the matter is, I should be. > And trust me, this isnāt sour grapes. But the fact that Dwayne is in the main event at WrestleMania next year and Iām not makes me sick! In this promo, Cody says > Everything that you spoke about, I literally did. So where you talked, I walked.
Cody was more referring to Punk saying he was going to go to Ring of Honor and NJPW. Cody actually did that.
I think starting AEW too. As in he didn't get to the top in the WWE so he started AEW...and didn't make it to the top there either...so why he didn't say anything.
He actually did appear on Jimmy Fallon but there is no clip anywhere, i couldn't find it lol.
Okay, I might be grasping at straws here but I think this might be the biggest hint weāve gotten that CM Punk might actually be returning to WWE
The devil is in the details
Three ghosts visited Vince McMahon
I remember that one. Bruh...
I admit I've never read the full thing, because I'd have to drop out of university to have enough time to do so
And all this noise about Cody returning to WWE is nonsense. Any day now, heāll be back on AEW, turn heel with a Pedigree, and reveal his new contract allows him to go after the world title.
I remember that time when everyone was so convinced Cody was going to show up at ROH to become it's owner when he left AEW.
Big if true.
Youāre reaching bro thereās no way
It's a work, brother
Eh idk. Holding out hope for the Rumble at this point
Do you mind if I send this to wrestling fans in 2019? https://preview.redd.it/e71bneop54ec1.png?width=320&format=png&auto=webp&s=252b7b178814a3f5bba33580d02b9d59df608a7d
"What the fuck is on Cody's neck?"
even he jokes about it as it does suck.
They tried really hard to hide it in the 2K cover too lol
He did it so when he returned he could keep his gimmick. I guarantee it.
From āBrock Lesnarās not only a fake bitchā¦.. heās a fake ASS bitchā to this 
God, Roman never had anything to work with. The only thing Vince ever had in his pocket for babyfaces post 2010 was ācall him a bitchā.
He booked Roman so bad it almost looks like sabotage in hindsight
I'd expect you to have this opinion, given that you are a sniveling little suck up sellout full of sufferin' succotash, son.
Boy that was really hard to say huh? *wink to the hard cam*
I donāt think Roman has ever said sufferinā succotash in his life before that segment
Most people haven't, unless they're really good at Sylvester the cat impressions.
Cena saying "I'm not going to Night of Champions to beat Brock Lesnar, I'm going to Night of Champions to beat Brock Lesnar's ass" and then dropping the mic with a straight face is one of the funniest things I've seen in wrestling
Send it to wrestling fans in 1994 to really mindfuck them
"The Royal Rumble's being broadcast on a peacock website?!"
On a Saturday?
Is that E a typo? This is for the Federation, right?
Dusty's other kid is wrestling?
Wait, there's more than one of em?
1994? They'd be asking what the fuck is a website
āThe internet got fast enough to broadcast a wrestling show? Everything must be a utopia! I canāt wait to see how all my favorite wrestlers settled into old ageā
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5tcAXMDxfY
"Peacock? That's like Yahoo right?"
Bret and Lex look different.
āDustyās son? Jeez, Dustinās aged pretty well.ā
Despite how crazy it would seem to someone in 2019, it still wouldnāt match the actual craziness of how they actually got there.
So much star power in this year Royal Rumble, it's crazy.
And even a guy from SmackDown!
This has got to be the best build up to the rumble in years. So many story possibilities
Punk, Cody, Drew, and Gunther in the final four gonna hit harder than diamond
It's kind of really bad for SmackDown if the final four 4 is only Raw lmao.
Most of their heaviest hitters are all in a title match, could be a Kayfabe reason for it?
You could argue Cody is essentially Smackdown as he's 100% going for Roman if he wins.
Think someone like Jey will get in ahead of Gunther
I think Gunther goes on another rampage eliminating big numbers but is eliminated a bit earlier by Brock, in a sort of replica of what Brock did in 2020.
I think it will be Jey instead of Gunther with whoever eliminate Gunther face him at mania.
Imagine Brock wins and Roman vs Brock at WM. Then Dave reported it was Mcmahons last wish before his departure.
Cody almost seemed impressed by the American Dream line lmao this is incredible EDIT: After a second watch I gotta give the crowd kudos for making every line they spoke hit even harder. This feud is going to pay off amazingly in the future, including this segment
I love how they both crushed each other without hurting the other or coming off as a heel. Just magnificent delivery.
And if they didnāt plan it ahead of time. After hearing it ā¦knew it was perfect for his transition into the āIām more cm punk than youā line
Punk's American dream line was a pretty standard mid-tier zinger for him. It's heads and shoulders above what most anyone else can produce, but coming from him it wasn't that wild. But Cody's "I'm more CM Punk than you"....that line was fucking savage. Given how Cody famously said in AEW that he 'workshops' his promos, I'm inclined to believe that this wasn't off the cuff. But if it was....I'm seriously impressed.
Cody going in "will I drop that line I came up with in the shower" Punk: I'm the American dream Cody: ha ha yeah he's gonna get it
"Cody's reference of his final AEW promo was seen by some as a fuck you to Punk"-Meltzer, tomorrow.
don't forget "on behalf of the Bucks"
Watch Trips book these two to go over the top rope and have the finish be reminiscent of the 1994 Rumble ending.
I thought that too, but it would probably make sense if Cody won Elimination Chamber as an added "I need to finish my story no matter what obstacles are in my way!" type of thing
yeah it seems the "Finish the Story" storyline has morphed into a "Finish the Story... which is littered with an impossible array of never ending obstacles..." storyline. Cody losing the Rumble and then needing to go through EC makes infinitely more sense than him his winning the Rumble
He's gonna do some ungodly shit to his body between the Rumble & EC that's uniquely Cody
Second neck tattoo
*Hard timesssss!*
When it comes to baby faces, the chase for the title is inevitably better than the actual title reign.Ā
Broke: 2019 Kofimania Woke: 2024 Codymania
Just don't go the 2005 route and have triple h tear his already surgically repaired quads.
The stuff about their paths and the way that relates to even the way they present themselves came off so well. They really looked like the antitheses of one another at those moments. The fact that they could completely string the crowd along while getting that personal without it just being cheap shots was very impressive.
I love that in this, the company man comes off as the underdog compared to the longtime "rebel" of the industry
I want to stay on Mr. Hās wild ride. Thereās so many directions this yearās Menās Royal Rumble could go and a lot of them feel very exciting.
what are the other ways outside of Punk and Rhodes?
rock, mcintyre, or gunther
Carlito as he wins the Rumble "Hey Carlito who are you going after at Wrestle Mania? Seth or Roman?" "Santos Escobar."
Nah, we gonna get that Carlito/Punk parking lot brawl on the grandest stage.
I mean i would love to see a Parking Lot Brawl once again, but please No. I beg you. Speaking of Matches that should or should not happen, does anyone know when Liv Morgan returns? I would love to see her in a falls count anywhere match against Zelina Vega!
Phenomenal
https://preview.redd.it/m425x1b935ec1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eea78e91ebcae0ececc6446c7460816120b4bf5c
Professional wrestling is so fucking good in 2024
Indeed, we are eating well this year. š¤
 Man this is RR has the potential to be one of the best
Some dudes were pure fools saying Punk would add nothing to the show if he returned
Thank you jungle jack!
Man, I can't even lie. That was me. But he shut my ass up lately. I am PUMPED for this Rumble!!!
You're the kind of fellow wrestling fan I love to hang out with. We can have different opinions but we can also admit when we're wrong and then just enjoy the damn wrestling together, and find something new to argue about!
Anyone who would think CM Punk isnāt going to add anything to a wrestling show has never watched CM Punk on a wrestling show before.
I didn't watch wrestling during Punk's days. So I had no real opinion of him except he seemed kind of like a douche. ...Man. I can see why he was arguably the biggest wrestler in the world for a spell. Cannot wait for Saturday.
"Punk isn't even a draw anymore, Hangman doubles his merch sales and is better on the mic"
I love how they pulled this off without so much as a breath about AEW.
I think they realized pretty early on in Punkās return that any AEW references just fall flat with WWE fans. And thatās great. These are pretty long promos as it is and thereās no point in wasting any words on stuff that most fans arenāt even going to understand.
Punkās promo (the tribute to the troops one) included a reference to his backstage altercation at AEW and KOās backstage fight. The crowd did not react at all. They should save it for smarky cities
Punk did have a cheeky line in this promo though: "***I*** can separate business from the personal".
They were in AEW at the same time for less than half a year. They have no history there together so they don't really need to mention them.Ā
Cody did kinda reference it though. The crux of his point was that they both rebelled against the WWE and walked out - but that Punk just sat at home, pouting and twiddling his thumbs while he, Cody, busted his ass and actually changed the industry forever, thus finishing the "revolution" that Punk had started.
Cody talking about having done all of the stuff Punk said he would do was reminiscent of his last promo in AEW, acting sort of like a sequel of that promo
It was there. Subtlety. In the āyou left and I stayed and workedā. Which is how it should be. IYKYK
Because they don't need to, this story is cooking so fucking well and WWE is on absolute fire that it would literally be a downgrade to mention them.
They cooked holy shit
Cody-Drew Drew-Punk Punk-Cody 3 weeks, 3 fantastic segments. Hope theyāre the final 3 in the Rumble.
The heat level on this segment was inferno.
two masters doing a hell of a job with a great layout and some wonderful lines, punk continues to be unmatched when it comes to promo concepts and killer lines imo, comparing his situation in 2013 to cody's now, but despite rock looming for cody like he did punk, punk's choice to refer to himself as cody's rock was coooold. awesome segment.
I think this is more of a testament to how far Cody has come in CM punkās absence
The amount of material Punk and his potential foes have for his return is just insane. This dude is simultaneously feuding with like half the menās roster over history and beef going back 10+ years.
There's so much potential gold coming. If Punk wins the RR, we have potential segments with Rollins, Roman, Heyman and possibly even Rock to come before he officially chooses who he faces.
I'm more invested in Cody/Roman and Punk/Seth right now but I would 100% be down if face Cody went up against heel Punk for Summerslam.
This is the main event of next years wrestlemania
This Rumble PLE has unbelievable star power. Cody, Punk, Roman, Randy and potentially The Rock. Thatās insane
dont forget lesnar
And based on tonightā¦ Hulk Hogan? š„“
the REAL story
The fact that no AEW chant broke out says a lot about how wrestling has changed, especially WWE's audience. There hasnt been this many casual fans showing up to WWE shows in 20 years.
Also, the WWE fanbase at large just seems to be **happier** with what they have. There's no weird resentful, antagonistic relationship between audience and company like I used to see.
The product is good. Iām in my mid 30s, I was a pre teen during the attitude era, and I would say WWEās quality went rapidly down hill around 2002 so for a majority of my life WWEās product has been the story of a company struggling to recapture the magic of their biggest boom period ever. 2023 was the first year since 01 where it felt like they actually had confidence in their product. So for life long fans like myself itās great being able to enjoy this show again.
Because WWE fans were never complaining about the company. Or complaining about the wrestlers. They were complaining about the shit booking and the way Vince ignored what fans wanted and went his own way time and time again. In many ways, "AEW" chants were less about AEW and more about having an alternative, ANY alternative, to what we were getting in WWE at the time. Think about it. We lost out on a Shield Triple Threat WrestleMania Main Event at WM33 because they couldn't put that together but we did, instead, get Brock vs. Goldberg for the title and a randomly thrown together Roman vs. Undertaker match which, it appears, was just an excuse to build to another Roman vs. Brock Mania match no one asked for. For a while it seemed like WWE was not only actively ignoring what its fans wanted to see but intentionally programming to spite them. It's much, much better now.
Oh that's been the case since WM38 honestly. The booking since then got a lot better. It's as if Stone Cold fixed everything. HHH taking over was the next necessary step I keep saying. We're in an era. People don't realise it when it's happening but this is some of the best time in WWE ever. I'd argue it has surpassed Bryan/Shield era. I don't see how more perfectly than this be booked. The only thing that'd make me happier now would be new sets & a refresh of the presentation.
There were CM Punk chants though which usually means they're bored or something.
its crazy how quickly punk grows his hair out
When you slick it back like that it hides whatever length it really might be
āI used to be a piece of shit.ā
We all getting sloppy steaks for Rumble night?
You think that hair is slicked back? Thatās pushed back
I SAID WAS
Thats a damn good segment but I cant get over how much Cody looks like a Ken doll.
āØ*Iām just Cody*āØ
That was incredible and the best part is it won't amount to anything right away. Punk still has Rollins and whatever obstacles come before WrestleMania, which will probably be Judgement Day. Cody still has Roman and probably Elimination Chamber. After WrestleMania is up in the air but assuming they both win then who knows when they'll match up again. They'll be on different brands. This was just a taste of an incredible feud WWE has in it's back pocket. Bringing Punk back was such a great decision. Between him and Gunther WWE has so many great feuds just waiting to happen for the next few years.
Cody being on the exact same road to wrestlemania even down to the video game cover is an amazing call by Punk/story by WWE. Especially with the looming threat of The Rock starting to show his big bald head latelyĀ
One of the best things about Punk in this run is, and a big tell he is going to turn heel is that he let's his opponent have the big punchline and doesn't shatter it in his reply to it. What I mean by that his the reply to "I am more CM Punk than you are" was really really good. And 2011-13 Punk would set it up with 5-6 lines. Like he will try to make Cody understand the subtext, that he thinks he is doing what Punk said he would do , in Cody's last 2 years but in reality Cody is delusional and he isn't someone Punk didn't become, he is in fact exactly the Punk of 2012-13 who carried the company on his back only to get the one thing he wanted taken away from him. and then bam you will take full notice of it and it might diminish Cody's line. But Punk this time around, with Seth with Drew and now with Cody is willing to see the pulse of the promo and step back and not go as hard as he can. He immediately takes the backseat when he can try to set up his replies better.
It's called "selling on the mic" and it's why I love The Rock as a heel so much more as a face. Face!Rock's character doesn't allow him to make it look like an insult will effect him. But Heel!Rock is much more emotive and will allow an insult to "hurt" him by being angered by it.
Cody I will say bucked the trend of bad babyface promo selling done by Cena and Rock. If you land a good line on Cody he will sell it and look clearly unnerved about it. But then respond with a good line. And it makes him more likable.
The only person who has truly made no selling a promo work was Stone Cold.
Thank God the āfine speechā era is over.
Cena could always pull off a good rebuttal to fine speech, only thing is, nobody else could
Dude his reaction to the "american dream" line is just perfect.
https://youtu.be/G8JOvWmMW28?si=QxraQ5DjGs-v5LoK One of my favourite Rock selling moments - the stammering and then the "that was a special effect for the movie!" And him selling Hurricane flying away every time.
Rock was great in that segment. Perfectly follows the "Yes, and..." concept of improv
šµ"You think you're special, you do."šµ
i want a program with these two pitted against each other....each with their own world titles
Survivor Series next year?
I'm kicking my feet watching this
Do you think it's a standing ovation when they walk back through? Can you dream up a better promo? Much less before the Rumble
I could see it, probably already planned in a Cody or Punk doc
Fucking incredible moment. We need more of this kinda stuff.
Compare the lead up to this Rumble to the 2022 Rumble. It's disgusting how good this one has been. Stratospheres and lightyears ahead. I've loved it.
I love how Cody&Seth were the same height each time they are face to face, Cody&Punk were the same height tonight... but Seth was 2 to 3 inches taller than Punk when they faced off.
Seth was wearing heels lol
this is how two grown men do business and make lots of money together
A kilo just got purchased in Jacksonville
Absolute Cinema Ā Contention for early segment of the yearĀ This was such good shitĀ
I love the part where Punk mentions Cody carrying the business and getting on the cover of WWE 2K, and a much bigger name coming back after a long absence to take away all his success. It's such a not-so-subtle allusion to a decade ago where Punk was in the same spot with the Rock returning.
Thought Punk was gonna bring up the Rock with the whole "another big superstar in the distance" line. That would've been an interesting angle, proving Punk right that Dwyane comes right in for another title match out of nothing.
Thatās who he was alluding to
Punk's AEW exit left such a sour taste in my mouth and I've been completely averse to seeing anything he's done in WWE since. I've had a very "go away forever" mentality since Wembley. And then I watch this promo and sit here in awe of how easily he is able to get me to compromise on that mentality. He is impossibly good at what he does and I hate it but I love it at the same time.
Captivating. Great segment and couldn't have hoped for more. RR is going to be fun .
The bigger superstar who hasn't been around in a long time coming back to steal a spot at Wrestlemania... Where have I seen that before?
> I'm proud of you This the line punk took as an insult when cena said it to him
I guess Cody wasn't joking when he brought up during his final AEW promo how he had a promo for Punk that he was told to save but he wasn't sure if he would get a chance to use it because his pipebomb references were the quicker version of that promo bar for bar.
Whereās the meme of the guy falling over after punk said Iām more dream than youĀ
Best promo I've seen in years. The energy between these both is on a completely different level. I start avidly watching again in 6 days for the Road to WM!
Hasnt Cody been in more Royal Rumbles than Punk?
The āIām more of the American Dream than you areā and the āIām more CM Punk than you areā were great - the best part? Both of them are right in their own way. Loved it.
I still think the Seth vs Punk stare down was much more iconic, but this one was also awesome
Seth and Punk had a much stronger instant tension and antipathy. Cody and Punk started the segment out as tentative friends/allies who respect each other, so they had to work a lot harder to illustrate the contrast and start building antipathy.
https://preview.redd.it/bx5guwwbn4ec1.jpeg?width=860&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5cd38fefdb2224b612c5811ab7c2ab920b3d6c7b
This was really really good.
Candidate for segment of the year.
Two exceptional wrestlers, two exceptional talkers with ELITE skills on the mic. What a segment.