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Wrestling fans around the world finally got the answer they have all been looking for regarding an in-ring return from CM Punk. During his first official appearance on WWE Backstage, the Voice of the Voiceless discussed many things in a sit-down with Renee Young while also giving his honest take on a multitude of things going on in wrestling today.
There are still some bridges that need to be rebuilt regarding a possible return to the ring, but for now, he's more than happy to give everyone his honest opinion on the product. Survivor Series was also a hot topic of the night with the PPV taking place this weekend. The analysts all chimed in with their thoughts on the NXT invasions and how the yellow and black brand needs to keep the momentum going.
We also had some unfortunate news about Ember Moon's injury confirmed while also witnessing a rather odd promo battle between actor/pro wrestler David Arquette and Booker T. There was a lot to get into, so here are five takeaways from the November 19th episode of WWE Backstage.
#5 Thoughts on Survivor Series
One of the interesting non-CM Punk centric segments of the show involved the panel's thoughts and predictions on this weekend's Survivor Series PPV. Each panelist took a different storyline to task.
Booker T revealed that due to coming up big at both Crown Jewel and last week during a match against Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali would have a big night. He said that "Mustafa Ali will shine at the PPV, shine like new money." The five-time Champ also felt that Daniel Bryan is the perfect match up for a guy like The Fiend because of Bryan's technical status and ability to "go all night."
When asked about the intriguing triple threat between all three brand's Women's Champions, Paige commented that Bayley should come out on top. Winning this Sunday would help solidify her recent heel turn. The Anti-Diva also said that Becky Lynch shouldn't win because she "doesn't need any more elevation" since she's already the top star.
Punk really liked the whole feud between WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Rey Mysterio. He thinks that "the fans will be happy with it" and that it's "something that could be great." Being from Chicago, Punk felt that the match would be elevated by the crowd and that the bout would "give the fans exactly what they want." Will it live up to his and our expectations?
#4 Ember Moon's injury and take on Survivor Series
Even though we already knew that Ember Moon was once again injured, we weren't exactly 100% sure as to the severity of her ailment. The show opened with Moon revealing that she indeed tore her Achilles tendon and that it was torn "right off the bone." She'd likely be out for more than eight months and could even be out of action for up to a year.
Wrestlers heal at different rates than the Average Joe, so she could feasibly return before that window. It all comes down to how fast the injury is diagnosed, treated and then rehabilitated.
Since she was a special guest for this episode, Moon also commented that she wished the stakes for the Survivor Series PPV were a little higher. It's great to have bragging rights and all, but she felt that an incentive attached for the winners of each match would be better. For the 5-on-5 matches, she offered up that the winning team participate in a scramble with the 30th spot in the Royal Rumble on the line.
Moon's suggestion is a great example of some matches needing higher stakes or consequences attached to the finish. If not, it's hard to get excited beyond this wrestler won the match and the other competitor lost. It's why the Kevin Owens/Shane McMahon feud was uneven at SummerSlam with stakes only attached for Kevin Owens.
#3 Everyone has an opinion on CM Punk's return to wrestling
When Punk appeared on WWE Backstage last week, it shocked everyone. Some of those people were part of the business, like former Universal Champion Seth Rollins. Immediately after Punk's appearance, Rollins tweeted for Punk to fight him.
The Voice of the Voiceless' response was great as he said that sometimes people need to stop going on Twitter or quit it all together. In the age of social media, people can react immediately as something is happening. Some people don't have a filter and react before they can let what just happened marinate. Social media also allows people to make comments that they wouldn't normally make since they won't be confronting someone in public.
In the realm of the strange, actor Tom Arnold also weighed in on the former Champs return to the wrestling world. Arnold tweeted the following:
"I love CM Punk too. He weighs like a buck fifty now. I could probably take him. Night Blindness and all."
Punk never lets anyone off the hook, and he quickly blasted the actor in many ways. He chided Arnold for being famous for marrying Roseanne and for having a tattoo of her on his chest. Arnold then had that tattoo replaced with ink of horror writer Stephen King. Possibly the best line was that Punk himself had a tattoo of Ramen yet Arnold would still lose a "stupid tattoo contest." Arnold responded to Punk's comments on Backstage.
#2 Not many people liked the King Corbin dog mascot segment from SmackDown
Chances are that unless you are over 12 or are the Chairman of the Board, you might not have enjoyed the "Big Dog" segment involving King Corbin on last week's SmackDown. The panel was asked their thoughts on it and Punk held nothing back.
About the segment, he said that "the less said about it, the better." He even joked that "it even made me reconsider doing this show" and that "you can't possibly defend that. The Creative's bad."
When he initially appeared on the show, he said that he wouldn't be holding anything back. Punk also said that if something was good, he'd let you know and that if something was bad, you'd probably hate him. Being an employee of FOX and not WWE allows Punk the opportunity to speak his mind freely about the product and any issues it might have. If he was contractually obligated to the WWE, then he'd have a different set of rules to follow.
While the segment wasn't for everyone, it at least involved more than just Corbin and Reigns. Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Mustafa Ali and Shorty G have all been side players in the feud and have received air time because of it. It might have been silly and juvenile, but at least the barking in tune with Reigns' theme was funny even if it's not for everyone.
#1 Punk works for FOX and not WWE
One thing that a lot of people forget is that, yes, Punk is technically a part of the wrestling world once more. He is affiliated with a show related to WWE but he does not work for the WWE. He works for FOX and is allowed to speak his mind. If he wasn't able to, it wouldn't be the same Punk many of us fell in love with during his WWE career.
Because he popped back up in the world of wrestling, everyone keeps asking if he's coming back for a match. Seth Rollins has already challenged him and didn't seem to get the memo. If he ever does come back to the fold in the WWE, it will take some time and healing between the company and one of the longest reigning Champions of the modern era.
Throughout the episode, Punk reiterated that he works for Fox and not the WWE. That platform (on FOX's WWE Backstage) will allow him to criticize the product without the repercussions of "being fired, jobbed out, or suspended."
A big reason why he returned was explained as being an advocate for the fans. He felt that the "fans need someone to tell it like it is" as well as someone to call people out on something that isn't good. A funnier part of the exchanges was when he tried to goad Paige into saying that the new blue universal championship was "stupid". Had he said that as a WWE employee on Twitter, his return would have been short-lived.
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