CM Punk: Difference between revisions

=== '''Tropes associated with CM Punk include:''' ===

 

* [[Heroic BSOD|Anti-Heroic BSOD]]: Jericho bringing up Punk's alcoholic father as a sticking point for his Straightedge lifestyle and promising to make Punk "drink" his loss away after Wrestlemania sent Punk into this. All he did after Jericho's promo was pick up his championship and walk away, head tilted down, in a sullen mood.

* [[Arch Enemy]]: Raven in the early [[Ring of Honor]] era. [[Jeff Hardy]] in 2009, and [[Rey Mysterio Jr]] in 2010. In 2011 we had [[John Cena]], and probably [[Vince McMahon]] as well, [[Triple H]], John Laurinaitis, [[Alberto Del Rio]] and [[Chris Jericho]]. [[Daniel Bryan]] has managed to enter the list.

** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6GcrIBhBWA This shoot] has turned Jeff into a [[Real Life]] example

* [[Aside Glance]]: Gives these whenever someone (usually [[Triple H]], John Laurinaitis, or [[Michael Cole]]) says something off-the-wall, nonsensical, or just plain stupid. It's also the basis for the recently created "[[CM Punk]] Is Not Impressed" [[Professional Wrestling/Memes|meme]].

{{quote| '''CM Punk''': Jericho, '''YOU'RE BULLSHIT!!''' You're bullshit and that's exactly what I'm gonna beat of you!}}

* [[Badass]]: As much as he is a whiny, lying, preachy and obnoxious jackass, Punk is a very talented wrestler.

** [[Badass Beard]]

** [[Badass Long Hair]]

** [[Badass Preacher]]

{{quote| '''Allison Danger (looking in the side mirror of [Punk's] car):''' Um, Punker, I want you to keep calm.<br />

'''Punk:''' Huh? I am calm, I just think it's stupid that (Punk sees that the second squad is a K-9 unit) '''<big>WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?</big>''' }}

* [[Big Word Shout]]: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qoiReTpmo0 "YOU ARE A WHOOOOOOOOOORE!"]

** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeoOTkV74UI "YOU HAVE A VAGIIIIINAAAAAA!"]

** In a match with [[Alberto Del Rio]], Alberto tried a strategy made famous by [[Eddie Guerrero]]: faking a chair shot and making it seem like the opponent did it by throwing him the chair and falling to the ground. [[CM Punk (Wrestling)/Funny|Punk just threw it back at Alberto and fell down instead.]]

** Following the death of [[Randy Savage]], Punk added the Macho Man's elbow drop to his moveset.

* [[Carpet of Virility]]: One of the few wrestlers in the 'E with actual chest hair; of course, he went with a [[Beard of Evil]] too, so maybe he's just playing into [[Beauty Equals Goodness]] and trying to make himself appear uglier than he actually is.

** Recently, he's gotten tattoos all [http://www.ring-rap.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/WWE-CM-Punk-New-Leader-of-Nexus.jpg across his upper chest.] At this point, he looks like he has a nice pelt going whether he actually does or not.

* [[Chivalrous Pervert]]: Punk doesn't take kindly to people hitting on his coworkers loudly and pathetically.

* [[Comically Missing the Point]]: On the October 10th, 2011 edition of RAW, the majority of Punk's explanation for not walking out with the majority of the roster is this. While he and the 51 walk-outs both wanted change, Punk was upfront about his problems, confronting [[Vince McMahon]] and settling his issues with Cena and Triple H in the ring, not hiding behind lawyers and staging "hippie barbecues", in his own words, in the parking lot.

* [[Continuity Nod]]:

** On the 900th Episode of Raw, Punk showed some clips from Raw's past shows to show the show's lack of "Family Values". One clip he showed was from Episode #691 where [[John Cena]] threw [[Edge]] into the Long Island Sound. After watching the clip, Punk quoted "Ladies and Gentlemen, I, for one would never throw another competitor into any body of water". This [[Blatant Lies|Blatant Lie]] is in all likelihood a direct reference to Punk's "Gulf Of Mexico Match" that he had with Chavo Guerrero on ECW in February 2008.

* [[Fleeting Demographic Rule]]: Punk feud's with [[John Cena]] in the Summer of 2011 appears to be a rehash of the 2005 "Summer of Punk" storyline where Punk threatened to leave [[Ring of Honor]] for WWE with the ROH Championship. Unlike the first time, he successfully pulled it off with the WWE Championship... only to [[He's Back|make his triumphant return]] two weeks later with "Cult of Personality", his old theme during the "Summer of Punk". The similarities are so striking the storyline has already earned the [[Fan Nickname]] of the "Summer of Punk II".

** The storyline also incorporates elements of the [[Montreal Screwjob]] after [[Worked Shoot|Punk rants about everything that is wrong with the WWE]], and Mr. McMahon responded by suspending him, ending his career with the WWE, until Cena convinced McMahon to reinstate Punk. McMahon's response to the plea take more from the prelude which involved McMahon being worried that one of his wrestlers would jump ship with a belt which turned out to be for a reason; he attempted to pull the same thing off against Punk, and it didn't work out thanks to Cena punching out the one sent to tell the timekeeper.

*** Well, the second one has happened at least once, in any case.

* [[Follow the Leader]]: Darts player and [[CM Punk]] [[Fan Boy]] Paul Nicholson has to this to a tee. Just compare this video of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvArL38BuGo Nicholson's walk-on] to Punk's entrance at Money in the Bank 2011 and it's practically a carbon copy. Past entrances also include wearing a [[The Nexus|Nexus]]-branded scarf, coming out to "We Are One" (Nexus' entrance theme), and having Xs drawn on his hand like Punk.

** At the 11/28/11 Raw, during Del Rio's rematch for the WWE Championship, a stipulation was added to the match; unlike most championship matches, if Punk was disqualified, then he would lose the championship. Del Rio then tried to use this to his advantage by distracting the ref by undoing a turnbuckle. While the ref has his back turned, trying to fix the exposed turnbuckle, Del Rio then [[Eddie Guerrero|struck a chair against the ground and tossed it to Punk.]] However, Punk caught the chair, tossed it back to Del Rio, [[Genre Savvy|and hit the ground like a ton of bricks while clutching his head.]]

** A small in-ring example, albeit important, is when Punk's opponent shoots their arm and shoulder up to break a pin count. Emphatic? Yes, but it makes it much easier for Punk to cinch in the arm for the [[Finishing Move|Anaconda Vice]]. It's how he beat Del Rio for the WWE Title at Survivor Series 2011.

** [[Ring of Honor]] and [[Face]] [[WWE]] Punk had long, unkempt hair and no beard, marking him as a tough guy that had a strong streak of individuality to him.

** [[Straight Edge Evil]] Punk grew a beard and chest hair, marking him as crazed and dangerous which fit with his character of an evil holy man.

** Correctly and eerily predicted by [[Genre Savvy|Archie]], the six-year-old son of Cousin Sal on [[Jimmy Kimmel Live]], which was taped prior to that Raw's airing but aired an hour after Raw went off the air.

* [[Hijacked By Ganon]]: Punk took over leader of Nexus from [[Wade Barrett]].

{{quote| '''CM Punk:''' "Ok... I respect the fact that each week, you come out each week, live, with this completely lost deer in the headlights look on your face. I respect the fact that you don't know how to hold a mic. I respect the fact that you would wrestle with a mullet and was never any good yet somehow still got to the top, showing the world new found levels of ass kissing, but above all I respect the fact that someone with so little has done so much. [[Punctuated for Emphasis|I.]] [[Sarcasm Mode|Respect.]] [[Take That|You.]]"}}

* [[How Much More Can He Take]]: His match with [[John Cena]] at Money in the Bank 2011.

* [[Humans Are Bastards]]: In early 2011, he climbed to the top of the TitanTron and threatened to jump off. The crowd chanted, "Jump! Jump!" Punk mocked them and stated he had no intention of jumping, he was testing them to see how they would react, and they failed miserably.

** This is actually a large part of CM Punk's entire heel persona. Despite calling out his opponents for all the crap they pull, not only is he just as bad if not worse, but he's often guilty of the same exact things.

** Cena eventually calls him out on this as part of a very well done [[Kirk Summation]].

* [[Insistent Terminology]]: "This is not a belt, this is a championship title."

** Averts it with the WWE-mandated practice of calling themselves "Superstars"; Punk will still refer to himself as a "wrestler" even as the company is trying to sever all ties to the word in the media and on-air.

** [[Kevin Nash]] once said Punk looks like a guy who should be managing a Waffle House. Punk's response: "I like Waffle House; I don't know why you would say that."

* [[In the Blood]]: In [[Real Life]], Punk chose to be [[Straight Edge]] after hearing that his father's alcoholism may be hereditary. This fact was [[Real Life Writes the Plot|placed into his WrestleMania 28 feud]] with [[Chris Jericho]], who promised to make Punk [[Turn Out Like His Father]].

* [[Irony As She Is Cast]]: Punk's increasingly mad savior character from Straight Edge Society and [[The Nexus]] has a lot of creepy religious undertones; real-life Punk is notoriously anti-religious. His response to Teddy Hart saying God made him able to jump off a thirty foot cage?

{{quote| "There is no god, and that cage wasn't thirty feet."}}

* [[Jack of All Trades]]: Good striker? He knows Muay Thai, so check. Submission maneuvers? [[Finishing Move|Anaconda Vice]] and others, so check. Top-rope moves? [[I Have the High Ground|Yep.]] A couple of power moves? Yes. He tends toward strikes and submissions, but mostly everything he does in the ring, he does well.

* [[Jerk With a Heart of Gold]]: Punk's Live Journal (and, in more recent times, his Twitter) oftentimes comes off as the writings of a grumpy old man.

* [[Large Ham]]: He actually avoided veering into this territory when he did the Straight Edge gimmick on the indies, but the WWE version of it saw Punk turn up the hamminess pretty much after Luke Gallows showed up and Punk started adding religious overtones to his promos.

** Matt Striker giving Serena the distinction of being "Punk's Mary Magdalene" aided the religious overtones, so it's not just Punk's doing.

** At Summerslam 2011 he himself lost his WWE Championship thanks to a Money in the Bank contract

* [[Loser Leaves Town]]: Or, in this case, WWE - CM Punk's defeat of Jeff Hardy in a steel cage match on ''[[WWE Smackdown|SmackDown]]'' in 2009 sent Hardy packing.

* [[Manly Tears]]: Punk was so overwhelmed by the loudly positive response to his ECW debut match that he cried afterward. In a taped segment the next week, he gave thanks.

* [[Mask of Power]]: After being shaved bald until Big Show removed it.

** Away from his straight edge gimmick, it's more of a mix. He does seem more polite than the character he plays (although it'd be hard not to), but he seems to have a low tolerance for stupidity and a short fuse. If you're deliberately being obnoxious, expect to get a verbal beatdown.

* [[Professional Wrestling/Memes|Memetic Mutation]]: A running joke among the IWC is that CM Punk always has Nuclear Heat with WWE management and has become a semi-permanent resident of the WWE Doghouse.

* [[Perky Female Minion]]: Serena, Serena, Serena...how can a [[Bald of Evil|bald women]] look so hot? She kicked ass in [[SHIMMER]] and it's a shame we never got to see her [[Dark Action Girl]] roots.

* [[Pet the Dog]]: Repeatedly taking a beatdown from [[Kane (Wrestling)|Kane]], who was targeting him as being guilty for attacking [[The Undertaker]]. Why is this [[Pet the Dog]]? Punk had an alibi, but didn't want to reveal that Serena had been caught breaking her pledge to the Straight Edge Society (he forgave her the following week, though).

** "Midget-like"? Then what does that make [[Chris Jericho]], who's nearly two inches ''shorter''?

*** He is considered to be a small to average sized wrestler.

** [[Lampshade Hanging|Referenced by John Cena]], who ''commends'' Punk for being able to get this reaction. Interestingly enough, this has worked both ways and to some made Cena more likable as well, making their feud one of the most entertaining feuds in recent memory.

* [[Power Stable]]: The Straight Edge Society was supposed to be one, but it fizzled out rather quickly. [[The Nexus]], on the other hand... also fizzled out quickly once he was in charge.

{{quote| "I'm gonna beat you like a bitch."}}

** On the 3/19/2012 edition of Raw, they had to censor some the words he said to Jericho.

{{quote| '''"You're {{spoiler|bullshit!!!}}"'''}}

** [[Fridge Brilliance]]: Also [[Bret Hart]] was the referee in said match.

* [[Really Gets Around]]: While it's never played as part of his character, Punk is said to have had relations with quite a few women in wrestling.

** Also he was wearing a [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] [[Faux Symbolism|T-shirt]]

** On the 7/11/11 edition of RAW, Punk manages back to back speeches on [[Vince McMahon]] and [[John Cena]].

*** After talking about how Cena had always liked to consider himself the underdog just like the Boston Red Sox, Punk told him that it was no longer the case for either the man or the team.

{{quote| '''Punk:''' I'm not gonna have ''you'' sit here and belittle me, say ''I've'' lost sight, ''I've'' lost sight of things, ''John''? The reason I say I'm gonna take that and walk out is because I ''don't'' fit a certain mold, because ''I'' am the underdog, and that's exactly what ''you've'' lost sight of! Earlier in this ring, you mentioned great wrestlers like [[Eddie Guerrero]] and you said that ''they'' used to look at ''you'' and say "the kid couldn't hang," and now ''you'' stand here and look at ''me'' as the kid that can't hang...What you are is what you hate! You're the ten-time WWE Champion, you're the man! Ladies and gentlemen, the champ is here! You, like the Red Sox, like Boston, are ''no'' longer the underdog! You're a ''dynasty''! You are what you hate! You have become the [[Invincible Hero|New]] [[Jerkass Has a Point|York]] [[Berserk Button|Yankees]]!" }}

** Gives one to [[Triple H]], John Laurinaitis, and [[John Cena]] on the August 8, 2011 RAW, calling the former two out on the firings of several superstars and the latter out on being above it all.

** He would then level a MASSIVE one two weeks before the 2012 [[Royal Rumble]] at Johnny Ace, seen [http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZhjI_xYUQTQ#t=359s here]. It's especially notable in that it was the one thing that finally caused [[Villainous Breakdown|Johnny to lose his cool]].

* [[Running Gag]]: At the ''Royal Rumble'' 2010 event, Punk would find himself the only man in the ring several times, and would preach his Straight Edge lifestyle during the downtime. At the following PPV ''Elimination Chamber'', Punk and R-Truth would start the match. Punk made short work of Truth and started right back where he left off at the Rumble.

* [[Sarcasm Mode]]: Seems to be Punk's [[Deadpan Snarker|default setting.]]

* [[Shadow Archetype]]: He and [[John Cena]] are almost complete opposites that also have a lot in common. John is a clean shaven, heavily muscled, classically handsome, rap loving, football playing, suburban born, [[WWE]] raised, uber face. Punk is a slight, scruffy, tattooed, [[Unkempt Beauty|that has his own appeal]], metal and punk loving, poor city kid that spent years in the indies and became a heel to raise himself to stardom. Yet both are determined, charismatic men that are adamant in their beliefs and define the casual fan vs. [[Smark]] [[Broken Base]] of [[WWE]].

* [[Shout Out]]: In one promo, he's threw out a lot of references to [[Straight Edge]] bands.

** Simplest of all, he has a tattoo of the [[G.I. Joe|Cobra emblem]] on his arm.

** Punk ended up on the receiving end of one of these on October 13, 2011, when during a hockey match between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, the Penguins' Arron Asham got in a fight with Capitals' Jay Beagle. Asham cleanly punched Beagle out, after which he [http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_image/df/df3445b507da68c3651a80b103b31181/fight_video_arron_asham_bloodies_jay_beagle_who_pulls_out_tooth.jpg did Punk's trademark "Go To Sleep" motion].

{{quote| '''Punk''': If you say "Because it's my destiny!", I swear to Jeebus I'm going to start [[Straight Edge|drinking]].}}

* [[Smug Smiler]]: ESPECIALLY in his heel role.

** [[Smug Snake]]

** [[Smug Straight Edge]]: The epitome of this trope.

* [[Stalker With a Crush]]: Punk's latest disciple, Serena, very briefly started as this.

** And now he has [[Chick Busters|AJ]]

* [[Straight Edge Evil]]

* [[Stop Helping Me]]: This is the problem he's been having with Raw GM John Laurinaitis. In the gauntlet match on [[WWE Raw|Raw]] at the end of 2011 with Dolph Ziggler, Punk has Ziggler pinned, but the ref is talking with Laurinaitis, who came out and "fairly" removed Swagger and Vickie Guerrero from ringside for earlier interference, ''during'' the match. Punk goes to ward him off, only to get Zig-Zagged by Dolph for the 1-2-3, which earns him a WWE Title match the following week. In that match, Punk has Ziggler locked in the Anaconda Vice and tapping, only for the ref to miss it again because the Raw GM is "dutifully" instructing the man to replace a turnbuckle pad that came loose during the match.

* [[Take That]]: Both a recipient and a giver. In [[CHIKARA]], CP Munk (a straight edge chipmunk) is a sendoff of Punk in response to him noshowing an event. Punk's response?

{{quote| ''"Some days I get real pissed about it, because it's disrespectful. [...] Most other days I just laugh it off because nobody from Chikara will ever be over enough anywhere for anybody else to parody them."''}}

** A MASSIVE one leveled at John Laurinaitis at the 2011 Slammys, which included all the [[Narm Charm|cheesiness]] of an 80s style montage complete with Stan Bush's "The Touch" (doubles as a [[Shout Out]] to the [[Transformers]].

** Take a shot at [[Chris Brown]]. The latter responds by accusing him of steroids. [http://www.twitvid.com/4CAPE Punk was not amused].

* [[Trademark Favorite Food]]: Pepsi. The soda inspired the name of one of his famous finishing maneuvers (the Pepsi Plunge) as well as signature move the Pepsi Twist, and he has a tattoo of the old Pepsi logo on one of his shoulders. He originally got the tattoo as a joke, since members of his fraternity were getting beer logo tattoos.

** His old nickname "The choice of a new generation" was originally a Pepsi slogan from the 80s.

* [[Wham Line]]: Seems to deliver one per promo.

** [[Ring of Honor|"I am the DEVIL HIMSELF, and you STUPID, MINDLESS PEOPLE fell for it!"]]

** "And I'd like to think [[WWE|this company]] will be better off after [[Vince McMahon]]'s ''dead''..."

** Whatever you do, don't spill his Diet Pepsi. He currently holds grudge against [[John Cena|Cena]] for it.

*** Punk's been Cena's biggest critic since he started commentating on ''Raw''. The spill probably didn't help though.

** Singing to Rey Mysterio's daughter, it often lists him as being a Complete Monster for some reason. Yes, it was definitely creepy and a total dick move, but it's not clear how that puts him on par with total monsters.

** "WHERE THE HELL ARE MY DAMN ICE-CREAM BARS?"

** This continued on the following Raw when Punk called Cena out on all of the above, pointing out the [[Blatant Lies]] about Cena saying he was going to leave and then showing right back up to trespass repeatedly; when Cena went to defend himself for attacking Wade Barrett after their match at ''TLC 2010'' by bringing up his multiple Nexus beatdowns and the fact that they (technically) ended his career, Punk proceeded to call him a hypocrite because he ended [[Batista]]'s career by tossing him through a stage after having won an I Quit match ''just for the sake of doing it''.

*** And he's gone on to base to as his reason for targeting Cena as he's gotten tired of this.

* [[Author Existence Failure|Wrestler Existence Failure]]: Punk was scheduled to wrestle [[Chris Benoit]] for the vacant ECW Championship at ''Vengeance: Night of Champions'' in 2007. Benoit never made it to the show, and a day later, everyone found out why.

** Dear [[John Morrison]]: [[Crossing the Line Twice|Who died and made you champion?]]

** One of his earliest ones in the WWE was after he managed to get [[Jeff Hardy]] out of the WWE. Afterwards, Jeff's music hits and the fans lose their minds as "Jeff" comes bobbing out to the ring in facepaint, arm stockings, and "Hardy Boyz" tattoo. After a little, it becomes fairly obviously it's not Jeff Hardy returning but Punk simply dressed as Jeff. The Jeff Hardy fans were ''not'' amused, bordering on [[The Miz|Angry Miz]] [[Memetic Mutation|Girl]] level discontent.

** [[John Cena]] eventually calls him out on this as part of a [[Kirk Summation]].

[[Category:The New Tens]]

[[Category:CM Punk]]