Here’s what matters today in wrestling 👇
Image Credit: WWE
I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time writing about CM Punk’s body lately. For some reason it always seems to be something that comes up on my Monday news shift. This week, Punk appeared on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast, which is something that none of us would have believed a few years ago, and not just because Stephanie didn’t have a podcast at that point. Punk discussed many different topics, including his new diet & training methods that have resulted in him looking different than we’re accustomed to. As one would expect, this led to countless posts on social media websites from the Punk lovers & haters.
Frankly, my favorite thing about CM Punk has always been the fact that he’s an easy topic. Even back in the 2000s indy scene, everyone had an opinion on the guy, and it was either extreme love or bitter hate. ROH fans either really loved or really hated him, and that’s continued throughout his career no matter where he’s gone. AEW fans loved him when he made his big comeback to pro wrestling there, and now they hate him because he’s not there anymore. If he was still there they’d still love him but you’ll never catch them admitting it. WWE fans love him now, they’d still hate him if he was in AEW or out of wrestling completely, but you’ll never catch them admitting that either. Most peoples’ opinion on CM Punk is based on his surroundings, but people will always have an opinion on him. There are precious few wrestlers you can say that about. Did most WWE fans even think about Baron Corbin during his absence, or Big Cass? Probably not, but they did think of good ol’ CM Punk. That's an awesome attribute for a wrestler to have.
WRESTLING HEADLINES 👊🏽
Image Credit: WWE
People get really mad over this stuff for reasons that escape me, as WWE has been using various methods to censor blood that occurred during previous matches or segments as long as I can remember. It’s the way they do things, always has been and likely always will be unless whoever buys the company from TKO someday is a blood mark. If you’re one of those people that yearns for the days of wrestlers bleeding all over the place, there are plenty of other promotions that will give you that.
Image Credit: WWE
Honestly, I thought WWE was going to ask for more than $99 per year when John Cena started building this thing up. I’m old enough to remember when they charged more per month for access to part of their video library, and I wish they were still doing that. I would probably sign up for this thing if it had that sweet territory footage from back in the day, the rest doesn’t really move the needle for me.
MORE MUST-READ LINKS FROM 411MANIA
→Hall's WWE Raw Review 7.13.26
→Dark Side of the Ring Season 7 Screening & Q&A Report
→Finding the Alternative: A Guide to Moving On From WWE
Thanks for reading,
– Steve Cook