Why we should respect CM Punk

Punk went from beloved hero to hated heel in a matter of months, which was a huge ask especially when he was getting the biggest pops on a nightly basis, and was far more over than any other superstar (yes, even Mr. Cena at times).

Punk has been on a crusade for ‘respect’ since Raw 1000, believing that the WWE Universe hasn’t respected his incredible accomplishments. I shall now provide you with a few reasons as to why you SHOULD respect CM Punk:

He’s put on excellent matches

CM Punk has always been renowned for his excellent in-ring ability, having spent years honing his craft in smaller promotions such as Ring of Honour. Punk’s has also incorporated the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into his arsenal and is probably the most technically proficient wrestler around, bar Daniel Bryan. Right from his first title defense at TLC 2011 to his most recent one at Survivor Series, the ‘Voice of the Voiceless’ has never failed to entertain the masses.

He put a beautiful pure wrestling match against Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 28 and an even better Street Fight at the following month’s Extreme Rules pay per view, despite the lackluster nature of the rivalry between the duo. He followed that up with the highly entertaining feud with fellow indy sensation Daniel Bryan. The two, without a shadow of a doubt, had the best rivalry of the year, and also put up excellent contests spread across three pay per views, including the timeless classic at Over The Limit. The insertion of Kane and AJ only served to make their segments more entertaining.

His match against John Cena at Night of Champions too was an instant classic, with the two top dogs going at it for half an hour. He made Ryback a huge star, and the gave WWE’s latest beast an excellent rub at Hell In A Cell and SS. Punk was an ideal opponent for the still-green Ryback, and the champ has also excelled in TV matches throughout the year.

Promo work

The best man behind the microphone on the active roster in the WWE today, Punk has consistently delivered excellent performances on the stick. As a face, his mic work has excellent, but it went up a notch after his heel turn. His promo with John Cena and Bret Hart before Night of Champions is one of the best segments Raw has ever witnessed.

His style is suited to that of a heel performer, and he happens to look extremely convincing every time. It looks as if he really hates the crowds when he insults them alongside Paul Heyman, and has done a wonderful job of turning crowds against him, even when he’s been cheered, like the crowd at the Slammys edition of Raw in Philadelphia. Every teams he demands respect from everyone around him, it feels as if he really has been screwed over by the WWE (true to some extent).

His segments with Y2J and Bryan were hilarious as well, with special reference to the time he called Bryan a ‘goat-face’.

Face/heel conversion

Never before have we seen a wrestler completely change his entire character and personality in the middle of an extremely promising and successful world title run. Macho Man Randy Savage made the face to heel transition when he was the WWE Champion in 1989, but it came to little fruition as Macho soon lost the belt to Hulk Hogan.

Punk was the beloved and over superstar on the roster not named John Cena when he shifted to the dark side at Raw 1000. His popularity was soaring and he was the first wrestler to beat Cena in merchandise sales in nearly five years. He had become the resident anti-hero, the new face the audience had been crying out for, after being treated to years of Cena’s five moves of doom.

He embarked on a slow burning heel turn, and the crowd reacted extremely positively even when he was beating the mickey out of Jerry Lawler in August. The addition of Heyman certainly helped in this regard, due to Heyman’s existing heat from the Brock Lesnar vs Triple H showdown.

Listed above are a few reasons why Punk has been great and certainly worthy of the PWI Wrestler of the Year award. He deserves all the respect that he so badly wants, and even if your not a Punk fan, you cannot help but respect the ‘Best In The World’.

I leave you with this: