CM Punk: Why Phillip Brooks Deserves an Emmy Nomination

What is the WWE?

They would like you to refer to it as "sports entertainment," but what kind of qualification is that? If professional wrestling isn't a sport because the result is predetermined then it shouldn't have sport in its name. 

What's accurate in that description is the entertainment aspect. Everything that is put on television is meant to be entertaining; Monday Night Raw is no exception. In reality, pro wrestling is a dramatic presentation put on television weekly to entertain an audience. The superstars are the actors—the difference is, part of their acting involves improvisation as well as a tremendous amount of athletic ability.

Some of them can't handle the dialogue part of it. They don't cut promos. They just go into the ring, do their business and that's it. 

But the real stars of the business, the real Hall of Famers have that rare combination of not only in-ring ability, but amazing ability to play their part, to sell the script and sell their story to the audience.

Why is Raw any different than Grey's Anatomy? True Blood? The actors on Raw (and Smackdown) are paid to play their parts in a dramatic presentation. And some of them do a damn good job with it.

The latest example of someone who has shown acting ability worthy to be considered for an Emmy is none other than Phillip Brooks himself (better known by the character he portrays, CM Punk).

Punk's promos have been absolutely outstanding. Every time he picks up the mic, Raw fans everywhere are glued to their TV. He portrayed his character as the anti-hero to absolute perfection, and his infamous work shoot promo was the stuff of legend.

Punk is not the first who deserves a nomination (the Rock would have been every year in the late 90s and early 2000s), but he is the most deserving candidate now. Heck, if it wasn't for Bryan Cranston's jaw-dropping performance on Breaking Bad, I would say that Brooks deserves to win.

But unfortunately, it will never happen. As long as they keep referring to it as "sports entertainment," no one will ever take it seriously as what is really is—a scripted drama that involves athletics. What a shame.

What is the one thing you always hear from non-WWE fans, "You know wrestling is fake right?" OK well if it's fake then let's start treating it like every other television show and start recognizing its actors for everything they do.