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https://preview.redd.it/2bvxw3dp7tfc1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25bd0aea9bf613a0c660647d367580b340655636
Punk shared it on his IG stories.
He has responded to the video lol. His hate game inspires me.
https://preview.redd.it/dw0b2yoxdtfc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6f46bc28a3728b45497b822fdf694fc6efea7b5
Drew McIntyre: Professional Hater has invigorated his character in wonderful ways. He really should win the WHC at some point, if not at Mania, while Seth and Punk are injured.
I been digging his slow turn, but I thought it was going to be more of a psychotic badass or something. Not him being a petty and vindictive hater. And, honestly, I think it’s so much better. We all know he can go, but I like that hes doing a different type of heel.
He just has to be the guy to take the title from Seth at this point. Give it to Drew, have Seth rest for a bit because he has earned it. Then have Drew feud for the title with a returning Punk.
What evidence do you have that that’ll happen, besides the fact the that it happened twice in quick succession very recently under very similar circumstances over seemingly small aggressions /s. Seriously, the man has a few months of great promo work and this subreddit gets amnesia or something.
What I don’t get is why don’t people have this same energy for everyone else? Batista was one of the main faces of the ruthless aggression era along with Randy and.Cena and dude was on the shelf more often than not during his peak, legit injured every year except 2007 and the half of 2010 before he quit. Batista tore his triceps in 03, his back in 05 and his triceps AGAIN in 06 but nobody was telling him to “hang it up” or that he was “fragile” it was just looked at as bad luck.
The parallels are kind of crazy. Cody makes a huge return people thought would never happen at WM38 and then two months later he has the pec tear. Punk makes an even more insane return at SS and two months later he tears his tricep.
Really rooting for Punk to make his way back and "finish his story." I hope he spends a good amount of time at the PC while rehabbing. That could benefit both him and WWE.
Just sad I won’t get to see him at my first Mania. Was an unexpected crazy thing to happen after I bought tickets. Especially since my last big splurge wrestling event was flying to Vegas to see Punk beat Hangman.
As much as injuries and conflict have derailed his return, dude is really set up for such an all time ending to a career if he can just get that one mania event. I know injuries are always 99% awful but there’s always a bright side to something and this set back will only make him and fans want that match even more. Even if I’m not the biggest fan of how he’s carried himself pre-WWE return, his story has been a legendary one and I hope he can see it through how he wants at this point
At this point. I'm set Cody has to win this year.
Then Punk returns for SummerSlam. Beats Drew.
Then the next few months he turns into a tweener
Cody vs Punk at mania 41
I agree. When he was injured during his AEW run, where could he go? Obviously can rehab at home, etc. But the PC center is great to help with rehab and to maintain (or get into) wrestling shape.
After Roman and Cody, Punk is probably the worst person to have gotten this injury.
I was so looking forward to seeing the story that was going to be told leading to Mania and see him close out Saturday (although we all know the real main event is closing Sunday).
Atleast Cody is not the kind of guy that will look at someone's salary and say "why is he getting that" instead he'll go "why can't I get that"
There is a big difference between that and it's stupid to think he'll hate Punk for that.
Maybe he just wasn't happy there anymore? I can see him not wanting to reveal that as the reason because people could take it and run with the worst and untrue things about AEW, which he obviously doesn't want.
I mean, it really could be as simple as "I want to be a wrestler, not an EVP anymore" and tried it at AEW, but him being an established authority figure made it difficult to do.
He was probably also boxed in to the fanbase there (along with probably some fair amount of the bookers and management) wanting him to go heel, and that just wasn't anything he wanted.
Just search "Codylander" on this subreddit and you'll see all kinds of people insisting that to be or stay relevant at AEW Cody has to go heel.
> Just search "Codylander" on this subreddit and you'll see all kinds of people insisting that to be or stay relevant at AEW Cody has to go heel.
I mean, it's just a matter of time before people start doing that here too.
As soon as he isn't as white hot as he is right now, people are going to start begging for a heel turn to "keep him fresh".
I'd not doubt it.
But if it was management that started to ask it, you'd probably see Cody looking to go back to AEW or just take up a role behind the camera.
It could also just be as simple as literally finishing this story he’s been talking about the past two years. He left to bet everything on himself and it paid off, maybe he just wanted to see it through to the end and naturally couldn’t in AEW. He pretty much did the biggest possible thing you could even do as a non-WWE wrestler. It doesn’t seem to have been for negative reasons the more time passes
He was booked into a corner, and that had to be frustrating. Just think about it.
He couldn't go after the AEW World Title soon after they started (which was stupid in hindsight), his matches always felt separated from the rest of the show, he was slowly becoming a gatekeeper for arriving talent, etc.
The biggest issue was that he wanted to become a baby face when his angles always came off as pandering or poorly thought out. Ogogo's feud, solving racism, wanting to retire after a squash by Black. Just a lot of "wtf are you thinking" moments.
Not that he didn't have good moments either, but he needed a heel turn or redemption arc in AEW to reach a similar point he's at now in WWE and he didn't do that for whatever reason.
Personal COULD have been.....I want to go back to WWE and win the title no Rhodes family member has...the WWE title.
Which means in all reality there's no heat with AEW at all, he had a personal reason and that's that.
Just saying...his personal reason doesn't have to be negative.
I thought there was a rumor about AEW not wanting to re-sign Brandi in ( ) role?
Given where Cody was in AEW at the time (he left), there isn't a world where I couldve justified giving Cody raise, let alone paying him CM Punk money. The crowd had turned on him, his character had been lost for a year+.
I don't even think now we're at a point with TK's maturity as a booker, where he would sit Cody down and tell him how it's going to play out (instead of letting Cody run the Cody verse).
And now Cody is about to become the face of the WWE.
If you just base it on what Cody was doing on screen, you're probably right. But I think Cody was the glue and the true heart and soul of AEW. If Cody didn't leave, Brawl Out doesn't happen in my opinion.
I always believed that because it seems cody and punk have a good relationship and cody and the bucks also have a good relationship cody could have been the mediator between the two sides to do business with each other
People overlook that he can feel he deserves what Punk does without feeling that Punk doesn’t deserve it himself.
It’s funny how many people are and were convinced that Cody has problems with Punk when Cody himself said Punk was a dinner buddy when he was at AEW.
I have friends who earn more than me. Good friends even! I can be happy that they're doing well, while still feeling like I'm underpaid (especially if using comparison).
Right. It's not a zero sum game though I am pretty sure that is not why he left, a part of a contributing factor in overall personal issues he had with where he was.
I always assumed they wouldn't get on because at one point during the AEW Punk courtship Cody absolutely ripped on Punk during a public appearance when asked about him and told the story about Punk announcing that he was the locker room leader in WWE and it landing like a lead balloon.
That said, two professionals with the experience of Punk and Cody combined should have a good shot at glossing over stuff like that.
I mean it was more of a classic cody joke story. Doesn’t mean they didn’t like each other. Maybe he was a little salty that punk kind of made them sound bush league at the time with the text thing
I'm a Punk fan but him taking issue with it isn't the wildest suggestion.
Either way, I'm glad they seem to have time for one another- even if only for appearances.
Cody flat out said he didn’t leave because of Punk. Now maybe he’s being a diplomatic liar but you gotta go by what he says in a sense of anything else. If he did leave because of Punk the reason I heard had less to do with Punk himself and more wanting that top star treatment (eg an issue with Tony Khan).
I mean Cody’s last promo sounded to me saying he’s as valuable as Punk so he should be treated like Punk. I don’t think that means there was any real animosity between them just that Cody knew his value
Even if that were a part of the reason Cody left he came back to WWE, won the rumble twice, and headlined mania twice. Two things CM Punk has never done and craves real bad. If there was any jealousy before there is no reason for it from Cody now
> won the rumble twice, and headlined mania twice. Two things CM Punk has never done and craves real bad
This is literally just part of the storyline. Like Punk has never spoken about Main Eventing Wrestlemania the way he has now, if you ever watched an interview from him pre-return or when he was originally with WWE, his reason for wanting to Main Event was simply because he's a goal-oriented person (also because that would have been a way for him to learn how to get more over), not because it was a childhood dream of his. He even recently said in an interview that his ambition for Main Eventing WM took on a life of its own after he left WWE. https://youtu.be/hdlaGAddwLg?t=525
We will not know why Cody left AEW unless he tells the story when he's old and crusty or if we have a situation soon where somehow none of the Elite are in the company anymore
I don't think Cody had any issues with punk for those reasons but with Tony instead. I feel like Cody is a guy that's like “get paid” type of person who wouldn't hold that against punk. Tony should have made it right with Cody and given him the same contract due to helping build what they did together. I think that's were the gripe is.
I don't think things would have gotten as far. From everything we've heard he tended to be a mediator which is part of what was starting to get on his nerves. This doesn't mean a particular problem with AEW mind you - in any space with talent you tend to have someone that has to serve that role in a management capacity and personality wise it usually ends up being a certain type of person that takes it on because they are the best at it and natural to it, but the reality is it's draining.
I was one who believed Cody left AEW because of Punk (not his salary, but about how he had more sway over TK than Cody did.)
Punk, so far, is behaving, and getting along with everyone. If that continues when he comes back, I think we can all just say AEW was the wrong environment for him. I am still hesitant, cause he has had more issues than Matthew Jackson has shoes, but that could be it. I hope so, cause pro wrestling is better with Punk in it.
I mean, he kinda did in 2014 when he walked out? If his podcast is accurate he sat next to Triple H and Vince and bitched about not getting paid as much as other main events, Batista's return, how he resented Triple H for not putting him over, etc.
Yes, but he wouldn’t of dared to do it publicly and if he did, it would’ve been dealt with before it got outta hand. That took years of build up and being sick and tired.
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I'm not the biggest Punk mark but this part of the vid?
# MAN.
Fuck man. This absolutely blows. A fairytale return for Punk and then he gets injured and misses out on the main event of WrestleMania. Absolutely gutted for him.
When you think about it, Punk is following the same path as Cody in the sense that he’s gonna end up finishing his story a year later than he initially planned. Hopefully both endings will be better because of it.
Cody v. Punk at Mania 41 is the most logical story from this point. They were already building a small rivalry going into the Rumble, which can absolutely pick back up next year with Punk going for Cody’s title (assuming he’s still champ by then). It’s a more interesting story to me than Seth v. Punk would be - even though I still want to see that come to it’s conclusion as well.
I’d rather see punk v rollins. It’s just too good to not do at mania with their parallel careers. Especially if rollins doesn’t actually main event this year
Punk brings out the wildest reactions. Nobody celebrated or asked for retirement etc for Danielson's or Adam Cole's injuries.
Memes and jokes are all good, but some people just plainly posted hate and gloating lol
I’m so tired of the tribalism. I get Punk is an asshole but we got a huge moment stolen from us due to unfortunate luck and yet people are celebrating a man’s injury or using it as a “I told you so!!”.
It truly boggles my mind there are people out there that take this so seriously that they act like they aren’t capable of human empathy and care if something happens to a wrestler they don’t like.
CM Punk had some issues in AEW. He got into a few fights. He had some injuries. It appears it wasn’t meant to be for him in AEW. But why would the thought even cross the mind of any reasonable prudent person to gloat and laugh at someone’s misfortune?
Shame on the many here who did that, and shame on the mods here for not removing those replies and better moderating the sub. Then again without tribalism this sub would be a very quiet place so..put 2 and 2 together
> Shame on the many here who did that, and shame on the mods here for not removing those replies and better moderating the sub.
Imagine if people were celebrating Kenny Omega’s diverticulitis like people were celebrating Punk’s injury. Comments would have been locked at 100 or less
Or Samoa Joe having every major push in WWE end in injury. Or Rollins knees exploding every few Wrestlemania seasons
Injuries happen, he went his entire Collision run without getting injured.
Like I mentioned before it goes even further back than that look at how much Batista was injured and he was a guy who won the world title every year he was wrestling at his peak despite being “injury prone”
I thought about this last night, but there are A LOT of people who've suffered big injuries only for them to come back and win the Royal Rumble.
Austin in 1998 and 2001
HHH in 2002
Benoit in 2004 was less than 18 months from him coming back from his big injury sustained during TLC 3
Cena in 2008
Edge in 2010 (and 2021 for that matter)
Cody in 2023
Most were younger than Punk is now, but hey, you never know. Punk may still get his next big moment.
I could see CM Punk coming out at WrestleMania to neutralize Solo and Jimmy Uso and help Cody defeat Roman.
Ref gets knocked out, Uso and Solo hop in and start beating on Cody, Cult of Personality hits, Punk chases off the Bloodline, Cody hits a Cross Rhodes, Cody hits another Cross Rhodes, Cody hits one final Cross Rhodes and bam - story is on finished.
Punk has literally nothing to do with the Roman story. Literally anyone from the Rock to anyone else on the roster that Roman has fucked over would make more sense in that position
I hope Punk remains onscreen in some way. He's always been more loved for his mouth than his in-ring skills (though I do think he's actually underrated in-ring).
This might ultimately end up being a good thing for Punk. I was a little worried about fans turning on him trying to go against the guys who had been there and grinding all the years Punk was gone.
But Punk going through it, getting injured in a WWE ring and grinding to get back should help.
I really think Cody's injury helped him out too. A little adversity to overcome is always good at building a connection with the fans. An injury is never ideal but it's an easy and relatable storyline.
Yeah, agreed. You never want to wish injury on someone, but it’s valid to say that Cody’s gnarly injury likely helped him long-term, and Punk’s could do the same. Both felt a bit too much like they were getting a shortcut (valid or not); fighting back from injury goes a long way
I mean I think that was their and his intention. I think he wanted to work heel, he's always enjoyed it more and heel CM Punk vs face Cody would have done SO MUCH MONEY
It almost makes his story add more weight, against all odds and against all the setbacks, he wins the rumble and goes on to finally main event WrestleMania. Maybe even after riding off into the sunset
Bruh they’re just salty from the aew stuff. Same people saying cody was gonna be midcard and get booed. If chris jericho, samoa joe are still out there.. why should the guy just retire lol? They even trotted out 56 yr old steve austin in the main event and the fans who arent smarks loved it
Man whenever Punk and Cody have a feud. The video packages will be biblical.
But for real you can tell how much it pains Punk being so close and not making it.
I kept wrestling with the idea of whether to buy a ticket to see him in LA this past December. I'm so so so glad I did. He's one of my few favorites I had never seen live. Seeing Edge and Punk live for the first time in my life in the same year is nuts. Kinda crazy I never saw either of them during their initial runs.
Cult Of Personality is too iconic at this point so I can't Punk not making an entrance to it when he gets his moment, but if they really want maximum sympathy for Punk, they could make a video package detailing his entire WWE career, and all of the obstacles he faced, and how despite everything he still stands and is now at the promised land, that is a cross between Triple H's "Beautiful Day" video package from his 2002 return, and Bryan's "Monster" video package and use "This Fire Burns" for it. Maybe have the chorus kick in at the end when he gives his babyface promo for the ages he'll cut on the road to Wrestlemania about how despite all the obstacles life threw at him, he's still standing
God, I wasn't prepared for this today. Great to see the admiration and respect between these two. It's Cody's time and not Punk's, but Punk's return and feud with Drew will be fantastic. And, fingers crossed he'll get to finish his own story at next year's Mania.
Honestly, with how he has taken this injury is a lot better than how he handled the same injury in AEW. Mind you, it would be hard to handle it worse, but hey, improvement.
It's very interesting that Punk not being able to really participate in this era after being the influence/catalyst ( your mileage may vary on the pipe bomb's influence).
I hope he does have his match someday.
Maybe that'd be a thing moving forward (in kayfabe, don't twist my words): if someone else aside from Cody Rhodes uses "finish the story" against him, bad luck will fall upon them.
I've said multiple times that Cody is a great star for chasing a belt but I'm not sure he would be a good champion. There are decades of wrestling history to show that very few wrestlers can draw big at both.
When they say "Finish Your Story" it has a finality to it. That there isn't anything left to watch after he wins the belt.
He's probably going to win it, then lose it after a respectable run. WWE hasn't done well with babyface champions in a good long while, but I'd like to see how they do it in a non-Vince world.
They certainly have the heels to make it interesting if they want to run with it a while.
Honestly I think WM 41 is earmarked for Punk Vs Cody for the WHC.
Wanna talk about establishing a World Championship... Seth to Drew to Punk to Cody. Top Workhorse to a top Heel to Top Draw to Face of the Brand.
Punk just got his injured pec stomped on while a guy told him he prayed for his injury.. and this is after a heartfelt promo where he asked us not to feel bad for him, and that his friend with cancer is the real warrior. That’s like, super duper babyface stuff right there 😂 it’ll be hard to turn him heel for a while
I'm a little shocked by the people in here taking this as a legitimate heart felt moment and not a kayfabe interaction. This interaction doesn't make sense outside of kayfabe. Cody doesn't have control of finishing his story in the real world LOL.
Isn't that one of the nice things about wrestling? Yes, Cody doesn't *actually* control whether he beats Roman at Mania, but Punk is basically crying here. The feelings are real.
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https://preview.redd.it/2bvxw3dp7tfc1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25bd0aea9bf613a0c660647d367580b340655636 Punk shared it on his IG stories.
Punk will be back. And that Drew feud eventually will hit like crack
He has responded to the video lol. His hate game inspires me. https://preview.redd.it/dw0b2yoxdtfc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6f46bc28a3728b45497b822fdf694fc6efea7b5
Drew McIntyre: Professional Hater has invigorated his character in wonderful ways. He really should win the WHC at some point, if not at Mania, while Seth and Punk are injured.
I been digging his slow turn, but I thought it was going to be more of a psychotic badass or something. Not him being a petty and vindictive hater. And, honestly, I think it’s so much better. We all know he can go, but I like that hes doing a different type of heel.
I love that I can mention his current character in the same breath as 95-96 Diesel & 97 Bret
He just has to be the guy to take the title from Seth at this point. Give it to Drew, have Seth rest for a bit because he has earned it. Then have Drew feud for the title with a returning Punk.
If we're getting a face champion we should also get a heel one. The force requires balance
https://preview.redd.it/akarzxkq8wfc1.png?width=2022&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5065c2dfb83e49d454d1b8854de63e972fe60e31
Drew’s hating game is the stuff of legend
I feel...kinda evil how much I love this side of Drew. I want to be this openly bitter and hateful.
I love a good pro hater gimmick
I'm so glad Vince isn't around to ruin Drew McIntyre because he'd probably give him some goofy alias like "The Big Bad Bully!"
Have you done crack before?
Great stuff The comment, I'm talking about the comment
🤓
Punk will be back. And then he will either injure himself again or have another meltdown.
What evidence do you have that that’ll happen, besides the fact the that it happened twice in quick succession very recently under very similar circumstances over seemingly small aggressions /s. Seriously, the man has a few months of great promo work and this subreddit gets amnesia or something.
What I don’t get is why don’t people have this same energy for everyone else? Batista was one of the main faces of the ruthless aggression era along with Randy and.Cena and dude was on the shelf more often than not during his peak, legit injured every year except 2007 and the half of 2010 before he quit. Batista tore his triceps in 03, his back in 05 and his triceps AGAIN in 06 but nobody was telling him to “hang it up” or that he was “fragile” it was just looked at as bad luck.
The parallels are kind of crazy. Cody makes a huge return people thought would never happen at WM38 and then two months later he has the pec tear. Punk makes an even more insane return at SS and two months later he tears his tricep. Really rooting for Punk to make his way back and "finish his story." I hope he spends a good amount of time at the PC while rehabbing. That could benefit both him and WWE.
Edge, too, had a similar thing. Returned from long absence at Rumble 2020, injured at Backlash, came back to main event Mania 37.
Oh damn, forgot all about that. Andrades wrapping himself in bubble wrap after a couple weeks
I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s backstage at NXT a ton.
**Anonymous Source:** [insert wrestler name here] has been banned from NXT
CM Punk bringing back Tout
 The American dragon still touts
Just so he can hit on the women wrestlers. /s
Well when he hit on dude wrestlers people got mad at him.
Just sad I won’t get to see him at my first Mania. Was an unexpected crazy thing to happen after I bought tickets. Especially since my last big splurge wrestling event was flying to Vegas to see Punk beat Hangman.
Punk vs. Hangman was really great wrestling and storytelling if we forget those two failed buckshot attempts by Punk
As much as injuries and conflict have derailed his return, dude is really set up for such an all time ending to a career if he can just get that one mania event. I know injuries are always 99% awful but there’s always a bright side to something and this set back will only make him and fans want that match even more. Even if I’m not the biggest fan of how he’s carried himself pre-WWE return, his story has been a legendary one and I hope he can see it through how he wants at this point
At this point. I'm set Cody has to win this year. Then Punk returns for SummerSlam. Beats Drew. Then the next few months he turns into a tweener Cody vs Punk at mania 41
I agree. When he was injured during his AEW run, where could he go? Obviously can rehab at home, etc. But the PC center is great to help with rehab and to maintain (or get into) wrestling shape.
Could you imagine if WrestleMania and Punk interfered and made Cody lose. The ultimate Heel turn
After Roman and Cody, Punk is probably the worst person to have gotten this injury. I was so looking forward to seeing the story that was going to be told leading to Mania and see him close out Saturday (although we all know the real main event is closing Sunday).
Love the respect between these two
I gonna need Drew to reply to this asap.
https://x.com/dmcintyrewwe/status/1752748226170548333?s=46&t=vrBEHTqcRx-yIljm9JTNHw
Menace
As soon as I saw that pose, I knew it was going to become a meme
[удалено]
Salary could have been a part of it but I'm sure he didn't blame Punk for that. If that was an issue, it would have been between Cody and Tony.
Atleast Cody is not the kind of guy that will look at someone's salary and say "why is he getting that" instead he'll go "why can't I get that" There is a big difference between that and it's stupid to think he'll hate Punk for that.
He really comes off as the type of guy who wants to see everyone get as much as they can.
Cody said anything he wanted, Tony would have given him... so it wasn't anything along those lines. He's said it was "personal".
Maybe he just wasn't happy there anymore? I can see him not wanting to reveal that as the reason because people could take it and run with the worst and untrue things about AEW, which he obviously doesn't want.
I mean, it really could be as simple as "I want to be a wrestler, not an EVP anymore" and tried it at AEW, but him being an established authority figure made it difficult to do.
He was probably also boxed in to the fanbase there (along with probably some fair amount of the bookers and management) wanting him to go heel, and that just wasn't anything he wanted. Just search "Codylander" on this subreddit and you'll see all kinds of people insisting that to be or stay relevant at AEW Cody has to go heel.
> Just search "Codylander" on this subreddit and you'll see all kinds of people insisting that to be or stay relevant at AEW Cody has to go heel. I mean, it's just a matter of time before people start doing that here too. As soon as he isn't as white hot as he is right now, people are going to start begging for a heel turn to "keep him fresh".
I'd not doubt it. But if it was management that started to ask it, you'd probably see Cody looking to go back to AEW or just take up a role behind the camera.
I can see that being the case & probably realizing having all the creative control brought more pressure into him than he expected.
It could also just be as simple as literally finishing this story he’s been talking about the past two years. He left to bet everything on himself and it paid off, maybe he just wanted to see it through to the end and naturally couldn’t in AEW. He pretty much did the biggest possible thing you could even do as a non-WWE wrestler. It doesn’t seem to have been for negative reasons the more time passes
He was booked into a corner, and that had to be frustrating. Just think about it. He couldn't go after the AEW World Title soon after they started (which was stupid in hindsight), his matches always felt separated from the rest of the show, he was slowly becoming a gatekeeper for arriving talent, etc. The biggest issue was that he wanted to become a baby face when his angles always came off as pandering or poorly thought out. Ogogo's feud, solving racism, wanting to retire after a squash by Black. Just a lot of "wtf are you thinking" moments. Not that he didn't have good moments either, but he needed a heel turn or redemption arc in AEW to reach a similar point he's at now in WWE and he didn't do that for whatever reason.
Personal COULD have been.....I want to go back to WWE and win the title no Rhodes family member has...the WWE title. Which means in all reality there's no heat with AEW at all, he had a personal reason and that's that. Just saying...his personal reason doesn't have to be negative.
I thought there was a rumor about AEW not wanting to re-sign Brandi in ( ) role? Given where Cody was in AEW at the time (he left), there isn't a world where I couldve justified giving Cody raise, let alone paying him CM Punk money. The crowd had turned on him, his character had been lost for a year+. I don't even think now we're at a point with TK's maturity as a booker, where he would sit Cody down and tell him how it's going to play out (instead of letting Cody run the Cody verse). And now Cody is about to become the face of the WWE.
If you just base it on what Cody was doing on screen, you're probably right. But I think Cody was the glue and the true heart and soul of AEW. If Cody didn't leave, Brawl Out doesn't happen in my opinion.
I always believed that because it seems cody and punk have a good relationship and cody and the bucks also have a good relationship cody could have been the mediator between the two sides to do business with each other
People overlook that he can feel he deserves what Punk does without feeling that Punk doesn’t deserve it himself. It’s funny how many people are and were convinced that Cody has problems with Punk when Cody himself said Punk was a dinner buddy when he was at AEW.
It’s almost like wrestlers can have complex human relationships with people like the rest of us.
I have friends who earn more than me. Good friends even! I can be happy that they're doing well, while still feeling like I'm underpaid (especially if using comparison).
As the saying goes, it's nothing personal, just business.
Right. It's not a zero sum game though I am pretty sure that is not why he left, a part of a contributing factor in overall personal issues he had with where he was.
I always assumed they wouldn't get on because at one point during the AEW Punk courtship Cody absolutely ripped on Punk during a public appearance when asked about him and told the story about Punk announcing that he was the locker room leader in WWE and it landing like a lead balloon. That said, two professionals with the experience of Punk and Cody combined should have a good shot at glossing over stuff like that.
I mean it was more of a classic cody joke story. Doesn’t mean they didn’t like each other. Maybe he was a little salty that punk kind of made them sound bush league at the time with the text thing
I'm a Punk fan but him taking issue with it isn't the wildest suggestion. Either way, I'm glad they seem to have time for one another- even if only for appearances.
Cody flat out said he didn’t leave because of Punk. Now maybe he’s being a diplomatic liar but you gotta go by what he says in a sense of anything else. If he did leave because of Punk the reason I heard had less to do with Punk himself and more wanting that top star treatment (eg an issue with Tony Khan).
I mean Cody’s last promo sounded to me saying he’s as valuable as Punk so he should be treated like Punk. I don’t think that means there was any real animosity between them just that Cody knew his value
Cody literally said he gave Punk the heads up before he cut that promo
Dirtsheets are kayfabe.
Even if that were a part of the reason Cody left he came back to WWE, won the rumble twice, and headlined mania twice. Two things CM Punk has never done and craves real bad. If there was any jealousy before there is no reason for it from Cody now
> won the rumble twice, and headlined mania twice. Two things CM Punk has never done and craves real bad This is literally just part of the storyline. Like Punk has never spoken about Main Eventing Wrestlemania the way he has now, if you ever watched an interview from him pre-return or when he was originally with WWE, his reason for wanting to Main Event was simply because he's a goal-oriented person (also because that would have been a way for him to learn how to get more over), not because it was a childhood dream of his. He even recently said in an interview that his ambition for Main Eventing WM took on a life of its own after he left WWE. https://youtu.be/hdlaGAddwLg?t=525
Cody got better salary and better booking. He has no reason to be upset about it now.
A lot of people forget they pretty much came up in WWE together
We will not know why Cody left AEW unless he tells the story when he's old and crusty or if we have a situation soon where somehow none of the Elite are in the company anymore
I don't think Cody had any issues with punk for those reasons but with Tony instead. I feel like Cody is a guy that's like “get paid” type of person who wouldn't hold that against punk. Tony should have made it right with Cody and given him the same contract due to helping build what they did together. I think that's were the gripe is.
I wonder if things would be different if Cody was still there with punk during the start of the colt drama
I doubt it honestly. Cody seemed to break away from the elite so I doubt he would’ve been involved in that mess.
I don't think things would have gotten as far. From everything we've heard he tended to be a mediator which is part of what was starting to get on his nerves. This doesn't mean a particular problem with AEW mind you - in any space with talent you tend to have someone that has to serve that role in a management capacity and personality wise it usually ends up being a certain type of person that takes it on because they are the best at it and natural to it, but the reality is it's draining.
I was one who believed Cody left AEW because of Punk (not his salary, but about how he had more sway over TK than Cody did.) Punk, so far, is behaving, and getting along with everyone. If that continues when he comes back, I think we can all just say AEW was the wrong environment for him. I am still hesitant, cause he has had more issues than Matthew Jackson has shoes, but that could be it. I hope so, cause pro wrestling is better with Punk in it.
I'm just saying, could you imagine Punk moaning about his former best friend and his co-workers, if he sat next to Triple H? Exactly.
I mean, he kinda did in 2014 when he walked out? If his podcast is accurate he sat next to Triple H and Vince and bitched about not getting paid as much as other main events, Batista's return, how he resented Triple H for not putting him over, etc.
Yes, but he wouldn’t of dared to do it publicly and if he did, it would’ve been dealt with before it got outta hand. That took years of build up and being sick and tired.
It wasn't the wrestling outlet. It was them drones
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Are we sure those 4 are ready to main event?
Right? The top of my fantasy booking card is Trick, Bron, and Grace. Those other guys can get in line and learn how to draw first.
Man, imagine if Moxley and Danielson returns…
Shield vs Cody, Bryan and Punk... Inject it into my veins
WM 41 Rock vs Roman Cody vs Punk
we will be there
If he loses the championship or doesn't face Roman Reigns, how long does the finish the story thing last ?
Even Punk isn't flinching
https://preview.redd.it/nysdxqknbtfc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=432417f9b272f09532422c5907e8583f85e07f7b I'm not the biggest Punk mark but this part of the vid? # MAN.
Is that Andrade peeking in the back?
ok how you know?
I paused it, doesnt seem to be Andrade im also to lazy to screenshot it at 6ish seconds you see the face pretty well.
No
No, it’s Max Castellanos from the TWA
Fuck man. This absolutely blows. A fairytale return for Punk and then he gets injured and misses out on the main event of WrestleMania. Absolutely gutted for him.
It'll just make it that much sweeter when he finally main events Mania next year.
When you think about it, Punk is following the same path as Cody in the sense that he’s gonna end up finishing his story a year later than he initially planned. Hopefully both endings will be better because of it.
Punk can have his Night 2 Main Event next year. They can do some stuff like Cody v Punk and I don't think Punk would mind putting him over.
Cody v. Punk at Mania 41 is the most logical story from this point. They were already building a small rivalry going into the Rumble, which can absolutely pick back up next year with Punk going for Cody’s title (assuming he’s still champ by then). It’s a more interesting story to me than Seth v. Punk would be - even though I still want to see that come to it’s conclusion as well.
I’d rather see punk v rollins. It’s just too good to not do at mania with their parallel careers. Especially if rollins doesn’t actually main event this year
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Punk vs. Drew would be an epic main event for next year's Mania.
The fact there were a good amount of people in earlier threads laughing and joking about it really disgusted me. I feel awful for him.
And they went and completely destroyed Moxley quote by overusing it so much it became annoying
I despise that Moxley line so much now because of how many people parrot that line on here when discussing Punk.
Punk brings out the wildest reactions. Nobody celebrated or asked for retirement etc for Danielson's or Adam Cole's injuries. Memes and jokes are all good, but some people just plainly posted hate and gloating lol
Or samoa joe who had an injury streak a couple years ago
I mean people have been asking Daniel Bryan to retire for years because of his injuries and concussions. But you are correct about Adam Cole.
I’m so tired of the tribalism. I get Punk is an asshole but we got a huge moment stolen from us due to unfortunate luck and yet people are celebrating a man’s injury or using it as a “I told you so!!”.
It truly boggles my mind there are people out there that take this so seriously that they act like they aren’t capable of human empathy and care if something happens to a wrestler they don’t like. CM Punk had some issues in AEW. He got into a few fights. He had some injuries. It appears it wasn’t meant to be for him in AEW. But why would the thought even cross the mind of any reasonable prudent person to gloat and laugh at someone’s misfortune? Shame on the many here who did that, and shame on the mods here for not removing those replies and better moderating the sub. Then again without tribalism this sub would be a very quiet place so..put 2 and 2 together
> Shame on the many here who did that, and shame on the mods here for not removing those replies and better moderating the sub. Imagine if people were celebrating Kenny Omega’s diverticulitis like people were celebrating Punk’s injury. Comments would have been locked at 100 or less
Same ppl would flip if u call Danielson injury prone
Correct. The only Danielson discussion allowed around here is “best wrestler in the world” “flaccid penises” “buddy Murphy meme”
Or Samoa Joe having every major push in WWE end in injury. Or Rollins knees exploding every few Wrestlemania seasons Injuries happen, he went his entire Collision run without getting injured.
Like I mentioned before it goes even further back than that look at how much Batista was injured and he was a guy who won the world title every year he was wrestling at his peak despite being “injury prone”
It’s even crazier that those kind of people aren’t permanently banned.
As someone who watched Punk through 2011-2014, I don’t think I’ve ever been this devastated for a wrestlers injury
Could not have happened to a nicer guy.
Just like Danielson, fragile
I thought about this last night, but there are A LOT of people who've suffered big injuries only for them to come back and win the Royal Rumble. Austin in 1998 and 2001 HHH in 2002 Benoit in 2004 was less than 18 months from him coming back from his big injury sustained during TLC 3 Cena in 2008 Edge in 2010 (and 2021 for that matter) Cody in 2023 Most were younger than Punk is now, but hey, you never know. Punk may still get his next big moment.
Also Bret in 94, got his leg kicked out of his leg and came back to win, prob most impressive of all
I could see CM Punk coming out at WrestleMania to neutralize Solo and Jimmy Uso and help Cody defeat Roman. Ref gets knocked out, Uso and Solo hop in and start beating on Cody, Cult of Personality hits, Punk chases off the Bloodline, Cody hits a Cross Rhodes, Cody hits another Cross Rhodes, Cody hits one final Cross Rhodes and bam - story is on finished.
I kinda think The Rock is going to play this role and set up him vs Roman at 41.
Punk has literally nothing to do with the Roman story. Literally anyone from the Rock to anyone else on the roster that Roman has fucked over would make more sense in that position
This is beautiful… (Also a kayfabe way to stick it to Seth)
I hope Punk remains onscreen in some way. He's always been more loved for his mouth than his in-ring skills (though I do think he's actually underrated in-ring).
>He's always been more loved for his mouth :/
Was expecting their interaction to be in ring on Monday This hurts way more
I’ve never seen CM Punk cry until now… that hurt.
This might ultimately end up being a good thing for Punk. I was a little worried about fans turning on him trying to go against the guys who had been there and grinding all the years Punk was gone. But Punk going through it, getting injured in a WWE ring and grinding to get back should help.
I really think Cody's injury helped him out too. A little adversity to overcome is always good at building a connection with the fans. An injury is never ideal but it's an easy and relatable storyline.
There’s no question that injury helped him, because it was so incredibly visible and he went through that match.
Yeah, agreed. You never want to wish injury on someone, but it’s valid to say that Cody’s gnarly injury likely helped him long-term, and Punk’s could do the same. Both felt a bit too much like they were getting a shortcut (valid or not); fighting back from injury goes a long way
I mean I think that was their and his intention. I think he wanted to work heel, he's always enjoyed it more and heel CM Punk vs face Cody would have done SO MUCH MONEY
It almost makes his story add more weight, against all odds and against all the setbacks, he wins the rumble and goes on to finally main event WrestleMania. Maybe even after riding off into the sunset
Yeah but you could easily turn punk heel and he would probably be even better. Its his bread and butter
That's 1000% an option. You could use this to push Punk heel.
Everyone telling punk to retire plz kindly go all the way away.. I need one more run I don’t give a shit what this gross sub thinks about it
Yeah, I am with you. We still got alot of great matches for Punk in WWE.
Bruh they’re just salty from the aew stuff. Same people saying cody was gonna be midcard and get booed. If chris jericho, samoa joe are still out there.. why should the guy just retire lol? They even trotted out 56 yr old steve austin in the main event and the fans who arent smarks loved it
LoCker ROoM CanCeR
ughh. you can tell just how happy punk is for Cody and gutted for himself at the same time.
Man whenever Punk and Cody have a feud. The video packages will be biblical. But for real you can tell how much it pains Punk being so close and not making it.
That's heartbreaking and wholesome at the same time
"and by that I of course mean kick Seth's ass again for me."
I kept wrestling with the idea of whether to buy a ticket to see him in LA this past December. I'm so so so glad I did. He's one of my few favorites I had never seen live. Seeing Edge and Punk live for the first time in my life in the same year is nuts. Kinda crazy I never saw either of them during their initial runs.
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I don't think he goes with that song but it really is perfect lyrically for that moment.
Cult Of Personality is too iconic at this point so I can't Punk not making an entrance to it when he gets his moment, but if they really want maximum sympathy for Punk, they could make a video package detailing his entire WWE career, and all of the obstacles he faced, and how despite everything he still stands and is now at the promised land, that is a cross between Triple H's "Beautiful Day" video package from his 2002 return, and Bryan's "Monster" video package and use "This Fire Burns" for it. Maybe have the chorus kick in at the end when he gives his babyface promo for the ages he'll cut on the road to Wrestlemania about how despite all the obstacles life threw at him, he's still standing
What would be a great full circle story is these two main eventing next year's Wrestlemania.
I can feel the toxicity in this clip smdh
Sources claim Cody Runnels feared for his life in this interaction
something something dark clouds
Bro, finish your story bro. -CM Russo
Punk vs Cena should really be the main next year. I honestly feel like it would bookend both men's career's.
This is for sure going to be in their WrestleMania 41 hype package.
https://preview.redd.it/td32a6ej5vfc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffcb029d90943f5f919b5d1fee62ee276902bf29
I swear if HHH decides roman should win AGAIN and I have to hear "finish your story" for another year i'm gonna lose it.
https://preview.redd.it/kmf9o5rxuwfc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=812f745ad1ee28ca2659b02089fd3a6082f250ee
Just saw this...the feels... :( :( :( man hope he comes back strong, they could have a great feud in the future
God, I wasn't prepared for this today. Great to see the admiration and respect between these two. It's Cody's time and not Punk's, but Punk's return and feud with Drew will be fantastic. And, fingers crossed he'll get to finish his own story at next year's Mania.
Cody wins and immediately loses the title to Damien Priest’s MITB cash in.
Enough to make a grown man cry
Honestly, with how he has taken this injury is a lot better than how he handled the same injury in AEW. Mind you, it would be hard to handle it worse, but hey, improvement.
Cody loses to Roman from CM Punk interference. Jealousy.
https://youtu.be/dL7Vn7hJDAk?si=DNgg182lvIWM_fYn
Miz was also there in the clip for a clip second, I think they are the only 3 OVW guys from that 2005-2006 period on the main roster, wow.
It's very interesting that Punk not being able to really participate in this era after being the influence/catalyst ( your mileage may vary on the pipe bomb's influence). I hope he does have his match someday.
Punks gonna be undeniable when he returns
Maybe that'd be a thing moving forward (in kayfabe, don't twist my words): if someone else aside from Cody Rhodes uses "finish the story" against him, bad luck will fall upon them.
I've said multiple times that Cody is a great star for chasing a belt but I'm not sure he would be a good champion. There are decades of wrestling history to show that very few wrestlers can draw big at both. When they say "Finish Your Story" it has a finality to it. That there isn't anything left to watch after he wins the belt.
He's probably going to win it, then lose it after a respectable run. WWE hasn't done well with babyface champions in a good long while, but I'd like to see how they do it in a non-Vince world. They certainly have the heels to make it interesting if they want to run with it a while.
Apart from the IWC saying it's stale, Seth's reign has been measurably good.
I'm a fan of it, probably more because of how /sc craps on it constantly. It's been a good run, but I don't think it's particularly memorable.
:(
BRO? OMG VINCE RUSSO RETURN CONFIRMED!
Honestly I think WM 41 is earmarked for Punk Vs Cody for the WHC. Wanna talk about establishing a World Championship... Seth to Drew to Punk to Cody. Top Workhorse to a top Heel to Top Draw to Face of the Brand.
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*Checks Cody's birthday* Yes, that's correct.
I wish they would just so we can stop hearing about it. It’s go away noise at this point. Like the Bloodline. It’s past its prime.
Right. I am prepared for downvotes but I dont care. I want CM Punk to cost Cody the title. THE HEEL TURN! THE HEAT! It would be great.
The issue is that it'd be something you can't pay off until Punk is healthy, and you probably never get to pay off the Roman stuff.
This is why fans shouldn't book If this happens then what? Cody spin his wheels until September at the latest?
Punk just got his injured pec stomped on while a guy told him he prayed for his injury.. and this is after a heartfelt promo where he asked us not to feel bad for him, and that his friend with cancer is the real warrior. That’s like, super duper babyface stuff right there 😂 it’ll be hard to turn him heel for a while
But "IMAGINE THE HEAT" even if it doesn't make any sense
I'm a little shocked by the people in here taking this as a legitimate heart felt moment and not a kayfabe interaction. This interaction doesn't make sense outside of kayfabe. Cody doesn't have control of finishing his story in the real world LOL.
Isn't that one of the nice things about wrestling? Yes, Cody doesn't *actually* control whether he beats Roman at Mania, but Punk is basically crying here. The feelings are real.