-CM Punk on Monday Night Raw June 27th, 2011John Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me. I want you to digest this, because before I leave in three weeks with your WWE Championship, I have a lot of things I wanna get off my chest.
I don’t hate you, John. I don’t even dislike you. I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back. I hate… this idea… that you’re the best… because you’re not. I’m the best. I’m the best in the world. There’s one thing you’re better at than I am, and that’s kissing Vince McMahon’s ass. You’re as good at kissing Vince’s ass as Hulk Hogan was. I don’t know if you’re as good as Dwayne… he’s a pretty good ass-kisser… always was and still is. Oops… I’m breaking the fourth wall. [Punk waves to the camera.] I am the best… wrestler… in the world. I’ve been the best ever since Day One when I walked into this company, and I’ve been vilified and hated since that day because Paul Heyman saw something in me that nobody else wanted to admit. That’s right, I’m a Paul Heyman guy. You know who else was a Paul Heyman guy? Brock Lesnar… and he split, just like I’m splittin’, but the biggest difference between me and Brock is that I’m going to leave with the WWE Championship.
I’ve grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon’s imaginary brass rings that it’s finally dawned on me that they’re just that. They’re completely imaginary. The only thing that’s real is me, and the fact that day in and day out, for almost six years, I’ve proved to everybody in the world that I am the best on this microphone, in that ring, and even on commentary. Nobody can touch me. And yet, no matter how many times I prove it, I’m not on your lovely little collectors’ cups, I’m not on the cover of the program, I’m barely promoted, I don’t get to be in movies, I’m not on any crappy show on the USA Network, I’m not on the poster of WrestleMania, I’m not on the signature that’s produced at the start of the show. I’m not on Conan O’Brian, I’m not on Jimmy Fallon, but the fact of the matter is I should be, and trust me, this isn’t sour grapes, but the fact that “Dwayne” is in the main event of WrestleMania next year and I’m not makes me sick!
Oh hey, let me get something straight, those of you who are cheering me right now… you are just as big a part of me leaving as anyone else, because you’re the ones sipping out of those collector cups right now, you’re the ones that buy those programs that my face isn’t on the cover of, and then at five in the morning at the airport, you try to shove it in my face thinking you can get an autograph and sell it on eBay because you’re too lazy to get a real job.
I’m leaving with the WWE championship on July 17 and hell, who knows, maybe I’ll go defend it in New Japan Pro Wrestling… maybe I’ll go back to Ring of Honor… [Punk waves to the camera again] hey, Colt Cabana, how you doing? The reason I’m leaving is you people because after I’m gone you’re still going to pour money into this company — I’m just a spoke on the wheel — the wheel’s gonna keep turning. And I understand that… that Vince McMahon’s gonna make money despite himself… he’s a millionaire who should be a billionaire… you know why he’s not a billionaire? It’s because he surrounds himself with glad-handing nonsensical douchebag yes-men like John Lauranitis, who’s gonna tell him everything he wants to hear… and I’d like to think that maybe this company will be better after Vince McMahon is dead, but the fact is it’s gonna get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law and the rest of his stupid family.
Let me tell you a personal story about Vince McMahon. You know we do this whole bully campaign…**mic cuts off**
Just one year ago today, CM Punk wearing a Stone Cold Steve Austin T-Shirt sat in an Indian style position at the top of the Monday Night Raw stage and just let out all his personal feelings. He literally dissed his boss, the company he was working for, the fans, AND the network he was on, LIVE on television. At that point in his career, Punk was frustrated about how he was being used with the company. Even through in the 6 years he was with the WWE, he won multiple championships and he was well respected by all wrestling fans alike. However, Punk felt he wasn't being used to his full potential, and felt that the E was pretty much disrespecting him. Rather then pushing him, they were too busy shoving the super hero known as John Cena down everybody's throat. Giving that Cena's match with Rock was a year away, the WWE were trying to make him as strong as possible. Meanwhile Punk's contract with the company was about to be up, and it seemed the WWE could care less about him leaving. CM Punk wasn't afraid to talk about it either.
On the day of June 27th, 2011 CM Punk posted this following tweet:
I'm in full, "what are they going to do, fire me?" mode.
— CM Punk (@CMPunk) June 27, 2011
Nobody knew what he meant by that tweet, but little to our knowledge Punk had something in store for EVERYBODY. He was in full YOLO mode...
After Punk dropped his
Punk's speech got a lot of media attention, even Jim Rome gave his two cents on it. For the first time in a long time, all eyes were on the WWE, most notable CM Punk. Not long after his speech it lead to CM Punk having not only one of the greatest matches of the year, but also one of the greatest moments ever. Punk went to his home town and showed why he was Chicago Made.
Following the events of Money In The Bank, the summer of 2011 became the Summer of Punk. Punk did exactly what he said he was going to do, he "left" the WWE with their championship. During the next few weeks we would see CM Punk post pictures with title in his fridge, with his friends, and even taking it to a Cubs game. Punk even went as far to barging into press conferences just to talk shit. All eyes were on CM Punk just to see what he was going to do next..
Punk did re-sign with the WWE, and he did return a few weeks later. The ovation that he received showed that he has become the M in his name..he was Made. CM Punk proclaimed himself the "Voice of the Voiceless", he was pretty much the spokesperson for all the
If you notice in the speech transcript, there are words highlighted. Every one of the things that Punk mentioned in that speech ended up happening one way or the other. From Johnny Ace becoming an on air character. From Triple H being open about his position of power, even Brock Lesner and Paul Heyman showing up a year later. Punk has now become one of the top superstars in the WWE and has brought a new case of realism to their programming. Now Punk's face is on every WWE program (behind John Cena of course). He is making more media appearances, and also getting himself into twitter beef's with pop stars.
With Punk's success, came the success of other young superstars too. With the rise of wrestlers like Daniel Bryan, Zac Ryder, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, and a lot of other young superstars. The WWE starting pushing a lot of their younger talent. At the end of 2011, these were the champions closing out the year.
1 year later, CM Punk is still the WWE champion, and is one of the top wrestlers in the WWE today. He has went day in and day out and proved to everybody why he is the best wrestler in the world. I mean shit, even crazy chicks are digging him. Kinda ironic that Punk was wearing a Steve Austin shirt when he dropped his pipe bomb a year ago. 15 years earlier, Austin made a speech that launched his career. 15 years later, the venom of the rattlesnake went into Punk's blood and he made a speech that pretty much re-launched his own career.
1 year later the wheel has kept turning, sure the E are STILL pushing John Cena down our throats. Granted, Vince McMahon is still trying to force feed us wrestlers that we can give 2 fucks about. However at the end of the day, we will always remember what happened on June 27th, 2011. Wrestling fans will ALWAYS remember what happened when somebody decided to take a stand and OPEN their mouth. CM Punk has our absolute attention right now..
Greatest in the world baby!!!
~~Mr. Busby~~
Very good article, well done sir
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