Behind door number one sits CM Punk and his Anaconda Vise, a crushing submission maneuver that clasps itself around a Superstar’s head and constricts it like a jungle snake, compacting his cranium until he screams in pain and taps in humbling defeat.
Behind door number two lies Daniel Bryan and his “Yes!” Lock, a torturous hold that Bryan adapted from the legendary Gene LeBell. This contorting human torture contraption combines the mixed-martial arts omoplata with a crossface that attacks both the neck and shoulder joints with equal precision, leaving Bryan’s victim squirming for salvation from two angles until they tap while Bryan’s obnoxious screams of “YES!” rattle in their ears and reverberate off of the arena’s walls.
They are two of the most ignominious ways a Superstar can face the final bell in a match, and at WWE Over the Limit this Sunday, there’s a very good chance the WWE Title will be decided with one of them. But which hold wins out? As Punk and Bryan prepare for their long-awaited face off for the ultimate prize, WWE.com takes a look at each submission hold, its strengths and weaknesses, and a few choice testimonials from the Superstars who’ve been locked in its clutches. Ponder which one you’d prefer while you’re at it, too. As a wise man once said, you must choose. But choose wisely. Read the rest of this entry »
STAMFORD, Conn. – WWE Studios and Karé Productions have announced a partnership centered around Karé’s new French film, “Les Reines Du Ring” (“Queens of the Ring”), currently in production in France and being distributed by Warner Bros. Entertainment France.
“Le Reines du Ring” will utilize WWE trademarks, footage, consumer products and incorporate cameos by some of WWE’s biggest stars including WWE Superstars CM Punk, The Miz and Eve. WWE Studios will receive an in-association credit on the picture and have first-look rights to distribute the picture in the United States and Canada and to re-make the film in English.
“Les Reines du Ring” stars Nathalie Baye, Andre Dussollier and Marilou Berry. The comedy/drama is directed by Jean Marc Rudnicki and produced by Antoine Rein, Fabrice Goldstein and Thomas Langmann.
“Partnering on ‘Les Reines Du Ring’ is another way for WWE Studios to participate in the telling of great stories in any language and continue to expand the WWE Studios brand worldwide,” said WWE Studios President Michael Luisi. “When we read the heartfelt family story being told by the Academy Award winning team behind ‘The Artist,’ we knew as a company that we had to lend our expertise in the world of sports entertainment to make the film as authentic and engaging as possible.”
The film centers around Rose, a mother looking to strengthen her bond with her estranged son who is WWE fan. Going the extra mile, the loving mother begins training to become a wrestling diva. The comedy/drama follows Rose as she finds a job in a supermarket and convinces her new cashier colleagues to join her in her journey to impress her son by becoming a Queen of the Ring.
Source: wwe.com
Trifecta name: “Straight Edge Backdrop”
The right mix of Superstar finishers can certainly create a championship combination. So what would happen if two reigning champions combined their efforts with the elbow drop of a WWE Legend?
How about setting up Randy Savage’s signature move with two brutal maneuvers that leave an opponent laid out in the middle of the ring? Primo & Epico’s Backstabber consistently do a devastating number on any rival, but CM Punk could join the title-worthy trifecta by contributing a GTS of his own. Then, the energy of the WWE Universe builds to a crescendo as the Straight Edge Superstar invites Macho Man to rain down from the top rope and onto their fallen foe.
Most Extreme Promo – CM Punk’s “Pipe Bomb”
Perhaps no interview turned WWE on its head more than WWE Champion CM Punk’s infamous “Pipe Bomb” incident from the June 27, 2011, edition of Raw SuperShow.
Sitting legs crossed on the stage as his Money in the Bank opponent John Cena lay writhing in pain in the ring, Punk embarked on a five-minute diatribe that sought to tear down the WWE institution, starting at the top.
“I’ve grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon’s imaginary brass rings that it’s finally dawned on me that they’re just that: They’re completely imaginary. The only thing that’s real is me.”
While threatening to dethrone then-WWE Champion Cena and leave WWE with the gold in his hands, Punk vented about being an overlooked talent. Proclaiming that he was the absolute best wrestler on the roster, The Second City Saint stated simply, “Nobody can touch me.”
Related Links:
Source: wwe.com
When CM Punk faces Chris Jericho in a Chicago Street Fight at Extreme Rules, the goal of the WWE Champion will not be to vindicate his status as the world’s best wrestler, as it was at WrestleMania XXVIII. Rather, The Straight Edge Superstar’s objective will be to punish the boundaryless Jericho, who has tormented Punk nonstop since losing their hard-nosed mat classic at The Show of Shows.
Jericho is truly the thinking-man’s wrestler that he claims to be, he’s already formulating a defense for what will undoubtedly be the angriest Punk the WWE Universe has ever seen. And if he’s not doing just that, then Jericho is likely overlooking a few key facts.
For one, this year’s Extreme Rules will be held at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. Not only The Second City Saint’s home field, the Allstate Arena was also the site of Punk’s historic, post-pipebomb, WWE Championship win over John Cena last year.
Maybe more important than the venue, however, is the event itself: Extreme Rules. Several of Punk’s finest WWE moments occurred at either Extreme Rules or One Night Stand, which preceded Extreme Rules as WWE’s annual hardcore pay-per-view.
His record at the events isn’t unblemished: Without being pinned or submitted, Punk lost a five-Superstar fracas in 2008. Last year, as the leader of The Nexus, Punk dropped a competitive contest to Randy Orton. Overshadowing that pair of defeats, however, is a longer list of victories, each representing a major milestone on Punk’s path to becoming the cream of the WWE crop.
“CHAMPION OF MIAMI,” 10:33 a.m.
If you ask Punk what “CM” stands for today, it’s “Champion of Miami.” The Voice of the Voiceless is chomping down the earthy blend of green “chuice” as he sits on a bus that’s bound for Sun Life Stadium. It’s WrestleMania Sunday, which explains why the WWE Champion is, unexpectedly, fixed in the front seat of a lengthy charter bus to transport him and his fellow Superstars to the site of The Show of Shows.
“I don’t really feel the pressures or magnitude of WrestleMania until the day of,” the champion states from underneath his “1969” Chicago Cubs cap. “I’m definitely feeling it now. We’re maybe eight hours away from kicking off the show. We’re going to blow off a bunch of fireworks and then it’s really on.”
Punk seems like the type to be toward the rear of the coach (and he probably is), but his eagerness for this day plants him as close to the grand stage as possible. He’s able to get through three songs on his iPod – played at high, speaker-like volume on his neck wrapped headphones – until the very last Superstar climbs aboard: Mick Foley. It’s off to the races, or rather, the longest, hardest, greatest race of the year.
THE LAST ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA, 10:58 a.m.
The vessel transporting WWE’s ring warriors pulls away from the WrestleMania hotel en route to Sun Life Stadium miles away. Up ahead of the bus is a police escort blocking traffic for the first of several WWE charter buses. Punk’s skull is wrapped with his analog headphones pumping a rabid metal melody while he snaps pics of the motorcycle mounted policemen up ahead and dreams up an alternate reality for the scenario.
“One of my favorite things about WrestleMania is the police escort,” Punk explains. “I kind of look at a little different than everyone else, I’m sure. I look at it like we’re a bus full of convicts, maybe getting carted off to death row. Some of are going to live, some of us aren’t.”
Within a few moments, The Second City Savior has a visual on the site of his all-important performance that draws nearer. He turns his head to size up the massive beacon-like stadium before the bus makes a right turn to deliver the WWE Champion to his battleground.
COMMON MEN, 11:50 a,m.
There is certainly a correlation between The Voice of the Voiceless and The Common Man, making their run-in notable. The WWE Champion gets a pep talk from WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes in the locker room area within Sun Life Stadium. The legendary performer checks in with the Chicago native and wishes him the best tonight at The Show of Shows.
Tonight, Rhodes’ son, Cody, defends the Intercontinental Championship but Dusty still shows his paternal instincts with The Straight Edge Superstar. The “American Dream” pats Punk on the chin affectionately, providing the champion with a motivational encounter hours before showtime. Read the rest of this entry »
SOUND AND FURY, 11:40 a.m.
A treadmill hum and generic lobby music is infiltrated by muffled yet audible riffs of metal punk music. These sounds reverberate louder as WWE Champion CM Punk steps further into the hotel gym for a workout.
Hoodie and all, he gets rolling immediately on the elliptical while the sounds of This is Hell pound through his Beats headphones. It’s the morning before his match against Chris Jericho and Punk’s focus will not sway. The zipped up Straight Edge Superstar warms up and gets his heart rate moving for a more intensive training to follow.
TIME TO BOUNCE, 12:12 p.m.
The gym starts to crowd up with some of CM Punk’s fellow Superstars by the time The Second City Savior has already worked up a sweat. The sweatshirt’s come off and the music has cycled into some Metallica – specifically, “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” shades of The Game’s WrestleMania entrance in Atlanta a year before.
Punk’s diet has varied over the past several months, including a three-month stint as a vegetarian, and his workout is equal in variety this morning. He moves quickly between chest presses and planks, incorporating a medicine ball workout in the set rotation. The WWE Champion takes the ball, holds it overhead and slam-bounces it to the floor with all his strength from a dozen to 16 times each. While serving as core training, Punk’s smile suggests he may also find a youth-like satisfaction at the ruckus of the 12-pound ball springing up to the ceiling to rattle the tiles.
HAPPY WHEN IT RAINS, 5:04 p.m.
It’s hours prior to the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and back at the hotel, WWE’s Superstars, Divas, Legends, family and friends are slipping into suits and cocktail dresses for one of the most important nights of the year. About one mile from that same hotel, CM Punk and his friend Lita are sloshing through a Floridian downpour in sopping wet sneakers and clinging cotton tops. They couldn’t be happier.
Crossing over the Miami River Walk, the two unhurriedly pass through puddles toting veggie and fruit smoothies to be sucked down after this evening’s event. Their conversation thrives while people under umbrellas hustle past to find drier ground.
His Thor tee thoroughly drenched, Punk is probably more comfortable now than he will be in a snug necktie later tonight. In fact, The Voice of the Voiceless makes Gene Kelly look like a grump as he and the former Women’s Champion parade through the streets of Miami, enjoying the crash of the heavy raindrops on their skin. Read the rest of this entry »
IN PRODUCTION, 2:39 p.m.
This time last year, a discontent CM Punk played a supporting role in the production of Randy Orton’s DVD. But as has been well documented, a lot can change in 12 months. Today, the tattooed antagonist in The Viper’s home video is the (six-pointed) star of the next WWE DVD release being developed.
This fall marks the rise of CM Punk in the first-ever home video to spotlight The Straight Edge Superstar. Presently, The Voice of the Voiceless is speechless while a WWE camera crew captures a healthy portion of the biographical documentary in the emptied, WrestleMania-starved alcoves of Sun Life Stadium days before the event. Shapely shadows are cast upon the locker room cubby while Punk and WWE producers discuss roadblocks the tattooed titan has hit, plus, the role he’ll play in affecting a change that will permanently alter the future of wrestling.
The Straight Edge Superstar also stumbles into a conversation about two WWE show concepts he’s pitched to the WWE Chairman. Sopping in satire, Punk describes a remake of “The Cannonball Run” starring odd WWE Superstar pairings, then moves on to “Raw: The Musical.”
“I said to Vince [McMahon], ‘You’re going to do it in five years anyway,’” he irreverently details. “I’ll dress like Fred Astaire. ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’!”
“He looked at me like I was from Mars.”
STRAIGHT AHEAD, 3:25 p.m.
The narration portion of the WWE Champion’s home video is complete and enough material has been gathered to fill CM Punk’s future DVD and perhaps some of its extra bonus material. Momentarily, Punk is left uninterrupted, which is a very rare commodity in these parts during WrestleMania week. Only a whir of the hallway’s overhead lighting can be heard in the now hushed bunker on the perimeter of Punk’s assumed temple come Sunday. Sun Life Stadium field lies only yards from this perch and on that turf, CM Punk will charge into battle to steal a show that’s his and Chris Jericho’s for the taking. Pressure mounts with each digital blink on his iPhone’s clock. Jericho, beware should this building boil start to truly roll. Read the rest of this entry »
HITTING THE GYM, 12:33 p.m.
Well after sunrise in the Sunshine State, the WWE Champion corrals a small entourage of fellow Superstars en route to the University of Miami for a rigorous training session. CM Punk has been in Miami for 24 hours, and yet his opponent is hours away from his arrival – which isn’t a shocking revelation for the titleholder.
“No, I’m not surprised. I think that’s par for the course,” Punk says. “On Twitter, it’s a little strange taking pictures of yourself in a mirror and say, ‘I’m coming for you.’ All right, I’m waiting for you.”
GETTING WITH THE PROGRAM, 12:49 p.m.
Punk pulls up to the University of Miami with oversized, analog headphones snug around his neck. Orange and green letters decorate the two long corridors to a sprawling gym filled with raucous players from the Hurricane football program.
It’s an odd mix as The Voice of the Voiceless, in his hoodie and signature cap, paces up and down rows of rested weights and a box full of bananas, in between the big men on campus. The tattooed Superstar devises a quick strategy for working out and stations himself at a spot just beneath appropriate signage. “Champions are made here” … but today, they also visit.
WEIGHT OF THE WORLD, 1:01 p.m.
In between his inked-stenciled fingers, CM Punk clasps a pen to scribble meticulous notes in a black journal. He documents his reps in between swapping weights for “clean and jerk” lifts, which cause his tattoos to contort around his wrists and elbows with each raised bar. The WWE Champion continues with planks, dumbbell lunges, leg presses and more. Everything’s recorded in a book that has likely traveled to places most people will ever see in a lifetime.
The Straight Edge Superstar sets aside further social media discussion. He’s been bellowing “hashtag” over fellow Superstars’ shoulders while they’re tweeting at WrestleMania week events. His focus is instead his body.
“My workout is going to include working out … not yoga,” Punk explains. “I do yoga constantly, but that’s not all I do. I incorporate other stuff into it. I don’t make ferocious faces after doing yoga, either. Read the rest of this entry »
In an exclusive video, the WWE.com camera caught up with CM Punk immediately following Chris Jericho’s allegations.
Related Links:
WWE.com Exclusive: CM Punk refuses to respond to Chris Jericho’s allegations
