SmackDown Brings SummerSlam to Its Official Close...

How’s It Going, Enthusiasts?

 

I hope this Friday is going well for you. There some subtler things to talk about today. Given recent events, we can now start to see how they play out. It’s a very interesting time in the wrestling world. Let’s get started.

 

So, let’s begin with AEW. CM Punk on TV again in character is exciting but I find it engaging for other reasons. I caught his bit on Dynamite and I couldn’t help but notice how he went from honest interaction with the audience to seguing into his match with Darby Allin as cleanly as anyone polished by the WWE. Punk is establishing that he can handle the mic to those who don’t know and the manner to which he does so comes off as highly WWE influenced. Quite eye-brow raising if you ask me. True, it makes sense. We all know it’s in his history but at the same time, we all know that their relationship isn’t the best, or at least that’s how it seems. Nevertheless, it amused me to see how the experience permeates his presentation. Very telling.

 

The conspiracy theorist in me takes this information and comes to the conjecture he’s some sort of mole, a secret agent but why would that actually be done? Yet, could it be applied in kayfabe? I’m all for inter-promotional play and Punk providing the bridge wouldn’t be bad thinking. The potential response to being discovered could be very buzzworthy. Yet, at the same time, a plan with those sorts of elaborate machinations seems unlikely for WWE. They just don’t seem that savvy. I think the general consensus is that we wish they were. I don’t fully believe this angle but I would be impressed if they tried to go there or somewhere similar. That would be next level sort of shit.

 

Speaking of Punk, his arrival in AEW may have ruffled some executive feathers. It sounds like both USA/NBC and FOX weren’t very happy with WWE this week. Word of his fan response prompts questions as to why WWE didn’t try to acquire him. This is why we saw Brock Lesnar and Becky Lynch appear at SummerSlam.

 

I don’t think Punk will ever come back to WWE in a wrestling capacity under current management. There’s a clear disconnect and I don’t think WWE execs want to deal with Punk’s general anti-establishment stance. That shit only works on TV in their mind and they know a lot of their beef is real and unscripted. There’s a good chance that he would have bailed again.

 

AEW gives Punk a sort of fresh start and if he bails on them, then we know it’s more a personality thing and not so much WWE though, it’s probably safe to assume they didn’t help. This side of the story definitely has my interest because this is the viewpoint many fans don’t understand.

 

One of the main purveying aspects of WWE is the concept of Marketability. That’s why Eva Marie returning is somewhat expected because though she not the best wrestler, she is hot. That’s the sort of thing that may bring people in off the street. That can rub people the wrong way but at the same time, we can’t deny that it is the backbone of the Entertainment Industry. Someone has to indulge in all this content. People tend not to when a product doesn’t have appeal.

 

Punk is essentially the quintessential scrappy underdog. Daniel Bryan has more the Blue Collar underdog covered. Punk is clearly doing the striving against The System, sort of thing. Bryan tends to work more with the “love of the game” angle. That’s why we love him. Punk definitely has love, since people are straight crying upon his return but he’s a rebel of the industry and that’s what he brings to the table. It makes his debut match with Allin very fitting.

 

Thing is for me, and probably a lot of WWE fans, is that the match has no appeal. AEW fans can’t wait but for me and those like me, we don’t see what the big deal is. Allin is what? 150 pounds soaking wet? No one in the WWE Universe is afraid of that. I certainly think I could beat him up. So why are we watching him. I’ve seen a match or two of his and he does make up for it in speed and fearlessness but I don’t know why someone doesn’t clothesline him, throw him into a barricade and then into a dumpster. I’m pretty sure I could do that. That’s the hurdle in the WWE Universe. Marketability tends to equal believability and Allin I just can’t buy in real time. That’s why it works in AEW but probably would never in WWE. AEW wants everyone to feel like they can play. WWE is more “painful truth” showing that you can play if you make it look like you can play. I have no idea how a guy like Allin would ever do that.

 

This is also why most feel Adam Cole will probably leave WWE as well. I don’t see him going over in WWE. He looks like someone you work with which means, there’s a good chance you could kick his ass. That’s a tough hurdle to get over for some.

 

In other news, we all know that chatter of the sale of WWE is floating around. One rumor has Disney in the mix but that sounds like disinformation to me. If anyone has a claim, it’s the 2 networks pissed at them, NBC/Comcast and FOX. I’d put my money on FOX Sports since they have the right tone and enough money. FOX selling their creative content to Disney gave them a few billion to play with. They’re in a better position to take the risk and could probably turn it around relatively quickly. But that is if WWE is selling. I believe it when they say that they’re always open to offers but if anyone would actually present one worth considering, it would probably be FOX.

 

All right, so that kinda brings us to tonight’s SmackDown. WWE will finalize SummerSlam with SmackDown’s Fallout show. We will see the repercussions that take us into Extreme Rules next month. People are saying that Lesnar is a Face now but I don’t know if that will every really happen. I think Lesnar will always be a heel or go rogue. I don’t think he knows what it means to play the good guy. Besides, I think he likes people trembling in their boots. Only time he holds a teddy bear is to rip its head off and that’s fine. I don’t need a kinder, gentler Brock Lesnar but it would be cool to see his sense of humor. Him becoming an amusing heel might be something I’d be willing to see. A person does have to be open to reinventing oneself in the WWE Universe. For Lesnar, the new hairstyle is a start. I would be very open to a lighter toned Lesnar. Curious to see it even.

 

Yet, we all know Lesnar ain’t given up part-time work. He’s nailed the true American Dream. Make absolute bank on part-time hours. We don’t mind working. It’s all about maximizing time. I too aspire towards full time pay on part-time hours. There’s simply more to life. So, in any case, someone else will have to fill in the gaps as WWE finds another reason to pull the Lesnar trigger. We should get to see who that is. If we stick to what’s in play it’s either Seth Rollins, Uncle Edge or Finn Bálor. We’ll see how closely they stick to their own story. Then Lesnar might make an appearance and Becky Lynch is going to stroll out and say, “Sorry, not sorry…” As for the rest, tune in and see. That’s exactly what I’m gonna do. Funny tweets and Likes get retweeted. Don’t try too hard out there. I get the feeling it’s the tweets where people aren’t trying that get the best results. I know that’s how it works for me.

 

 

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)