The Pre-Show Didnt Make Sense
Being at the Allstate Arena on Monday, I wasnt privy to the information provided during the RAW Pre-Show. But no sooner had it gone on air, Twitter feeds started to percolate with something unexpected. Josh Matthews, host of the Monday Night RAW Pre-Show, acknowledged for the first time in over a month that CM Punk has been absent. He went on to question whether the Chicago star would make an appearance tonight on RAW. This was a very, very big moment, both for Punk fans, and the WWE alike. Up until that time, the WWE did not recognize Punk in any televised fashion since the Royal Rumble. There was no mention of him on any broadcast, he was edited out of show-opening montages, and any storylines he was a part of prior were summarily dropped. In fact, the only information we were given in the last five weeks was that Punk was still under contract, and, according to Vince McMahon during a conference call with shareholders, Punk was Taking a sabbatical. Lets just put it that way. To further the significance of Matthews concession on Punks possible return, we havent heard a word from Punk himself either. He has gone completely Twitter-silent since January 27th. Not a comment, not a retweet, not a mention. Nothing. So it shouldnt be understated that mentioning him prior to the show was a big deal. But then something odd happened, and no one watching at home realized it. Prior to RAW coming on air, the WWE aired a promotional video for Wrestlemania. They highlighted all the matches at last years event. Every single one. Except for CM Punks match with the Undertaker. There were no highlights of the match, despite it being one of the best matches of the nightif not the best. Why? As soon as it happened, I knew it was a bad sign. If Punk was set to return, why wouldnt the WWE include highlights from his memorable match last year? Instead, they went through the process of editing it out entirely, knowing full well theyre also editing out the Undertakerthe man behind the longest-running storyline in WWE history, his undefeated streak at Mania. To do something this extreme would only signify a terrible disconnect between Punk and the company. Otherwise, theres no reason for them to leave out such a memorable match. Especially if theyre promoting the upcoming Wrestlemania. But then, as the show opened, Punks music hit