WWE: Was the John Laurinaitis "Lifetime Achievement Award" Video Long Overdue?

For those of you who don't know, John Laurinaitis is one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time.

He is also one of the dorkiest.

As a member of the "Dynamic Dudes" in the NWA/WCW, he and his tag team partner, Shane Douglas, rode to the ring with their skateboards.

They were the cool kids from California who were simply way ahead of their time—or not.

In reality, it was 1980s cheese piled on high—not that there was anything wrong with it. The colorful, skateboard gimmick dovetailed well with the happenings of that era.

It was a decade that encapsulated a carefree attitude, underscored by hairstyles that would make one scream in horror today.

Still, what transpired during the '80s remains—and should remain—in an underground capsule. Suffice to say, time does not reflect highly on the majority of stuff during that period.

And while Laurinaitis somewhat redeemed himself by subsequently showing off an innovative style of work in All Japan Pro Wrestling, the stigma of his NWA days has still lingered like an unsightly mole.

In the last several months, CM Punk has been all too aware of Laurinaitis' ignominious past, often bringing it up—in random fashion, no less—during their on-air encounters.

Finally, during the Slammy Awards edition of Monday Night Raw, the "Straight Edge" superstar unleashed a video package that left every fan's mouth agape.

At last, members of the WWE universe heard a resounding "click" go off in their heads, as they now had a cornucopia of moving images to complement all the previously empty references.

The question is, was it too late?

After all, it did take nearly six months from the time Punk called out "Johnny Ace" in his infamous summer promo.

While some might say the fans were left in the dark for too long, one can also argue that for the audience to care about Laurinaitis' past, they had to be invested in him—the character and the personality—first.

At first we didn't know what to make of the alleged sycophant who walked with a stiffly upright posture and spoke with a dry, gravelly voice.

Thereafter, we saw split-second flashes of his "charisma" with a humor that was more parched than the back of his throat, reminiscent of a nomad stuck in the Sahara for days.

Before we knew it, a catchphrase was born—"future endeavored"—and the interim GM proclaimed himself to be "Mr. Entertainment."

Of course, the purpose of his character became crystal clear—it was to be an exercise in ludicrous irony.

As a result, the fans have become thoroughly exasperated with his persona—as they should be—yearning to see him get his comeuppance.

With the fans having clear reasons to dislike the "Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Raw," it was only apropos for CM Punk to cast the "Funk Man's" humiliating history on the video screen.

Having now cared about the suit-wearing yes-man for better—or worse—the fans were in a better position to laugh and take pleasure at his expense.

All in all, John Laurinaitis' "Lifetime Achievement Award" came at precisely the right time.