Will ALL IN Change WWE More Than CM Punk’s Pipe Bomb?
The power of Punk's promo was barely enough to fuel his own career for the remainder of 2011. Punk had swum with sharks before, but not Great Whites like Triple H, Kevin Nash and Vince McMahon himself. He'd bullishly taken a spot the top table, but he was still only being fed scraps from the likes of a selfless John Cena and powerless midcarders like The Miz and R-Truth. This was where his grand plan fell apart - WWE exists to push stars, so Punk either had to double down on promoting himself, or stay true to his values in order to elevate others across the board.
His original campaign attempted to find work for Colt Cabana, find respect for Zack Ryder and find hope for all the other "spokes in the wheel". That campaign resulted in him staring at the lights for 'The Game' and Alberto Del Rio within months of having GQ at his house to talk to the supposed saviour of professional wrestling. Punk was attempting to do something real in a world that was every bit as fake and untouchable as he'd first suggested back in Las Vegas.
He'd have probably bloodied himself banging his head against brick walls, if he wasn't likely to face a fine for it. Cody actively derailed his battle with Nick Aldis chasing claret, but he had the freedom and fan acceptance to do so. It was literally his show - Punk received all sorts in his fat new 2011 contract, but he never got that autonomy. And he never would.
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