CM Punk’s promo at the end of WWE Raw 6/27/11
In case you missed it, check out CM Punk’s amazing promo that closed last night’s WWE Raw.
In case that video is removed here is a full transcript:
“John Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me.
I want you to digest this because before I leave in 3 weeks with your WWE Championship, I have a lot of things I want to get off my chest.
I don’t hate you, John. I don’t even dislike you. I do like you. I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back.
I hate this idea that you’re the best. Because you’re not. I’m the best. I’m the best in the world. There’s one thing you’re better at than I am and that’s kissing Vince McMahon’s ass.
You’re as good as kissing Vince McMahon’s ass as Hulk Hogan was. I don’t know if you’re as good as Dwayne though. He’s a pretty good ass kisser. Always was and still is.
Whoops! I’m breaking the fourth wall! (Punk waves to the camera)
I am the best wrestler in the world.
I’ve been the best since day one when I walked into this company. And I’ve been vilified and hated since that day because Paul Heyman saw something in me that nobody else wanted to admit. That’s right, I’m a Paul Heyman guy. You know who else was a Paul Heyman guy? Brock Lesnar. And he split just like I’m splitting. But the biggest difference between me and Brock is I’m going to leave with the WWE Championship.
I’ve grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon’s imaginary brass rings that it’s finally dawned on me that there just that, they’re completely imaginary. The only thing that’s real is me and the fact that day in and day out, for almost six years, I have proved to everybody in the world that I am the best on this microphone, in that ring, even in commentary! Nobody can touch me!
And yet no matter how many times I prove it, I’m not on your lovely little collector cups. I’m not on the cover of the program. I’m barely promoted. I don’t get to be in movies. I’m certainly not on any crappy show on the USA Network. I’m not on the poster of WrestleMania. I’m not on the signature that’s produced at the start of the show. I’m not on Conan O’Brian. I’m not on Jimmy Fallon. But the fact of the matter is, I should be.
This isn’t sour grapes. But the fact that Dwayne is in the main event at WrestleMania next year and I’m not makes me sick!
Oh hey, let me get something straight. Those of you who are cheering me right now, you are just as big a part of me leaving as anything else. Because you’re the ones who are sipping on those collector cups right now. You’re the ones that buy those programs that my face isn’t on the cover of. And then at five in the morning at the airport, you try to shove it in my face and get an autograph and try to sell it on Ebay because you’re too lazy to go get a real job.
I’m leaving with the WWE Championship on July 17th. And hell, who knows, maybe I’ll go defend it in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Maybe…I’ll go back to Ring of Honor.
(Punk looks at the camera and waves)
Hey, Colt Cabana, how you doing?
The reason I’m leaving is you people. Because after I’m gone, you’re still going to pour money into this company. I’m just a spoke on the wheel. The wheel is going to keep turning and I understand that. Vince McMahon is going to make money despite himself. He’s a millionaire who should be a billionaire. You know why he’s not a billionaire? Because he surrounds himself with glad-handed, non-nonsensical, douchebag (censored) yes men, like John Laurinaitis, who’s going to tell him everything he wants to hear, and I’d like to think that maybe this company will better after Vince McMahon is dead. But the fact is, it’s going to be taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law and the rest of his stupid family.
Let me tell you a personal story about Vince McMahon alright. We do this whole (anti) bully campaign
(Mic cut off.)”
Work? Shoot? Worked shoot? Who knows? It doesn’t really matter, because it was amazing and has everyone talking. The fact that people are questioning it is testament enough. After reading next weeks Raw spoilers it seems pretty clear it was at least partially planned.
It is the most true, different and exciting thing to happen to wrestling in a long time.
For those totally unaware, CM Punk’s contract is set to expire on July 17th, the night of the Money in the Bank PPV where he will be fighting John Cena for the WWE title. Is that true that his contract expires that night and he plans on leaving? All reports I’ve read say yes, but who really knows. Another interesting thing to note is that CM Punk had a similar storyline when he left Ring of Honor about 6 years ago, where he did indeed win the title on his last night and stuck around to defend it for a few extra months.
So what will happen here? It’s anyone guess, but it was a shocking moment that seemed to have a lot of truth to everything that was being said. I’ve been a fan of CM Punk since his debut on the doomed relaunch of ECW almost 6 years ago, and in that time he has consistently been the best thing going in wrestling. He is the main reason I continue to watch, especially since Jericho left again. If he is really leaving in a few weeks it will really be a shame. He is as hot as ever right now, and WWE should do whatever they can to hold on to him and capitalize.
His soliloquy is reminiscent of Joey Styles quitting to help form ECW and Daniel Bryan returning to NXT after being eliminated.
The unfortunate thing about these comparisons is that WWE failed to fully capitalize on both situations properly. Hopefully they have learned and won’t make the same mistake again.
This is the type of promo that could shake everything up and legitimately change things. A lot of WWE flaws were laid out for the world to hear on WWE programming, and I can only hope they are not dumb enough to allow someone to point them all out without a plan to fix them.
Whatever happens, it is a very exciting time to be a WWE fan.