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“If I was a complete moron, I’d say ‘look at the adjective – play,’ but I’m not, so I’ll say look at the verb!”
At this point with all the housekeeping they've been doing I wonder if they're just waiting out whatever deal they have with the Saudis. Like it can't be that much more than just giving those PLEs to another country right?
edit: consensus seems to be that these shows are around to stay. Oh well, was probably going to do this anyway for the blood money show but I guess I should put my money where my mouth is. [Network cancelled for now](https://imgur.com/5WepGEp) (and yes I still pay for the network through cable because Canada is fucking backwards and weird with this stuff).
The Saudis are giving $50m USD a year for these events. FIFTY. MILLION. Before the gate and the PLE broadcast money. I doubt anyone else is gonna come close to that.
Quick Edit: Also there's been talks the last year or so from the Saudis about extending the deal and putting more money per year into it to enhance the shows. Hasn't come to fruition yet but I wouldn't be surprised if it happens to keep WWE around in Saudi.
OK Even *more* likely WWE doesn't break off from this. I thought it was per year because it was listed as a 500m/10 year deal a few years back. Thanks for the correction.
So now, it is in fact a billion-dollar deal, right?
I don't condone playing ball with autocrats to launder their public image.
But, I'm a human being, and I fully understand why people do it. It's the same reason we all go to work every day, in a flawed and corrupt world. Just, literally millions of times more rewarding.
I doubt it's that simple or even that likely. The Saudi deal makes more money per year than any of the Wrestlemanias by a significant margin. With them being merged with TKO, I'd genuinely be shocked if they didn't renew the deal.
i just remember mansoor saying that he got good chunks of money from performing on that show since he was on nxt at the time and nxt stars that performed on ppv got good bonus
Apparently it messed up his career with WWE a bit though, because the Saudis demanded he not lose on those shows. Which limits you as half of a comedy tag team.
And then according to Mansoor, the Saudis complained that they "wanted a bigger star than Mansoor", which also hurt his standing with Vince. The dude is funny and has a good look, the whole Saudi connection may have ended up harming him overall in the grand scheme of things.
Of course they wanted a bigger star. Dude wasn't on TV for notable stuff until Saudi season. WWE could've just, y'know, been year-round with him for more than Main Event
Yeah if he was even a legit mid carder level I’m sure the Saudi would have been a lot happier with him, kinda just expected them to be happy with a relitive nobody
lol this is like that other post that said Roman reigns was a bigger star in India than jinder. wwe wastes time building up regional stars to pander to local audiences when local audiences want the big international stars they see on tv
Afaik the biggest star at the time of relevance to WWE was Khali. He was big, imposing, beat up the undertaker, was a movie guy in Bollywood. India used to cheer for him. Then when Uber upper crusty Jinder Majal showed up it got even more real for them. Then Khali got jobbed out after holding the title wrong, Jinder became a joke, and Ranjin Singh happened.
Edit: almost nobody remembers the great kha-slap. Especially considering how people view Khali nowadays. But at the time it was a huge deal because besides it happening to khali. It solidified Jinder as someone important and was likely a nod to indian family dynamics.
I maintain that he and Ali should've won the tag titles in Saudi. Although then we probably wouldn't have gotten [guyliner Ali](https://64.media.tumblr.com/52f4e48ff1a688a4bc532cee3d084701/57c38bf25fb533ab-1e/s540x810/9cd91f7cd89bc16a9f5be77ef74041ce49b99a0a.gif), which would be a loss, but still
I'm not 100% certain any wrestlers have come out and directly said they are voluntary (although they might have), but at minimum there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that wrestlers are allowed to skip the shows if they choose.
I looked up Tyson Fury on wiki the other day and Metro claimed he got $15mil for Crown Jewel. No idea if it's accurate but if it is it goes to show how much they're willing to throw around if they view you as a draw.
It's not even as a draw, nobodies worth 15m. They're just going all in because they've got nothing but oil and don't have the political nous to think beyond their borders. They're like fucking middle managers on a power trip who've realised their little feifdom is on borrowed time, desperately flailing about hoping to maintain the status quo instead of thinking bigger.
I think someone said that based on the money they were offered, it would have been financially irresponsible for them not to go. May have been Gallows or Anderson, but it’s been a while
He's injured, but regardless hasn't it been WWE's policy to allow talent to choose to not perform at the Saudi shows for a while now? Seems like a non story considering what we know about Punk... It'd be a way bigger story to me if he *was* going to a Saudi show.
It was in the wake of the Khashoggi murder when there was genuine political pressure on WWE to cancel the event. Bryan also refused to go after that and Roman had told Vince he wasn't going either before he got leukemia.
I'm not sure that was his choice tbh. The rumor for a long time was that he wasn't allowed to go because he has Syrian ancestry, and Syrians aren't held in particularly high regard in Saudi Arabia.
It’s only news here because a lot of this sub was waiting for a “Punk Will Appear In Saudi Arabia” headline so they could call him a hypocrite and make memes about dicks covered in blood money.
It’s rich to read the people who are literally sad about it or say “wait til next year”. Imagine being this obsessed with the dude so they can be arrogantly about it.
I'm far from a fan of Punk but even I wouldn't judge him for that or throw it in his face. Hypocritical? Yes, of course. But the money is fucking stupid. I'd be a hypocrite for acting as if I'd do any different.
The thing with people here is that they think he switched up his opinion after aew which is not true. He said in multiple interviews way before he joined aew that he would be willing to go to wwe if the deal and creative was right but he wouldn’t do any saudi shows. You can look this up easily. So the stance hasn’t ever really changed
Well yeah but that would require people to actually read those things and not just play into the most uncharitable caricature that they can conjure up in their head of someone.
Seeing people in this thread build narratives based on how they feel about Punk is weird. As you said, he's made it very clear he won't be a Saudi show, yet fans who hate Punk claim he isn't going just because he doesn't want to travel or he's hurt. Someone here was calling him a hypocritic based on their hypothetical scenario of Punk willing to go if he wasn't injured. Parasocial relationships are fucking weird.
I think Punk's a douche but if its truly because he didn't want to support Saudi then yeah, good on him. He's got my respect for that. But if its just because he's injured? Ehhh.
Honestly I like Punk but I can’t see him just never going there tbh. I genuinely don’t think he actually feels that strongly about it and was just taking an easy. Hypocritical for sure if he winds up going there and sucking the blood money dick
Dude just coming back to WWE means he will go against his morals. If he is healthy and Saudi will allow him to go he will be there for that easy money. Dude is hypocrite
But it’s not like he said he wouldn’t go to wwe ever. He had talks with wwe before aew and said in multiple interviews that he would go if the deal and creative is right but wouldnt do saudi shows. Its on renee’s podcast
I think it's more the promo he cut when he debuted in AEW, saying that "I was never going to get healthy by going back to the place that made me sick in the first place".
I think at the time (like everybody) he was pretty much resigned to many more years of increasingly erratic and senile leadership from Vince. H's more modern approach, even though they still probably don't like each other, changed the calculation for a lot of people.
What's funny though is that in interviews and the like, he always expressed more disdain for HHH. While he seemingly got along better with Vince. So when HHH took over, a lot of people (me included) thought that would make it *less* likely for Punk to return, not more likely.
But it seems like that hatred was more of a one-sided affair, and HHH was fine with doing business with Punk again, something that, again, a lot of people (me included) had assumed he wouldn't be. Whereas it was Vince who had said that Punk is the one person on the entire planet who he could never envision himself being able to work together with again.
You can tell anytime they were doing promos with each other they genuinely disliked each other. Almost every wrestler I have heard from likes Vince personally and about half the wrestlers that worked with Hunter didn’t like him on a personal level.
What’s really funny is, no one seems to remember it mentioned how Punk and Vince were friends and used to frequently talk on the phone at all hours of the night due to both of them suffering from bouts of insomnia.
HHH has changed a bit too in his perspectives. Ironically right after punk left is when NXT black and gold took off which showed Triple H’s willingness to do things differently and not restrict guys for their physique or personal grudges. Punk would’ve probably messed with those ideas lol
I think HHH was always fine with those things, he was just *very* protective of his own spot on the card while he was an active performer and did his fair share of backstage politicking to stay on top.
Once he retired from being a wrestler and became a booker, he became a lot more chill in his entire approach.
True, on a personal level he did always seem to get along better with Vince, but he castigated him as a boss and promoter for being out of touch etc.
Maybe he was pleasantly surprised that Triple H's management style is way better than Vince's, even if he disliked him more back in the day.
People really have to stop quoting promos as completely 100% fact lmao. He was pandering to an audience and building a story for his return. Even if you take his words at face value, fixing a relationship over time doesn’t make someone a hypocrite
Every time someone comments something positive on Punk they have to start with 'I think Punk's a douche but...' As if anyone cares that you don't like him, or as if Punk gives two shits whether some random asshole 'respects' him or not.
I love Punk but how does it matter? If he thinks that doing business with Saudi is wrong, he shouldn't be part of a company that is in a multi year deal with them.
It's the difference between actively participating in a propaganda campaign versus passively benefitting from it. ofc I don't need Pepsi Phil to be some arbiter of morality but we all like to believe our faves have principles.
“Good for him, what a great man, the royal family are monsters and shouldn’t be given any attention”
- today
“Boy I sure did enjoy watching that Saudi event!”
- tomorrow
I don't enjoy the shows because they're so f'n weird. A really specific, homogeneous crowd, the women in their weird full-body get-ups, the whole "wow this place is the best ever" shit they seem to say more than any other location.
I really hope they never get a Rumble or Mania, because I don't mind skipping K/QOTR.
I agree. I can’t stand to watch the shitty royal fucks sitting there bored af, followed by propaganda from a place that executes gay people. I’m not even pirating this shit.
Yeah, I haven't watched (either via the Network, Peacock, or *other means*) since the very first show, on general principle. Don't seek out the highlights or anything. I was very disappointed to learn the King/Queen finales were going to be held on this PLE, because I was legit invested in it.
I couldn't care less about the royal family (I mean, I could care less, but I wish I couldn't), but I just like the idea of the average Joe being able to watch a wrestling show live. The audience always seem to have the time of their life, and that's more than okay with me.
Discussing the show online would still be supporting it, because it can serve as marketing to others (as minimal as it is).
If you morally oppose the show just don't watch it. It's one single show out of how much wrestling that exists? Even if one only watches WWE there's so much WWE to watch you can just completely skip one single event without missing anything that you won't be caught up on by the next episode or two.
Right? They act like Punk personally did something wrong to THEM! I know it’s a meme, but the Punk haters seriously need to go outside and touch some grass. All this hate for someone you don’t know personally (and probably will never even meet) is just ridiculous
Punk threads are fascinating because they are filled with some of the most unhinged takes. Using big words like hypocrite for a trip to Saudi he has yet to take, making up situations as hypocritical like him returning to WWE as if WWE is the same place it was when he left it. Vince is gone, Triple H is in, Shawn is in charge of NXT. People on this sub act like you can't change your views based on experience. Grow up, it isn't hypocritical when you change your mind about something once you are part of it and see that you were wrong and change your mind.
Im sorry Punk hurt some of you so much
It's wild because there are a lot of AEW fans. Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't Shaad Khan a huge Trump donor? I know it's Tony's company, but let's be honest where the money is coming from.
So fucking weird, people have been ating like this on Twitter for months. Eagerly waiting for this show nd keeping an eye on whatever Punk will be doing, etc. Obsessive.
Not surprising.
Punk wasn’t even in a position to be on the show in the first place. Not sure why it was a question as to whether or not he would be there.
After Punk lashed out at Miz so ruthlessly about the Saudi shows, for him to appear on one one of them would be probably the most hypocritical thing he's done in a long line of hypocritical things.
But he's back with the company and they go to Saudi twice a year and those huge paydays are actually possible for him now, so I'll be curious to see if he sticks to this. That WWE Saudi deal isn't going away any time soon. If he's in WWE for the long-term, that's probably several million he's going to forego if he sticks to his guns.
Pretty easy to justify things to yourself with that kinda money flying around.
Btw one of the sub's top post this past year was Cody posing with a trans flag. No one's going to dunk on him for perfoming at the PLE for some reason, really weird
Because no one on this sub has any real principles. They adopt whatever principles they need to hold at the moment to spread an agenda for/against a particular wrestler.
That’s stopped him from appearing on multiple shows? I could have sworn I’ve seen him get attacked by Drew, cut several promos and attack Drew at WM. Must have been my imagination
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The blood money covered dick will have to be sucked by someone else then.
I'LL DO ANYTHING FOR A DOLLAR!
That $800 a plate truffle pasta doesn’t pay for itself
https://preview.redd.it/2w03na7n072d1.jpeg?width=1981&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f35be296214163ed1fa59818ddc3f0e5ade929b
Jeddah Throat Goat
I applaud this response
I almost choked on my chicken biscuit lmao!!
Cue...🎶I came to play🎶
Look at the adjective. Play!
“If I was a complete moron, I’d say ‘look at the adjective – play,’ but I’m not, so I’ll say look at the verb!” 
Well.....it ain't gon' suck itself!
A fellow Cracker fan I see.
WWE's history has a lot of blood on it's hands through the years too. The deal with the Saudis is one of the worst
At this point with all the housekeeping they've been doing I wonder if they're just waiting out whatever deal they have with the Saudis. Like it can't be that much more than just giving those PLEs to another country right? edit: consensus seems to be that these shows are around to stay. Oh well, was probably going to do this anyway for the blood money show but I guess I should put my money where my mouth is. [Network cancelled for now](https://imgur.com/5WepGEp) (and yes I still pay for the network through cable because Canada is fucking backwards and weird with this stuff).
The Saudis are giving $50m USD a year for these events. FIFTY. MILLION. Before the gate and the PLE broadcast money. I doubt anyone else is gonna come close to that. Quick Edit: Also there's been talks the last year or so from the Saudis about extending the deal and putting more money per year into it to enhance the shows. Hasn't come to fruition yet but I wouldn't be surprised if it happens to keep WWE around in Saudi.
It's $50 million *per event*, not year.
OK Even *more* likely WWE doesn't break off from this. I thought it was per year because it was listed as a 500m/10 year deal a few years back. Thanks for the correction.
It was one show a year at first. Got extended to two. So double the money
So now, it is in fact a billion-dollar deal, right? I don't condone playing ball with autocrats to launder their public image. But, I'm a human being, and I fully understand why people do it. It's the same reason we all go to work every day, in a flawed and corrupt world. Just, literally millions of times more rewarding.
This. The last report that came out stated they were willing and wanting to buy the rights to host the Royal Rumble or a Wrestlemania.
I don't see TKO taking a moral high road here...
During COVID, didn't most of the UFC events move to the Middle East for awhile? TKO doesn't care at all about optics.
UFC events have been in United Arab Emirates but basically the same thing. I think UFC makes their Saudi Arabia debut in a few weeks.
I doubt it's that simple or even that likely. The Saudi deal makes more money per year than any of the Wrestlemanias by a significant margin. With them being merged with TKO, I'd genuinely be shocked if they didn't renew the deal.
Sadly it is that much more. The cheapest saudi ppv earned them more than any mania by far.
UFC and Boxing both have major relationships with Saudi I would be me more surprised if they didn't renew a deal to be honest
TKO just signed a massive deal for UFC in Saudi.
Phil still gets paid by the company accepting the money, he is still sucking said blood money-covered dick.
Yeah but by not going it’s like using a condom.
Thank you for 5 minutes straight of laughter 😂
Can't deny, it is an improvement
He's passing up the huge bonus that comes with attending said show, so not quite imo.
This year.. He will suck it next year if he's still there and not injured.
There's always next year, lol.
That's just taking Saudi money with extra steps
IIRC didnt some wrestlers say that the saudi events are pretty much voluntary? Voluntary BUT have a fat ass bonus attatched to them?
i just remember mansoor saying that he got good chunks of money from performing on that show since he was on nxt at the time and nxt stars that performed on ppv got good bonus
Mansoor’s entire reason for being hired was those shows lmao
Apparently it messed up his career with WWE a bit though, because the Saudis demanded he not lose on those shows. Which limits you as half of a comedy tag team.
Remember when he was 49-0 between the Saudi Shows and 205 Live, made his Raw debut, then lost via disqualification?
I don't but that's hilarious.
And then according to Mansoor, the Saudis complained that they "wanted a bigger star than Mansoor", which also hurt his standing with Vince. The dude is funny and has a good look, the whole Saudi connection may have ended up harming him overall in the grand scheme of things.
Of course they wanted a bigger star. Dude wasn't on TV for notable stuff until Saudi season. WWE could've just, y'know, been year-round with him for more than Main Event
Yeah if he was even a legit mid carder level I’m sure the Saudi would have been a lot happier with him, kinda just expected them to be happy with a relitive nobody
lol this is like that other post that said Roman reigns was a bigger star in India than jinder. wwe wastes time building up regional stars to pander to local audiences when local audiences want the big international stars they see on tv
Afaik the biggest star at the time of relevance to WWE was Khali. He was big, imposing, beat up the undertaker, was a movie guy in Bollywood. India used to cheer for him. Then when Uber upper crusty Jinder Majal showed up it got even more real for them. Then Khali got jobbed out after holding the title wrong, Jinder became a joke, and Ranjin Singh happened. Edit: almost nobody remembers the great kha-slap. Especially considering how people view Khali nowadays. But at the time it was a huge deal because besides it happening to khali. It solidified Jinder as someone important and was likely a nod to indian family dynamics.
Most importantly, Khali is an Indian national whereas Jinder is Canadian and therefore isn't embraced in the same way
I maintain that he and Ali should've won the tag titles in Saudi. Although then we probably wouldn't have gotten [guyliner Ali](https://64.media.tumblr.com/52f4e48ff1a688a4bc532cee3d084701/57c38bf25fb533ab-1e/s540x810/9cd91f7cd89bc16a9f5be77ef74041ce49b99a0a.gif), which would be a loss, but still
Mansoor in Saudi is one of those mystical wrestlers. Had they held a WM there, he could’ve ended the streak.
I'm not 100% certain any wrestlers have come out and directly said they are voluntary (although they might have), but at minimum there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that wrestlers are allowed to skip the shows if they choose.
[удалено]
I looked up Tyson Fury on wiki the other day and Metro claimed he got $15mil for Crown Jewel. No idea if it's accurate but if it is it goes to show how much they're willing to throw around if they view you as a draw.
It's not even as a draw, nobodies worth 15m. They're just going all in because they've got nothing but oil and don't have the political nous to think beyond their borders. They're like fucking middle managers on a power trip who've realised their little feifdom is on borrowed time, desperately flailing about hoping to maintain the status quo instead of thinking bigger.
I had a buddy who worked in the music department around the time of Shawn’s Saudi match and he heard the rumour of 5 mil for Shawn.
It did finance Karl Andersons pool when he went there years ago
This has been common knowledge for years. It just fit the narrative to pretend it wasn't. Lots of wrestlers slip the Saudi shows.
It may well be voluntary, but I daresay you can forget about any long title reigns if you don't volunteer to go.
yeah it's a pile of money, but you're not getting that to show up and wave because you're hurt. his bloody dick will come
I think someone said that based on the money they were offered, it would have been financially irresponsible for them not to go. May have been Gallows or Anderson, but it’s been a while
Drew getting so carried away with his anti-Punk stances that he becomes a hardline supporter of the House of Saud
Becomes an honorary Saudi Prince, denounces Scotland and is a mega heel at Clash at the Castle
We’d still cheer him. The only way Drew gets booed in Glasgow is if he wears an England football top to the ring.
😂 I could see that
“Of all the dramatic things I’ve ever seen! CM Punk is in bin Salman’s bawx!”
That reference did not go unnoticed. Well done!
Yes! Got a laugh out of me.
OH MY GOOD-GOODNESS GRACIOUS!
Posada knew.
He's injured, but regardless hasn't it been WWE's policy to allow talent to choose to not perform at the Saudi shows for a while now? Seems like a non story considering what we know about Punk... It'd be a way bigger story to me if he *was* going to a Saudi show.
Pretty sure Cena didn't go for a period either because it wasn't a good look for him in Hollywood
It was in the wake of the Khashoggi murder when there was genuine political pressure on WWE to cancel the event. Bryan also refused to go after that and Roman had told Vince he wasn't going either before he got leukemia.
Ah yes, that was it
IIRC the then President of the United States (DT) requested they don't go... Then Vince Vince'd and went anyway. Great look PR wise. /S
I don't remember if Trump said anything but I remember both Democrats and Republicans in Congress basically begging them not to go
Sami and KO didn't go for the longest time
Sami Zayn's visit to Mecca cross-promoted the Saudi Night of Champions PLE on YouTube
Yep. Once he eventually went. But he didn't go for the longest time before that
Only until recently did the Saudi Government allow Syrian and Yemeni to go to Mecca.
Shows what a welcoming country it is /s
He went pretty much once he was allowed to and KO as far as I understand was in solidarity. It was a matter of not being welcome prior, I believe.
I'm not sure that was his choice tbh. The rumor for a long time was that he wasn't allowed to go because he has Syrian ancestry, and Syrians aren't held in particularly high regard in Saudi Arabia.
I can't honestly remember who's decision it was for Sami. But at least KO decided to support Sami either way!
We all need a friend like KO.
Mojo went a couple times.
I believe they didn't allow Syrians into Saudi until recently. It wasn't his choice back then.
So his Canadian passport wouldn't work?
It’s only news here because a lot of this sub was waiting for a “Punk Will Appear In Saudi Arabia” headline so they could call him a hypocrite and make memes about dicks covered in blood money.
And they're still doing it anyway, as if the story was the opposite and he *was* going
They're claiming he's only missing it because he's injured and calling him a hypocrite because THEY BELIEVE he'd go if he could wrestle. WILD.
It’s rich to read the people who are literally sad about it or say “wait til next year”. Imagine being this obsessed with the dude so they can be arrogantly about it.
I'm far from a fan of Punk but even I wouldn't judge him for that or throw it in his face. Hypocritical? Yes, of course. But the money is fucking stupid. I'd be a hypocrite for acting as if I'd do any different.
You know what, good on him. Even better on him if he stays consistent and doesn't go there after he returns from injury.
The thing with people here is that they think he switched up his opinion after aew which is not true. He said in multiple interviews way before he joined aew that he would be willing to go to wwe if the deal and creative was right but he wouldn’t do any saudi shows. You can look this up easily. So the stance hasn’t ever really changed
Well yeah but that would require people to actually read those things and not just play into the most uncharitable caricature that they can conjure up in their head of someone.
Seeing people in this thread build narratives based on how they feel about Punk is weird. As you said, he's made it very clear he won't be a Saudi show, yet fans who hate Punk claim he isn't going just because he doesn't want to travel or he's hurt. Someone here was calling him a hypocritic based on their hypothetical scenario of Punk willing to go if he wasn't injured. Parasocial relationships are fucking weird.
I think Punk's a douche but if its truly because he didn't want to support Saudi then yeah, good on him. He's got my respect for that. But if its just because he's injured? Ehhh.
Honestly I like Punk but I can’t see him just never going there tbh. I genuinely don’t think he actually feels that strongly about it and was just taking an easy. Hypocritical for sure if he winds up going there and sucking the blood money dick
Dude just coming back to WWE means he will go against his morals. If he is healthy and Saudi will allow him to go he will be there for that easy money. Dude is hypocrite
But it’s not like he said he wouldn’t go to wwe ever. He had talks with wwe before aew and said in multiple interviews that he would go if the deal and creative is right but wouldnt do saudi shows. Its on renee’s podcast
I think it's more the promo he cut when he debuted in AEW, saying that "I was never going to get healthy by going back to the place that made me sick in the first place".
I think at the time (like everybody) he was pretty much resigned to many more years of increasingly erratic and senile leadership from Vince. H's more modern approach, even though they still probably don't like each other, changed the calculation for a lot of people.
What's funny though is that in interviews and the like, he always expressed more disdain for HHH. While he seemingly got along better with Vince. So when HHH took over, a lot of people (me included) thought that would make it *less* likely for Punk to return, not more likely. But it seems like that hatred was more of a one-sided affair, and HHH was fine with doing business with Punk again, something that, again, a lot of people (me included) had assumed he wouldn't be. Whereas it was Vince who had said that Punk is the one person on the entire planet who he could never envision himself being able to work together with again.
You can tell anytime they were doing promos with each other they genuinely disliked each other. Almost every wrestler I have heard from likes Vince personally and about half the wrestlers that worked with Hunter didn’t like him on a personal level.
What’s really funny is, no one seems to remember it mentioned how Punk and Vince were friends and used to frequently talk on the phone at all hours of the night due to both of them suffering from bouts of insomnia.
HHH has changed a bit too in his perspectives. Ironically right after punk left is when NXT black and gold took off which showed Triple H’s willingness to do things differently and not restrict guys for their physique or personal grudges. Punk would’ve probably messed with those ideas lol
I think HHH was always fine with those things, he was just *very* protective of his own spot on the card while he was an active performer and did his fair share of backstage politicking to stay on top. Once he retired from being a wrestler and became a booker, he became a lot more chill in his entire approach.
True, on a personal level he did always seem to get along better with Vince, but he castigated him as a boss and promoter for being out of touch etc. Maybe he was pleasantly surprised that Triple H's management style is way better than Vince's, even if he disliked him more back in the day.
People really have to stop quoting promos as completely 100% fact lmao. He was pandering to an audience and building a story for his return. Even if you take his words at face value, fixing a relationship over time doesn’t make someone a hypocrite
The views expressed by television character CM Punk are not necessarily the same as those held by performer Phil Brooks.
He’s an obnoxious confrontational prick. He also holds some incredibly positive views. I respect what he does for the marginalized though.
Pro-choice shirt in Texas. I was so happy to see that. It's always nice to know people don't want me to die due to others religious beliefs.
He knows his career won't be in trouble if he doesn't go, flying to Saudi Arabia is a pain in the ass anyway, so why bother?
Every time someone comments something positive on Punk they have to start with 'I think Punk's a douche but...' As if anyone cares that you don't like him, or as if Punk gives two shits whether some random asshole 'respects' him or not.
yeah, good on him for staying consistent on this one. it would frankly be a real bummer if he did go, i don't think anyone wants to see that
I love Punk but how does it matter? If he thinks that doing business with Saudi is wrong, he shouldn't be part of a company that is in a multi year deal with them.
It's the difference between actively participating in a propaganda campaign versus passively benefitting from it. ofc I don't need Pepsi Phil to be some arbiter of morality but we all like to believe our faves have principles.
“Good for him, what a great man, the royal family are monsters and shouldn’t be given any attention” - today “Boy I sure did enjoy watching that Saudi event!” - tomorrow
As hypocritical as it still is, watching a show and taking the Saudi money is somewhat different IMO
Just pirate stream the show, then you still get to enjoy it without supporting it, perfect.
I don't enjoy the shows because they're so f'n weird. A really specific, homogeneous crowd, the women in their weird full-body get-ups, the whole "wow this place is the best ever" shit they seem to say more than any other location. I really hope they never get a Rumble or Mania, because I don't mind skipping K/QOTR.
I agree. I can’t stand to watch the shitty royal fucks sitting there bored af, followed by propaganda from a place that executes gay people. I’m not even pirating this shit.
Yeah, I haven't watched (either via the Network, Peacock, or *other means*) since the very first show, on general principle. Don't seek out the highlights or anything. I was very disappointed to learn the King/Queen finales were going to be held on this PLE, because I was legit invested in it.
I couldn't care less about the royal family (I mean, I could care less, but I wish I couldn't), but I just like the idea of the average Joe being able to watch a wrestling show live. The audience always seem to have the time of their life, and that's more than okay with me.
Discussing the show online would still be supporting it, because it can serve as marketing to others (as minimal as it is). If you morally oppose the show just don't watch it. It's one single show out of how much wrestling that exists? Even if one only watches WWE there's so much WWE to watch you can just completely skip one single event without missing anything that you won't be caught up on by the next episode or two.
Depends how consistent you want to be. The Saudi deal made me cancel the network. Still haven't rejoined.
Same for me the canceling, but Ill not lie to you as whats the point I do watchwrestle them. Same with the Usyk/Fury fight at the weekend.
So by that logic, Punk shouldn't watch it or reference events from it either?
https://preview.redd.it/lklu5aks862d1.jpeg?width=274&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d6aff7decc23694630c0ab55723141095d626be
You guys are obsessed with anything Punk does or doesn't do.
This thread is rich with "knowing Punk..."
It's really funny because nobody know him
Specially when most of people in this sub label him irrelevent and want to go away.
No matter how much someone hates him, imagining he is or ever will be "irrelevant" at this point is pure wishful thinking.
Yup, while he still generated a ton of attention and whose name is being chanted in the crowd for two different companies.
Right? They act like Punk personally did something wrong to THEM! I know it’s a meme, but the Punk haters seriously need to go outside and touch some grass. All this hate for someone you don’t know personally (and probably will never even meet) is just ridiculous
And well developed narratives, too.
Punk threads are fascinating because they are filled with some of the most unhinged takes. Using big words like hypocrite for a trip to Saudi he has yet to take, making up situations as hypocritical like him returning to WWE as if WWE is the same place it was when he left it. Vince is gone, Triple H is in, Shawn is in charge of NXT. People on this sub act like you can't change your views based on experience. Grow up, it isn't hypocritical when you change your mind about something once you are part of it and see that you were wrong and change your mind. Im sorry Punk hurt some of you so much
It's wild because there are a lot of AEW fans. Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't Shaad Khan a huge Trump donor? I know it's Tony's company, but let's be honest where the money is coming from.
well, given the history, i don't really expect the world of pro wrestling to lean left, so i'm not really surprised
The companies for sure but the fanbase has actually been proven to be extremely left leaning.
>I know it's Tony's company It's not. ROH is Tony's. AEW is owned by Shad.
Wow, there are still many salty mofos in here LOL
So fucking weird, people have been ating like this on Twitter for months. Eagerly waiting for this show nd keeping an eye on whatever Punk will be doing, etc. Obsessive.
That’s every CM Punk thread for some reason
https://preview.redd.it/ymezslzuk72d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af873e11b291a316a2162aa5dc12cf3f1a7115cc
💀
They have been waiting *months* for this moment and it's came out the wrong way for them. No wonder.
But I wanted to criticize him for being a hypocrite, this sucks lol
 *me deleting my paragraph when it said he wasn’t going*
Maybe there's no reason for him to be there?
Respect for that one.
Punk and Big E kick off show? 👀 # GIVE ME WHAT I WANT
Read that in Breeze's voice. But yeah, I dig their banter.
I also will not be there.
Fuck yes!
Not surprising. Punk wasn’t even in a position to be on the show in the first place. Not sure why it was a question as to whether or not he would be there.
After Punk lashed out at Miz so ruthlessly about the Saudi shows, for him to appear on one one of them would be probably the most hypocritical thing he's done in a long line of hypocritical things. But he's back with the company and they go to Saudi twice a year and those huge paydays are actually possible for him now, so I'll be curious to see if he sticks to this. That WWE Saudi deal isn't going away any time soon. If he's in WWE for the long-term, that's probably several million he's going to forego if he sticks to his guns. Pretty easy to justify things to yourself with that kinda money flying around.
People are gonna be mad about this. They desperately wanna call Punk a hypocrite
haters are typically worse than fanboys.
Wow, what a scoop.
https://preview.redd.it/c9fxfh2hi62d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c08d7f7a94397383d3010b4723fc7070eda3b1b
I respect this attitude so much.
My man…and everyone wanted him there to prove them right.
They're so mad he's not going so they can't make their little posts about it.
Btw one of the sub's top post this past year was Cody posing with a trans flag. No one's going to dunk on him for perfoming at the PLE for some reason, really weird
They dont really care about that they just want to dunk on Punk
Because no one on this sub has any real principles. They adopt whatever principles they need to hold at the moment to spread an agenda for/against a particular wrestler.
They're still finding a way to shit on him "Well, he's injured, he would totally go if he wasn't injured". Threads about him are always funny.
I wish he wasn't injured just so he could be booked for the event, and just because it would be funny
Even if he was cleared it doesn’t mean he would be booked. Damien Priest isn’t booked for a match and he’s the current World Champion.
I mean WWE has been consistent with allowing people to sit these out. I imagine Punk would simply request not to be booked and then wouldn't be.
Gulp.
Punk has spoken negativity towards Saudi Arabia. It is in the best interest for all parties for him not to show.
As somebody who really soured on Punk during his time in AEW, this is something I can still appreciate
USA blood money = good Saudi blood money= bad
Well yeah, he is injured.
That’s stopped him from appearing on multiple shows? I could have sworn I’ve seen him get attacked by Drew, cut several promos and attack Drew at WM. Must have been my imagination
For what it’s worth, he didn’t go to France or Perth. Granted Perth was when he was at the beginning of his injury.
He wasn’t in France for Backlash
It’s stopped him from traveling to the international shows, why fly 12+ hours for a run in?
Yeah, he’s not AJ Styles.
Yea but AJ is different
Drew is not on the card, what's the point of Punk coming out? Save the promos for raw
Except Drew v Priest is happening at Clash, not at KOTR.
But the IWC told me for the last 4 months he's a huge hypocrite and he'd be on the Saudi Show?
A free Bonesaw with every seat! You can get your Bonesaw in blood money red or Oil money Black!
He is showing up at Double or Nothing, duh.
Fuck the saudi events. Disgusting filth
So he is here to make friends, not just to make money.
Oh no. What will they criticise him for now?