Punk's explosive 'Pipe Bomb' speech on June 27, 2011 should have positioned him as the next Stone Cold, the anti-establishment hellraiser that hates the system and everything it stands for. His winning of John Cena's WWE Championship one heated night in Chicago begat his other truly bold act: walking out with the belt and holding it hostage while making the suits squirm. It didn't take long before WWE cut the stones off of their hottest act, turning him into a character that mocked heels, demanded ice cream bars, and was way too happy to wear Triple H's suit jacket for a commentary appearance. This was not even a month after Punk put over 42-year-old Helmsley at Night of Champions. Punk did well enough with a 14-month reign as WWE Champion not long after, but instead of ushering in a new era, he was moulded into a generic babyface, like so many before and after him.
Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.
