You never what you have had until it’s gone and in the WWE universe, the longer CM Punk is gone, the more they want his return. Even if the absence is for 1, 2 or 5 years and
the random moments of chanting CM Punk becomes a myth, the moment the first 2
seconds of ‘Cult of Personality’ is played, instantly everyone will rise to
their feet bringing back the joy and excitement a fan gets when a wrestling
favourite to millions has returned.
That is one of the beauties of the weird wrestling pantomime
we so love. The foundation of sports entertainment is built on the crowd noise
and nothing gets a louder pop than when a wrestler returns. YouTube has many
videos of great wrestling returns and biggest pops . To name some of the great returns
such as Triple H return in 2002 at the MSG, HBK return after a 4 year hiatus, Undertakers
return at Judgement day 2002. Then some great returns in the PG era such as John
Cena’s return at the Rumble, HHH’s return to interrupt The Undertaker, Diesels return
at the Royal Rumble and even Punks return after running away with the title.
A lot of the great returns have come from the biggest
name in wrestling form the attitude era, Stone Cold Steve Austin. The crowd
loved it when he returned. It was like the glass breaking sent a signal to everyone’s
brains to go in to insane mode. But like
Cats v Dogs, nature v nurture, Nas v Jay Z, Pepsi v Coke, there isn’t much
Stone Cold can exclusively do that his great rival The Great One himself The
Rock didn’t do. Some of his returns have truly been memorable such as the one
to help out Mick Foley or for Eugene, they all had amazing pops loud energetic
reactions from the crowd. Finally to The Rocks return in 2011, which many
regard as the greatest return of them all.
The 7 year absences of a legend, a
wrestler people thought had given up to be a Hollywood star finally returned home.
What made it better was that no one was aware of it, he was one of the names
thrown about before but the dirt sheets and IWC couldn’t call it. This brings
on to the next point of the rise of the Internet era and dirt sheet, through
spoilers it has virtually ruined all good things about wrestling and the beauty
of returns.
When Brock Lesnar finally returned in 2012, the crowd
reaction was wild, on top of the fact that it was the return of a former dominant
figure who left in his prime but also it was the post WrestleMania crowd. As
good as the pop was for Brock’s return, the whole stadium knew he was coming
back, even to the fact that John Cena admitted defeat and acknowledge himself
what was going to happen, essentially breaking the fourth wall. Without the
surprise element, the return was no near of what it should have been.
Now to the main reasoning behind this piece, the impending
CM Punks return. There have been all sorts of speculations thrown in the air on
if he will even ever come back, if he will go to another company or if he might
return before the end of the year. One thing is for sure is that Punk will
return, people question that he hated the politics and the grueling schedule
but many wrestlers feel the same but they bite through the pain for the glory
and fame they get from being a professional wrestler and it doesn’t make
plausible sense for him to just leave while at the very top of the business.
Though unlikely, this could possibly all part of Punks plan to elevate himself
in to an even higher level of popularity then he was already at. Ever since his
pipebomb Punk became full main eventer after a couple years on the top, his
good friend Daniel Bryan’s Yes movement became the big news. The fans still
loved Punk and he probably had become a little. Now that he has quit, the WWE
fans miss him badly and there isn’t a single wrestling fan who can say they
wouldn’t love it if Punk came back. If the return is done properly, kind of
like how Jericho manages to do it by keeping it a deep secret and only couple
souls knowing, then it really will be pandemonium. Also make it in Chicago,
there’s never been a wrestler who gets as much as love as Punk does in his
hometown.
I’m just a gangster, add me on Facebook.
