CM Punk Changes Yet Stays The Same (And That's Growth)
The 'Voice Of The Voiceless' still has his own, it's just not the way some want it.
We’re on the cusp of WWE Night Of Champions and much ado has been made about CM Punk. The outspoken ‘Second City Saint’ showed up to Saudi Arabia despite his condeming comments to The Miz years back on X. On Friday, Punk apologized to all of Saudi outright after a fan confronted him about it.
“Listen, legitimately had nothing to do with Saudi Arabia. I woke up and I was crabby and I wrote a mean tweet to the Miz. I apologized to The Miz and sir, I sincerely apologize to you and Saudi Arabia. I am not perfect by any means. Sometimes, as human beings, we screw up. The beautiful thing is, everything is a lesson learned. Now, here I am, and you have invited me to your country and I am grateful to be here. Thank you very much." (H/t to Jeremy Lambert of Fightful)
Before that even went down, footage was taken of Punk alongside Randy Orton arriving in Riyadh. The four-second clip happened to capture a young fan approaching Punk for an impromptu photo-op. Punk opted for the casual Heisman pose instead, making sure the fan stayed his distance.
Could it have been a work? Perhaps Punk was channeling a 1997 Bret Hart. Instead of hating on America, he’s all in as heel in Riyadh (while wearing a “Hitman” sweater serindipitously enough). That was my initial thought, but him apologizing to the whole country the next day pretty much dispels such a theory. Take the ‘stiff arm to squirt’ for what you will (Orton also wasn’t having any of it either) but context isn’t too bountiful in four seconds.
CM Punk To Saudi: Emapthy Over Hypocrisy
Context isn’t too bountiful on social media either. The voices of the “voiceless” have been all about calling Punk a hypocrite for his actions, but what does that make Sami Zayn? Kevin Owens? The two other stars that had their own reasons for not being in Saudi, but later it was time to punch in for work. It’s easy to call for hypocrisy, but it’s a little more of a stretch to empathize on X.
When you work for the mothership that is WWE, some compromises have to be made. It doesn’t mean Punk or Zayn want to see citizens murdered, women subjugated, or a Dave Meltzer dismembered, it means they’re going to work. Punk and Zayn recently showed support for Palestine with their matching attire at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Punk also showed up to the “No Kings” protest in Chicago. Punk colors within the lines, but the ‘Second City Saint’ still takes stances. That’s not hypocrisy, that’s growth.
Guess what else was growth? Punk followed up John Cena’s "pipebomb” parody with a “Dr. of Punkanomics” promo on the go-home episode SmackDown. If you go online, you’re going to see mixed reactions to the segment, but I saw it as a cool compromise. You likely wouldn’t have caught a CM Punk from six years ago doing his best Guru from Gang Starr, but it shows Punk is willing to play ball (Cubs jersey or not).
The Punk of six years ago was burnt out, he was less for the silliness, but you have to think taking what may have been written for him via Road Dogg is therapeutic in its process because it is different. Punk loosened his tie by tightening it a bit and maybe his critics should give it their own consideration.