CM PUNK IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD

This is CM PUNK. He has been a WWE Superstar for six years. Over the last couple of months he has been a hot topic as to whether he'll stay in WWE when his contract expires in July. WWE incorporated this into their storyline last week when PUNK said that he will beat current WWE Champion, John Cena and leave the WWE with the championship without renewing his contract. Over the last few weeks CM Punk has made derogatory comments towards WWE and the rumors are that he is unsatisfied with his position in the company.

So on last night's WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW at the end of the show Punk said this:John Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me. I want you to digest this, because before I leave in three weeks with your WWE Championship, I have a lot of things I wanna get off my chest.

I don't hate you, John. I don't even dislike you. I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back. I hate... this idea... that you're the best... because you're not. I'm the best. I'm the best in the world. There's one thing you're better at than I am, and that's kissing Vince McMahon's ass. You're as good at kissing Vince's ass as Hulk Hogan was. I don't know if you're as good as Dwayne... he's a pretty good ass-kisser... always was and still is. Oops... I'm breaking the fourth wall. [Punk waves to the camera.] I am the best... wrestler... in the world. I've been the best ever since Day One when I walked into this company, and I've been vilified and hated since that day because Paul Heyman saw something in me that nobody else wanted to admit. That's right, I'm a Paul Heyman guy. You know who else was a Paul Heyman guy? Brock Lesnar... and he split, just like I'm splittin', but the biggest difference between me and Brock is that I'm going to leave with the WWE Championship.

I've grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon's imaginary brass rings that it's finally dawned on me that they're just that. They're completely imaginary. The only thing that's real is me, and the fact that day in and day out, for almost six years, I've proved to everybody in the world that I am the best on this microphone, in that ring, and even on commentary. Nobody can touch me. And yet, no matter how many times I prove it, I'm not on your lovely little collectors' cups, I'm not on the cover of the program, I'm barely promoted, I don't get to be in movies, I'm not on any crappy show on the USA Network, I'm not on the poster of WrestleMania, I'm not on the signature that's produced at the start of the show. I'm not on Conan O'Brian, I'm not on Jimmy Fallon, but the fact of the matter is I should be, and trust me, this isn't sour grapes, but the fact that "Dwayne" is in the main event of WrestleMania next year and I'm not makes me sick!

Oh hey, let me get something straight, those of you who are cheering me right now... you are just as big a part of me leaving as anyone else, because you're the ones sipping out of those collector cups right now, you're the ones that buy those programs that my face isn't on the cover of, and then at five in the morning at the airport, you try to shove it in my face thinking you can get an autograph and sell it on eBay because you're too lazy to get a real job.

I'm leaving with the WWE championship on July 17 and hell, who knows, maybe I'll go defend it in New Japan Pro Wrestling... maybe I'll go back to Ring of Honor... [Punk waves to the camera again] hey, Colt Cabana, how you doing? The reason I'm leaving is you people because after I'm gone you're still going to pour money into this company -- I'm just a spoke on the wheel -- the wheel's gonna keep turning. And I understand that... that Vince McMahon's gonna make money despite himself... he's a millionaire who should be a billionaire... you know why he's not a billionaire? It's because he surrounds himself with glad-handing nonsensical [censored] yes-men like John Lauranitis, who's gonna tell him everything he wants to hear... and I'd like to think that maybe this company will be better after Vince McMahon is dead, but the fact is it's gonna get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law and the rest of his stupid family.

Let me tell you a personal story about Vince McMahon. You know we do this whole bully campaign...

(Microphone is cut off. Punk hits the mic a few times, says something inaudible, yells "I've been silenced", and we fade to black.) (Credit: ewrestlingnews.com)

This is a historic moment in pro wrestling because Punk did a "shoot" promo on all of the problems that WWE has and why there are long-time wrestling fans that are dissatisfied with the current WWE product.
For those of you who don't know a "shoot" is when a wrestler breaks character and does something unplanned during the show. In a "worked shoot" it is something that seems unplanned but the wrestler is actually following the script. In this case Punk did a "Worked Shoot." Vince McMahon needs something different to jumpstart his compny and CM PUNK may have just provided it.

This "shoot" was historic because it:

A. Talked about many of the "problems"  people hate about WWE such as John Cena being pushed as the only top Superstar of WWE.

B. Stupid executives like John Laurinaitis under the direction of Vince McMahon and his family firing great wrestlers because they don't fit a certain mold.

C. WWE only elevating wrestlers that have a certain look or charisma i.e. John Cena and ignoring others i.e. CM PUNK.

D. PUNK mentioned going to another promotion such as New Japan or Ring Of Honor. Ever since WWE bought WCW in 2001 they have never mentioned another promotion since that time.  

Not since the Monday Night Wars from 1995-2000 has a "shoot" been done this effectively.

If done right this could be the next great rivalry that sparks a new interest in Pro Wrestling. Except the participants won't be Vince McMahon and The Rock or Stone Cold Steve Austin. The participants could be C.M. PUNK and Stephanie McMahon or Triple H.

Class Dismissed
The Professor

A NEW SUPERMAN ON THE HORIZON

Image courtesy of COMICBOOKMOVIE and DC COMICS

So this is the new Superman suit that debuts in Superman #1. Notice that DC has taken away the red underwear. Made the belt around Superman's waist red, instead of yellow and made Superman's suit look more like a suit of armor. I can only think that when the relaunch happens in September, Superman may be not as powerful as his current incarnation so to give him a reason to wear armor.


Image Courtesy of DC COMICS

This is the image that goes along with the solicitation that accompanies Action Comics #1. I think the symbolism here means that Superman will go back to his roots of being a champion of the oppressed. Superman debuted in 1938 and tackled many social issues of the time such as crooked politicians and gangsters. It will be interesting to see if this is the path that Grant Morrison explores.

If Action Comics deals with a more "common man" Superman and Superman # 1 deals with a more Science Fiction aspect of the character then it will be interesting to see which version fans will enjoy more and which book will have higher sales.  

As a fan I will probably buy both books to see what the new status quo is.

Class Dismissed.
The Professor

RANDOM THOUGHTS.....

On my last blog I talked about the new DCU. Now everyone is talking about this as a reboot or a relaunch. DC says that it's just a relaunch. I wish they had rebooted the entire line after Infinite Crisis. In my opinion they should have used that event as an endpoint for DC Continuity.

Then they could have started a new line with a fresh take on the heroes with no history or bothersome questions of what events happened and didn't happen in the DCU. JUST MY OPINION.

KEVIN SMITH DOING A REALITY SHOW



Kevin Smith is reportedly doing a reality show. According to the NJ Star-Ledger, http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2011/06/kevin_smith_reality_show_may_l.html

Kevin's reality show will take place in a comic book store and it may land on AMC. That would be cool.


Class Dismissed
The Professor

SEPT 2011: WHERE IT All BEGINS AGAIN FOR DC COMICS

In September DC Comics will relaunch it's comic book line with 52 new No. 1 titles including Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. According to an article at Comic Book Resources at this link:
(http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=32563) DC is looking to bring in new readers by changing the look of its characters and making them younger and by crafting more modernized stories. By launching all their titles at number one in September the writers and artists on each title won't have to worry about previous continuity or history of a character and they'll be able to create their own stories.

In my opinion I think this type of relaunch should have happened years ago after "Infinite Crisis" in 2005. DC Comics attempted a reboot of its characters called, "One Year Later" but it did not work. All other reboot attempts such as the All-Star line featuring Superman and Batman as well as Superman: Confidential and Batman: Confidential did not achieve the success that DC wanted.

On August 31, 2011 DC will launch their new titles with Justice League #1(see above image). The main members of the team are: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Cyborg. All of them look younger and their uniforms have been updated by Jim Lee. The book will be written by Geoff Johns (DC's Chief Creative Officer) and will be drawn by artist, Jim Lee (DC's Co-Publisher along with Dan Didio). Both Johns and Lee are renowned in the comics industry for their writing and art. This book should be a hit among fans.

I hope this relaunch will be successful for DC Comics. As a fan of comics I think this is a great idea and I hope it will usher in a new competitive era between Marvel and DC.

In the coming days I will offer my opinion on some of the new books coming out and what I hope are some new titles.

Class Dismisssed
The Professor