WWE Love Story Part II: “Money in the Bank” and the Ballad of CM Punk

"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
- Alexander Graham Bell

At the close of Sunday’s strongly anticipated “Money in the Bank” event the WWE landscape will have changed…for better or worse.

Will John Cena once again defy the odds, rise to the occasion and successfully defend his beloved WWE championship?

Will CM Punk send shock waves through his hometown of Chicago by winning the WWE championship and leave the WWE as promised, shaking the universe to its very core?

Will an “underdog” emerge and take advantage of the weakened champion, stealing the title from the ruins of what is sure to be a grueling championship match?

What will become of John Cena's career and legacy—and the WWE championship—when the WWE signs off on July 17^th, 2011?

More importantly, what will become of CM Punk?

The Birth/Death of a Salesman

Born Phillips Brooks, CM Punk is a dying breed within the new era of the WWE.

Today’s superstars are no longer gritty, ruthless and pure wrestlers who have perfected both the art of wrestling and playing to the audience. Those men have given way to clean cut, overly muscled behemoths that posses one quality or the other, rarely both—and sometimes neither.

CM Punk, like many before him, is superior in his skill and craft then those around him who dominate the public’s affection. He is a consummate professional who has honed his love for wrestling, along with his straight edge beliefs, into a lifestyle all his own.

He is not John Cena and he is not Randy Orton. They sell the WWE.

CM Punk sells himself.

Orton and Cena are great in their own right, and they deserve all the credit in the world for what they have done to bring fans to the WWE. They are extremely marketable and beloved by a younger generation.

While the WWE markets their hot commodities, there is always the person—who while also deserving—is pushed aside for the sake of “what sells."

There is only one way for such a person’s story to end...tragically.   

The Tale of CM Punk

When CM Punk first arrived on the scene he was unknown to the majority, but the diehard wrestling pundits knew he was the savior.

Born from the depths of backyard wrestling, he found an underground following in the Independent Wrestling Association: Mid-South promotion after several defining matches with the likes of Colt Cabana, Chris Hero and Eddie Guerrero.

Rumors quickly spread amongst the independent and underground cliques of a mythical wrestler who, along with Chris Hero, orchestrated a 55-minute TLC match, a 93-minute two out of three falls match and several 60-minute time limit matches.   

His legend continued to grow when he joined Ring of Honor, where his battles with Samoa Joe live on in wrestling lore.

Eventually Punk won the ROH World Championship, despite the fact he had already signed a contract with the WWE months earlier. Punk would define himself as a wonderfully crafted heel, threatening to take the title with him to the WWE.

In a career defining moment Punk “officially” signed his WWE contract on the ROH World title.

CM Punk was quickly becoming one of the hottest, most polarizing figures in the wrestling industry. The WWE, Vince McMahon’s golden wrestling cathedral, had now opened it’s arms to him. The epicenter of the wrestling universe would soon know the name CM Punk.

The Two Sides to a Coin

Somewhere far away from the dredges of ROH—where you could hear the whispered chants of “CM Punk”—John Cena had just won his first WWE Championship. It would be the first of many in a journey that would showcase just how strong the WWE universe and those that populate it are.

Cena, who had originally been a face with ruthless aggression, was popular because he was to usher in a new generation of stars. The careers of Sean Michaels, HHH, The Rock, Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin were in their final acts, along with the impending death of the Attitude Era.

His rise to the top would be quick. Through his different characters Cena would build an army of fans, due to his hard work both in and out of the ring.

He would be both beloved and a heel as he ran through the likes of Edge, Orton, Bautista, Lesner, HHH, Michaels and The Miz, all involving the WWE championship in some way, shape, or form. He continues to headline Wrestlemania’s and is the current WWE champion.

But the universe is fickle and quickly turned on Cena, as chants of “you can’t wrestle” and “Cena sucks” began to dominate his matches. Just like Punk, he had become a polarizing character.

He has become the epitome of hate for older wrestling fans who now think of him whenever they see the letters “P” and “G” together. All while gaining the adoration of children, the younger generation who will one day grow old and complain just as we did about their beloved Cena.

This modern “Superman” has become bigger than anyone around him. He has become equipped with a bullet proof vest that is capable of deflecting clean losses, entertaining matches, and has suffocated the unpredictable nature that the WWE once strived on. 

Cena, however, has become vulnerable all of a sudden.

Within the depths of the universe there are voices, led by a man with a defiant fist raised high into the air. The whispers have grown louder and they are now chanting “CM Punk”.

Say Goodnight to the Bad Guy

CM Punk, while not taking the easiest of roads, has finally arrived where he belongs—competing for the WWE championship.

Punk has encountered success before in the WWE. Punk is a two time World Heavyweight champion and was ECW champion at one point, but it pales in comparison to the legend he should already be.

The once mythical wrestler who would outperform anybody he stepped into a ring with, the man who orchestrated many underground classic matches, has crashed back down to Earth. He has been made to look like a leader, but he leads the weak—which only makes him look weak.

Ever since his inception into the WWE Punk has been vilified, stunted and mistreated by the corporate machine. Week in and week out they find it necessary to keep the status quo instead of giving the true fans what they want, or better yet, deserve.

Should we, as WWE fans who grew up in love with a product that has seemingly become a shell of itself, stand by and watch a younger generation take over and reshape everything we knew and loved about wrestling?

Should we stand by the words of CM Punk and leave with him if he does not become WWE Champion at “Money in the Bank”?

Punk said it best when he spoke of “just being a spoke on the wheel." We are all fickle and will complain, but we will all still stay and watch.

CM Punk has become a self realized character now. He no longer needs the WWE to prove he’s the best, he knows he is. Unfortunately, the WWE won’t acknowledge it, and we, in all likeliness, will witness the swan song to CM Punk.

However, the universe works in mysterious ways. It pretends not to hear the chants and whispers only to surprise us, and that’s when the magic happens.

Hopefully for one night there is still magic hidden within the WWE.

WWE Love Story Part 1