2013 Pro Wrestling Thread

Which wouldn't be unprecedented or anything ...

 

Punk would fare better than Miz, but no matter how much he worked at it, he'd still be portrayed as the third of three. I'm not saying he wouldn't try and make the best of it, but I guarantee most people here will be unhappy with the resulting programming that puts the focus on Rock and Cena, since that's been the plan since last WM, which had a year of buildup.

They could also have him go after the World title, presuming Del Rio keeps it until then. Yeah, they've fought a bunch, but now the dynamics are different.

They've got an issue with Punk in that he hasn't really had feuds built up as much as challengers for the belt, since it's been the focus of his character. But without that, and presuming he loses his rematch at EC, what would you do with him? He's wrestled damn near everyone that would be a reasonable opponent (how long has it been since a Punk-Orton match?)

Punk in the Rock-Cena match is the most obvious fix, but I don't think it's going to be a good one for anyone involved.

 

I agree with all of these. Even though he would carry the match both in the ring and out, Punk would be considered the third wheel.

And I believe Punk and Orton last feuded two years ago, culminating at Wrestlemania 27 ("Randall!!!"), when he was leading the New Nexus.

 

Punk and Sheamus have never feuded. Not ideal, but at least it would be new.

 

I had presumed Sheamus, if he didn't find his way back into the World title picture, would be hooked up in an angle with The Shield. Maybe him and Ryback and ... hmmm, Orton? That could set the stage for Orton turning heel, which is long overdue for his character, whether or not he ends up being linked to Shield going forward.

Another possibility: Vince asks Cena to put off his WWE title shot in exchange for Rock defending against Lesnar at WM, so Rock can avenge Vince. But then you've got Cena-Punk yet again.

If they knew for sure Taker wasn't going to WM, and/or weren't positive Triple H was wrestling him at WM, this would have been a good spot to have Lesnar make his big return as a face. People are going to lose their shit for him because he's Lesnar, so that's not a problem. He could have come out at the end of Raw, ostensibly to defend Heyman, only to say "no, yeah, Paul totally hired Shield and Brad Maddox to save Punk's title. He asked me first but I told him I had bigger fish to fry than prop up some homeless kid as champion. Pretty lame of you, Punk" at which point Heyman gets fired (to come back later in some capacity) and heel Punk fights face Lesnar.

 

Ugh, Triple H vs. Undertaker again? Ain't nobody got time for that!

 

I'm thinking with the attack on Vince, plus Heyman's references to Vince's dad and how they're both promoters, and Cole's references to Lesnar hurting DX, that they're setting up for Trips to get his revenge on Lesnar.

Which leaves Punk with Undertaker. And if not, they either have him say that Vince is holding him down by not giving him the rematch at WM and that he'll go after Del Rio, or have him blame the Shield for costing him the title and have him join the faces, maybe as one of those six-man deals where it'll be "Can the good guys trust CM Punk?" (Ugh).

On a side note, I thought it was cool that Heyman mentioned Vince's dad. Outside the McMahon family, there's only really three, perhaps four people who have been around the industry long enough to have met and known Vince Sr. on the current roster: Heyman, Lawler, Flair (probably), and Ross (maybe).

 

I still think, if done right, Punk can keep from being buried in a triple threat. He's got more talent than either guy, and in some ways, being treated like a third wheel for a week or two might help the angle. Give him the title back, leading to Rock getting a rematch and Cena cashing in his Rumble title shot at WM for a triple threat. Then have the announcers build it as Rock-Cena II, get all excited about that with Punk kinda being an afterthought. Even have Rock and Cena play into it, talking about how they're who the fans want to see and it's going to come down to one of them walking out with the belt and even though he's the champion, he's just an also-ran, the third wheel in the match.

Let Punk play off that some, then two weeks before WM have him lead the Shield out to the ring to decimate Rock and Cena, and as they go off the air, have Punk yelling, "Who's a third wheel now, Rock? Who's the third wheel, John?" And it needs to be an old-school WWE Attitude era beat-down, without the blood to keep it PG, not one of these, hey, look, they triple power-bombed someone things. Give them 10 minutes of destroying the Rock and Cena and anyone else who comes out to help them.

Plus, I really think you'd get the fans divided three ways. Older fans marking out for the Rock, kids/women going for Cena, and the "smart" fans going for Punk.

 

That sounds tremendous, JRoyal.

 

I am intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Seriously, though, what OHB said. That's absolutely tremendous.

 

Excellent.

 

Upon further review, JRoyal, you did get one small detail wrong: Punk would never refer to the current champion by his ring name. "WHO'S A THIRD WHEEL NOW, DUANE?!"