Perfect time to make CM Punk champion?

[Guest Floridian Cool]

?

[haVoc 0]

I don't believe any wrestlers at this point when they say they're "Straight" or "Clean."

[Hawk 34 0]

ECW champion? Sure, that's pretty much established he'll be carrying that title pretty soon as it's essentially the European title of today. Now, the implication you carried with the emphasis on his lifestyle choices indicate you believe in the wake of the Chris Benoit bombshell, he'd be the ideal poster boy for a steroid-free WWE.

 

On the surface, you could compare that with the shift in direction WWF took in the early 90’s with the first steroid outrage by shifting from the big men headliners to the smaller, less physically imposing main event acts in Michaels and Hart. Punk wouldn’t be the lone choice to use in that position but the idea that the legitimate lifestyle of CM Punk (as far as we know, we’ve learned we really don’t know anything about these people) would make a smidgen of difference in the perception of wrestling through the eyes of the general public and mainstream media is foolish. It’d be thought of a gimmick, as many people are still skeptical about the honesty of his claims.

 

Punk has won over the company for getting over and being a solid worker although he hasn’t broke out yet in WWE. Aside from the initial rocky steps he took, specifically the situation in Iraq and rubbing some people the wrong way, he’s looked at in a stronger light. He’s essentially the main event top baby face for ECW and it’s a good place for him right now. He’ll continue to evolve with the WWE crowd and when the time comes, he can be moved up and be given a stronger marketed push from the company. Right now? Not at all.

[Scroby 0]

No, Nitro needs to become a really estblished champion to help add some actual credit to the ECW title.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

No, Nitro needs to become a really estblished champion to help add some actual credit to the ECW title.

 

Agreed.

[k thx 0]

The problem with that is that Punk is the only ME level face on ECW at the moment. Unless they turn someone or build someone up, there's only so long Nitro can feud with him (and that leaves Burke with nothing to do as well).

[King Cucaracha 0]

He's over, he's straight edge...and Nitro is not exactly the poster boy for natural physiques.

 

There's no way they can have Punk making a huge deal out of being Straight Edge at the moment, without it seeming like they're sending a message regarding Benoit, which is exactly the opposite of what they're trying to do (ie. not draw attention to it.)

 

Punk doesn't need the title right now.

[CBright7831 0]

You never know - remember when fans said RVD would be champ by the end of 2002?

[mysterious_w 0]

No, making him chase the belt will make him stronger, not giving it to him now. Put the belt on him at Wrestlemania 24 (Take your pick of oppopnents: Cor Von, Burke, Nitro), and he'll be ready for one of the big two by WM 25.

 

Aside from the initial rocky steps he took, specifically the situation in Iraq and rubbing some people the wrong way

 

Huh? Never heard about this, what happened?

[Steviekick 0]

I really like Punk, but he's not at the point where you could have him be ECW's champion. He is already over with the crowd, and waiting to put the belt on him will only build him into a stronger character.

 

More character development will only help him in the long term. The fact that he main evented in ROH doesn't mean he should have an express route to a prominent WWE position.

[Steviekick 0]

No, making him chase the belt will make him stronger, not giving it to him now. Put the belt on him at Wrestlemania 24 (Take your pick of oppopnents: Cor Von, Burke, Nitro), and he'll be ready for one of the big two by WM 25.

 

Aside from the initial rocky steps he took, specifically the situation in Iraq and rubbing some people the wrong way

 

Huh? Never heard about this, what happened?

 

Apparently he had one too many public displays of affection with Maria.

[mysterious_w 0]

More character development will only help him in the long term. The fact that he main evented in ROH doesn't mean he should have an express route to a prominent WWE position.

 

Shut up. You're destroying my dream that one day Samoa Joe will come up north and just kill HHH in about half a minute.

[cabbageboy 0]

They just put the belt on Johnny Freakin Nitro for crying out loud. The idea of Nitro adding credibility to a title is hilariously absurd, especially given the creepy reason he was put in the title match.

 

Of course CM Punk should be champion on ECW. He's really the only top tier face on the show right now and there are 3 heels at the moment (Corvon, Burke, Nitro).

 

Then again, who is to say there will even be an ECW past December? What major star is going to want to go to ECW from Raw or SD at this point?

[Scroby 0]

They just put the belt on Johnny Freakin Nitro for crying out loud. The idea of Nitro adding credibility to a title is hilariously absurd, especially given the creepy reason he was put in the title match.

 

Of course CM Punk should be champion on ECW. He's really the only top tier face on the show right now and there are 3 heels at the moment (Corvon, Burke, Nitro).

 

Then again, who is to say there will even be an ECW past December? What major star is going to want to go to ECW from Raw or SD at this point?

How is Nitro adding crediblity absurd? Anyone can do it if pushed and gimmicked correctly.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

It's apparent that they want to use the slow burn for Punk. Putting him over Nitro just weeks after he won the belt under dubious circumstances would do nothing for either wrestler or the title.

 

Second, putting the title on Punk because's "clean" sends a bad message to the other wrestlers and the fans. It indirectly implies that the company thinks its other workers aren't, and that's dangerous ground to tread on. Let him reach the belt on his own merits; not as a gesture to placate those concerned with the steroid situation.

 

We know that the company is high on him. We also know that his attitude has rubbed some people the wrong way. No sense in rushing the title to him when his detractors might have it out to sabotage or undermine his run.

[CBright7831 0]

They just put the belt on Johnny Freakin Nitro for crying out loud. The idea of Nitro adding credibility to a title is hilariously absurd, especially given the creepy reason he was put in the title match.

 

Of course CM Punk should be champion on ECW. He's really the only top tier face on the show right now and there are 3 heels at the moment (Corvon, Burke, Nitro).

 

Then again, who is to say there will even be an ECW past December? What major star is going to want to go to ECW from Raw or SD at this point?

How is Nitro adding crediblity absurd? Anyone can do it if pushed and gimmicked correctly.

I have to agree w/ this. I mean a few years ago did any see Justin Hawk Bradshaw being a World title contender, much less a WWE Champion?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Johnny Nitro > Justin Credible

[razazteca 0]

Tough Enough boys should never be champions PERIOD

[Enigma 0]

I bet none of the casual WWE fans even remember Nitro as John Hennigan from Tough Enough 3.

[Chalmation 0]

we'll see

 

just know that the WWECW belt has a lot of building up for Nitro to do

 

i wonder what reasoning WWE had for moving Sandman to RAW??????

[St. Gabe 0]

is Jonah still wrestling?

[Jingus 0]

Yes, Punk is the top ECW babyface... by default, because he's damn near the ONLY one. RVD quit, Angle got fired, Sabu got fired, Lashley jumped, Benoit died, and the company has been damn determined to make every fresh new superstar on that show a heel. Seriously, aside from Punk, which new guys in ECW have they even tried making babyfaces? The only other non-heels on the show are Dreamer and Ballz, and they've both been jobbed out so much that it's obvious they're never getting near the main event again.

[veseo 0]

Bogey is a face. Hardly a ME material, though.

[Mecca 0]

They can't push a guy simply because he doesn't look like he's on roids........right now they want to keep everything status quo.

[mfn 0]

Tough Enough boys should never be champions PERIOD

I had no idea he was from tough enough until about a year or so ago. yeah. shows how much i pay attention.

 

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Why? They produced a few quality guys like Chris Nowinski, John Hennigan and Matt Cappotelli, and Matt Morgan. (In regards to Raza's post)

[AntiLeaf33 0]

I really have no beef with a Tough Enough guy being a champion. Nobody has an issues with someone from the old WCW power plant, or any other wrestling school. This was just done on TV, but they still did their training. Also, the ones that were serious about it spent time on honing their skills. As for Nitro, I don't buy him as a champ yet, but maybe he will grow on me...if he has the belt that long I mean.

[King Cucaracha 0]

I really have no beef with a Tough Enough guy being a champion. Nobody has an issues with someone from the old WCW power plant, or any other wrestling school.

 

Well, that's certainly argueable about the Power Plant.

 

I'd totally forgotten about Nitro being a part of Tough Enough. It just goes to show what a good gimmick can do for a guy's past.

[AntiLeaf33 0]

Ok, maybe not the Power Plant (tried to think of another well known training facilty that was similar to Tough Enough), buts not always about how people break into the industry, or how they get introduced to it....it's how they do when they are actually submerged into it.

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

Bring Back Maven.