10 Dick Moves Promoters Used To Improve Wrestlers' Performances

2. Burying CM Punk

Kevin Owens Vince McMahon
WWE

CM Punk's enraged "Pipe Bomb" promo was - if you believe him - a last act of catharsis before he "split" like everybody else had done, but even if it was all part of a grand work to sell a pay-per-view and he always intended to sign a new deal, it took him being p*ssed off about just about everything to inspire a speech that rousing.

It's a wonder the microphone wasn't burned to a crisp, so violent were the flames spewed forth by Punk. He was, in his mind, wronged by a profoundly failing system. A system that had let down his character as it does so many others, but also one that had neglected the man underneath the t-shirts and tattoos.

The 'Straight Edge Superstar' was becoming the 'Voice Of The Voiceless' by finally careering off of the rails, but it's honestly tough to imagine how else things would have gone for the unpredictable star had WWE actually afforded him a modicum of respect. McMahon got three more years out of what sounded like pretty petty mistreatment, and the two made more money together from fighting than they ever would have as friends.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett