WWE: How the Alcoholism Promo Could Affect CM Punk's Rebellious Image

“I don’t want any sympathy.  Save it for Chris.  S--t just got next level.  I will hurt you.”

Those are the words of WWE Champion CM Punk on Twitter, just one day after the surprising turn of events between him and Chris Jericho on Monday Night Raw.  

That’s right, folks.  CM Punk is in the storyline.  He’s playing his role.

That was the first thought I had when the spot happened on Monday night.  When Chris Jericho revealed that Punk’s father was an alcoholic, hence Punk’s straight edge lifestyle, I just shook my head, and mumbled under my breath, that the thinly veiled illusion had now come to an end.

Yes, I really talk that way.  Super poetic over here.

What has gotten CM Punk over, from the moment that he dropped his initial pipe bomb laced promo back in June of 2011, is the realism of his character.

Every time he speaks, it’s real.  Every time he confronts another Superstar, his words seem very genuine and unrehearsed.  And, every time he stares into the camera, with that cynical smirk that silently assures you that he’s not falling for anything, fans know that Punk is the real deal.

It’s what separates him from the rest of the locker room.  It’s what has elevated him from mid-card, back to main event.  He has reached his full potential as the “voice of the voiceless,” and no one inhabits that reality era better than the man who started it the night he sat on the Raw stage and made us listen to him. And, now, with no warning, Punk has been yanked back down to earth, rendered typical and routine, just like any other WWE Superstar in the company.

Why is that, exactly?

Because now, there is no more reality in CM Punk’s world.  The biting commentary that he engaged in on a regular basis is now moot.  The way he cut through to the core on anyone who stood in his path, exposing them for the silly character they portrayed, is now a thing of the past.  Once, he was a passionate wrestler who wanted to facilitate change in the sport that he loved.  

Now, he is just an entertainer, involved in a storyline that is meant to entertain.  Nothing more.

But, here’s the thing.  That’s what he’s always been.  Nothing has really changed at all.  Confused? Don’t be.

CM Punk is a pro wrestler, and pro wrestlers work you.  They work you like crazy. 

Like, all day long.

Just because Punk’s delivery seems genuine, and just because he seems like all the rest of us regular Joes and Janes out here, the truth is, he’s playing his role.

Yes, he’s very real, and yes, he’s very accessible for fans who believe in what he says, but at the end of the day, CM Punk is doing what it takes to get over.  And, getting over for him means being that prophet of change that we believe is shooting, at least in some part, every time he opens his mouth.

It’s his character.  That’s what it’s always been.  Simple as that.

So, there’s no real reason to get upset about what we saw on Raw, right?  After all, the chances that Punk did not know what Jericho was going to say are very slim to absolutely none.  Again, he’s in the storyline, he’s part of the show and WWE is doing nothing but adding more anticipation to the match that many fans are already claiming will steal the show at WrestleMania.  It’s smart, it works and it makes sense.

But, for those of us out there who have enjoyed Punk’s WWE pipe bomb barrage since last year, the whole angle is fairly disappointing.  Why?

Because we expected Punk to answer.  Because we expected Punk to smirk, shake his head and congratulate Chris Jericho on his ability to dig up some dirt. Now it was time to stop with the mind games, because he would not fall for it.

We expected Punk to shake it off and go back to the business of cutting scathing promos.

But, now that the aura of realism surrounding Punk is all but over, we have to face the knowledge that we are indeed watching professional wrestling, not a reality show.  What’s real is often vastly outweighed by what is not.

The fact that any fan out there would actually believe, in any way, that a contracted WWE Superstar would go into business for himself and carve out his own high profile place in the company by publicly insulting the McMahon family, is astonishing.  

The fact that his orchestrated illusion of rebellion has been shattered by the realization that it’s time to drop the smile and start acting, is disheartening.  Oh well.  It was fun while it lasted.

CM Punk puts all of himself into his character, and is as real as any WWE Superstar that we have ever seen.  His work is convincing, it’s relevant, and since last June, it has been the best of his WWE career.  His upcoming match against Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 28 will only add to the reputation he has earned as arguably the best all around performer in the company today.

Punk is playing the role.  The good news for us is that he’s very good at it.