There have been many occasions when a WWE Superstar has reached a breaking point and altered his attitude to overcome all adversaries. WWE.com looks at seven of the most memorable instances, presented by "Straw Dogs," in theaters Sept. 16.
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Is The Game ready to play at Night of Champions?
September 1, 2011
Triple H competed in one high-profile televised match this year – against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII – and he lost.
Despite his Hall of Fame-caliber resume, The Cerebral Assassin will be out of his element at Night of Champions September 18. No one will ever question his in-ring abilities, but in his new role as Chief Operating Officer of WWE, Triple H is treading in unfamiliar waters. Even The Game himself has admitted that he’s learning his new role day-by-day. Although a return to the ring should be effortless for a Superstar of his pedigree, the fact remains that Triple H is more than just an in-ring competitor. His plate isn’t just full – it’s spilling over, what with his corporate duties, his oversight of Superstars and his management of a billion-dollar business. All of these stressors, as well as The Game’s pride and desire to defend his family’s honor, are easy targets for CM Punk to exploit.
Speaking of Punk, he’s the first Superstar since “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to incite such a tidal wave of line-blurring upheaval – not just across WWE, but the entire media world. Punk is the hottest commodity in entertainment today – no exaggeration. “Cocky” and “confident” only begin to define the Straight Edge Superstar whose new attitude gives him a clear advantage against Triple H. Punk doesn’t care if he’s fired. Yes, he loves the WWE Universe, but he’ll do whatever it takes to win at Night of Champions, no matter the repercussions. Once upon a time, Triple H could afford to be unconscionable. Now, he has a Board of Directors to answer to.
More concerning for Triple H than anything else, though, is Punk’s record during the past nine months. It’s been spectacular. He’s notched wins over Rey Mysterio and John Cena, for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank, no less. Even in his losses, Punk has proven himself to be a redoubtable adversary. He’s ready. He’s capable. And, despite Triple H’s COO title and corporate standing, Punk is in charge.
If history has taught us anything, it’s that The Game always carries an ace up his sleeve. But, if any opponent is in a position to best that hand, it’s the man with the aces tattooed on his arm.
Source: wwe.com
Gangster’s paradise
By: Craig Tello | July 14, 2011
If there are storybook endings in WWE, then CM Punk’s is one of Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
This Sunday at Money in the Bank, the controversy-culling Straight Edge Superstar’s final night in WWE will fulfill a cyclical career that began under parallel circumstances five years ago – ironically, in the same arena with his most despised adversary, John Cena.
A relatively unrecognized performer in the WWE locker room, proud Chicagoan CM Punk made his very first WWE appearance in his hometown at WrestleMania 22 toting a tommy gun and a smug smirk beneath the brim of a tilted hat. Clasping onto the side door of a 1940s streetcar, the zoot-suited soon-to-be-Superstar rode into the Allstate Arena among a small mob of “gangsters” heralding the entrance of reigning WWE Champion Cena.
Live on pay-per-view, The Champ defended the same WWE Title he currently wears against Triple H. Clashing with multiple-time World Champion The Game, Cena was the distinct underdog – a role which, as Punk boldly stated this past Monday, the out-of-touch Champ can no longer claim.
On April 2, 2006, Cena was victorious and celebrated in front of a sold-out crowd in Chicago – Punk’s crowd (if you were to ask him) – while The Second City Savior passed through the backstage halls of the Allstate Arena, unnoticed and in search of an exit. Mere months before his debut on ECW, the tattooed warrior got close to the grand stage, perhaps fully confident that he’d one day take that stage for his own … quite possibly against Cena.
Years after his Al Capone-inspired first appearance, CM Punk returns to this meaningful setting to not just usurp John Cena but also disgrace WWE by seizing its richest prize and purest symbol of a decades-long squared circle legacy.
The world will undoubtedly be watching the highly anticipated showdown with colossal implications on all those involved – Cena, CM Punk, Mr. McMahon – as well as the entire WWE Universe. Will Punk make his Second City paradise the grounds for his ultimate moment? Can The Champ retain the WWE Title and the integrity of its lineage by keeping it in WWE? Tune in live to Money in the Bank this Sunday at 8/5 PT, only on pay-per-view.
Related Links:
Digitals > Pay-Per-Views > 2006 > WrestleMania 22
Source: wwe.com
The Autobots and Decepticons storm theaters this week in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” Yet some of the most dynamic metamorphoses have occurred here in WWE! Check out “WWE Transformations” to see the evolution of your favorite Superstars!
Related Links:
Digitals > Other > WWE Transformations
Source: wwe.com
Sins of the Ring
There are moments of glory the WWE Universe will always remember. Hogan slamming Andre. Eddie winning the WWE Championship. Then there are moments they can’t forget — the double crosses, heartbreaking betrayals and fiery assaults that remind us how dangerous a career in WWE can truly be. In this Top 25, WWE.com looks back in anger at the most sinister things ever done in and out of the squared circle. Enter at your own risk.
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This was CM Punk at his most depraved. Disheveled, unhinged and flanked by the dead-eyed zombies in his Straight Edge Society, the soulless Superstar crashed a celebration for Rey Mysterio’s daughter on SmackDown in 2010. Knowing that Mysterio would have no choice but to stay by the side of his wife and children, Punk took his time as he slinked across the ring and warbled his way through a haunting rendition of the “Happy Birthday” song. There was no physical violence here, but there didn’t need to be. Punk embarrassed Rey in front of his family — a humiliation more painful than any bare-knuckle beating.
Related Links:
Digitals > Other > The Top 25 Dirty Deeds
They’re the rule-breakers. The miscreants. The rogues we love to loathe. Throughout WWE history, there has been a varied assortment of individuals – both inside and outside the ring – who seem to thrive not on adulation, but on eliciting a chorus of boos from the WWE Universe whenever they stride down the entrance ramp. But which of these villainous offenders deserve top (dis)honors?
In 2011, WWE.com inducts its first annual selection of notorious superstars and personalities into the Hall of Infamy, a veritable "who’s who" of WWE’s most sinister malcontents and masterminds.
Related Links:
Digitals > Other > WWE.com Hall of Infamy Class of 2011
#9: GTS versus DDT
When CM Punk steps in the ring with Jake “The Snake” Roberts, their evenly matched abilities make predicting a clear winner impossible. Both Superstars exude a completely manipulative, sneaky and unpredictable nature that will set the stage for an exciting showdown which could end at any shocking moment. This thrilling volatility emerges at No. 9 on WWE.com’s List This! “The Greatest Match-ups That Haven’t Happened.”
CM Punk has become one of WWE’s elite Superstars by incorporating a barrage of dangerous maneuvers into his sinister arsenal. His trademark GTS is quite simply victory incarnate. When he unleashes his patented maneuver of mayhem, all that’s left in its wake is the inevitable three-count. A three-time World Heavyweight Champion, The Straight Edge Superstar may act superior to the WWE Universe with his brazen rhetoric on the mic, but his merciless ability backs up every word.
Jake Roberts exudes fear and intensity at a level all his own. A cunning innovator, he originated the DDT, one of the most feared maneuvers in the history of WWE. Though many Superstars borrowed the earth-shattering move for their own arsenal, none have surpassed the devastating power of their calculating predecessor.
For Your (Re)consideration: WWE.com’s Best Picture nominees 2011
Who doesn’t love a good movie? In fact, there’s only one place you’ll find many of the WWE.com staff when we’re not providing you, the WWE Universe, with the latest coverage featuring the Superstars of Raw and SmackDown, the Rookies of WWE NXT, or a WWE pay-per-view. That one place is inside the local movie theater, Milk Duds and soda in our hands, watching Hollywood’s latest cinematic sensations (or a different kind of dud, on occasion).
This year, ten films represent the best the industry has to offer at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards – and each has earned every ounce of acclaim and award consideration they’ve received. However, we avid movie lovers at WWE.com couldn’t help but wonder how each of these movies might have played out had they starred WWE’s finest. Therefore, we invite you to visit our small theater lobby (situated above) as we re-present this year’s Best Picture nominees with a distinct WWE Superstar twist – complete with a small plot synopsis for each film. And if you want to get a better look at each movie poster, simply click on the image.
Now, without further ado, we ask that you be seated, please silence your cell phones and enjoy our feature presentation.
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Digitals > Other > WWE.com’s Best Picture nominees 2011
Source: wwe.com
WWE.com has listed the Top 25 matches of 2010. CM Punk is shown in two splashes. Click the images below to view the full-sized splashes.
Related Links:
Digitals > Other > The Top 25 Matches of 2010
