Another Week of Wrestling #12 (26th July 2021)

CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, AEW, spoilers, and more!

Sports

I discuss CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, AEW, how we spoil our own chances of enjoying entertainment, and more! Welcome, and thanks for joining me at Geeks+Gamers!

Thanks for joining me! As well as bringing you That’s Not Wrestling every Thursday and ranting about PPVs on YouTube, I’ll also be mouthing off on a Monday regarding other wrestling events that catch my eye. I’m Danny Damage, writing for Geeks + Gamers, and this is Another Week of Wrestling!

<—Last week’s installment of Another Week of Wrestling!

There seems to be only one topic on everyone’s lips this week, so let’s take a big bite of it. Also, it looks like I may have been wrong last week!

In my defense, we do get a whiff of CM Punk rumors every year, and everyone and their dog manages to find a way to capitalize on it. I’m still cautious, however, and I’ll leave a little “I’ll believe when I see it” in the back of my mind to protect my heart.

However, if we are getting Daniel Bryan and CM Punk in AEW, that is bloody fantastic! It’s not doing any favors for the ex-WWE talent to non-WWE talent ratio, but a match/feud between the two should help AEW level up a little. I can’t say that AEW will continue to perform well once Punk and Bryan are gone or if the upgrade their company receives remains or decays over time, but I’m certainly happy to sit back, watch, and give it a go.

Good news aside, I feel strongly that this could have been dealt with better. Obviously, my issue isn’t with either of the wrestlers; the thing that has ruined how amazing this COULD have been is THE SPOILER-WORLD WE LIVE IN!

Just like with video games, comics, books, anime, music, film, and television, the wrestling industry has a manufactured sub-industry that desperately clings onto its teat for sustenance. Turning the cogs of this machine are hollow (lack of) personalities that feign interest in whatever industry they’ve infiltrated. They’re great at smiling, brown-nosing, and reading a cue card/teleprompter with enthusiasm.

These are the people that would call OTHERS geeks and nerds when it got them clout at school and later around high-school-minded people. That was until certain industries became profitable; then it was time for these slippery buggers to go out and buy some over-sized glasses and a Star Wars t-shirt, call THEMSELVES a geek/nerd, and tell people they’ve been a fan of “all the sci-fi/wrestling/video games/etc.” all their lives.

This isn’t anything new, obviously; there are just a lot more people behaving like this now, and they stand out a lot more. E3 2021’s studio panel was littered with them.

They know the words, but not the music.

There was once a time when you’d only see this in the gossip magazines that used to stand out in newsagents, spoiling soaps and TV dramas. I’m not talking about people that review/discuss something after the fact; I’m talking about those that do nothing but spoil shit and “report” on the minutest of things and present it as news. Whether it’s that someone signed a new contract, someone letting slip the direction of a storyline, or someone announcing they’re going on tour with their auto-tuned hair metal band in two weeks, these are all clues that can make it rather simple to see where your wrestling show is heading.

Now, I agree that this isn’t the only reason people aren’t enjoying as much of their stuff at the moment. The quality of wrestling/films/games/TV/comics has declined in recent years, but talking about plot points, revelations, and surprises CONSTANTLY is not going to do anything for anyone’s chances of enjoying something, is it? Why would you think it would? By the time a mainstream video game, a TV mini-series, or a Marvel film is released, everyone’s seen 90% of the thing thanks to two years of going on about it, extended trailers, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and press releases to try and hook you in with whatever virtue is being signaled this time. If it’s not done for this reason, you’ve just got someone spoiling shit in the hope that people will pay them more attention or some money.

Wrestling is, sadly, no different. With all the news, rumors, and knowledge of future PPV matches, etc., very little is left to the imagination. If you GENUINELY are a fan of something, surely you can appreciate how people would want to go into it blind… you know, for the experience, and not just so you can fit in with people and be part of the conversation — any conversation.

Look at Malakai Black’s AEW debut the other week. That was a surprise, and people loved it. John Cena just returned at Money in the Bank to a huge ovation. That time The Hardy Boyz returned at WrestleMania, the crowd went utterly mental. Hell, even Alberto del Rio got a beast of a pop a few years ago in WWE when he answered an open challenge, and almost nobody likes him. The familiar music hitting when no one was expecting it caught people off guard and caused them to react.

Speaking of familiar music (and back to our main issue,) AEW must NOT switch either Bryan or Punk’s entrance music the first time they appear. I can’t see why they’d do it for Punk, but the temptation will be there for Daniel Bryan’s debut. If they want to show they have the rights for Europe’s “Final Countdown” at a later date, go for it, but his “surprise” appearance will only get a limited pop without hearing Wagner’s “Flight of the Valkyries.” I’m not just talking about the people in the live crowd; I’m sure they’ll all be privy to knowing about Bryan’s previous music. People watching at home and that sought-after new/casual viewer will flock to their TV screens if they hear Bryan’s WWE music on AEW. Make use of that magic!

I’m sorry to fantasy book, but just imagine if we didn’t know that either of these two was going to show up on AEW. Imagine if Daniel Bryan (or Bryan Danielson) interrupted someone and shocked everyone as he marched to the ring. With the fans already buzzing, CM Punk appearing to confront (or stand beside) Bryan would have blown people’s minds further. I’m talking therapy-is-needed-level impact for some of the fragile little messes that blindly cheer on AEW. They could have also had two separate surprises; of course, I’m just disappointed it’s been spoiled in advance… if it has.

I’m expecting Chris Jericho to pop his head out to feed off of the hype at some point soon, but it looks like he’s been beaten to it already. Kenny Omega has been waffling on about the potential signings, looking to get some of that spotlight where he can. CM Punk is literally known as “The Best in the World,” which will upset little Kenny’s fragile ego by default, and Daniel Bryan has visibly been better than Omega long before Kenny first started “wrestling” kids and inanimate objects on the toilet circuit.

I’m looking forward to seeing CM Punk and Bryan with their own creative control; they’re both professionals, highly skilled and entertaining, and have great judgment.

Lads, one last thing: I’m sure you’re both WELL AWARE of this, but neither of you needs to work with Kenny Omega. Much like Punk’s issue with Triple H a few years ago, Omega NEEDS to work with you two, not the other way around. If either of them is sticking around long enough to run as the champion, take the belt off Omega first, please. Hopefully, they both manage to avoid getting any of that shit on them, and their presence will encourage the sloppy amateurs on the roster to either get better or piss off somewhere else.

Here’s a shameless link to PUTTING IT BLUNTLY: The Spoiler-World We Live In, just in case you missed the first one!

That’s it for this week. Digest and discuss! Don’t forget to look out for “That’s Not Wrestling!” which lands here on GeeksandGamers.com every Thursday. Take care, and I’ll see you then and next Monday to discuss #AnotherWeekOfWrestling!

Background Artwork Designed by Rachael Hope.

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