CM Punk Cuts Return Promo on WWE Raw

CM Punk made his first appearance on Monday Night Raw in almost ten years (1/20/14) and cut a highly anticipated promo to close out the show. The first hour of Raw was commercial-free as WWE pushed Punk’s promo hard throughout the show.

Thanks to timing issues in the Randy Orton/Dominick Mysterio match, Punk didn’t appear until two hours and fifty-two minutes into the three-hour broadcast. Depending on who you talk to, some felt his words hit the mark, while others believe the transition to “PG Punk” is complete.

“Looks like hell froze over,” proclaimed Punk, saying he’s felt more like himself since his return at Survivor Series on Saturday and everyone is happy to see him back.

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CM Punk Returns to WWE at Survivor Series

In one fell swoop, WWE took Chicago from AEW. CM Punk made his earth-shattering return to WWE at Survivor Series on Saturday in Chicago. Rumors of Punk’s arrival started from the moment AEW fired him in August due to a backstage fight with Jack Perry at All In.

WWE trolled the audience all evening with whether Randy Orton would show up for his team in the WarGames main event. Some wondered if Orton would not show up due to teaming up with the man who injured him in Jey Uso.

After a brief delay, Orton arrived for his team, disappointing those who thought Punk would be the surprise partner.

Orton’s Team celebrated their victory as the show was about to go off the air. The copyright graphic appears on the screen, signaling an inevitable fade to black. After all, there is no way WWE would overshadow Orton’s return…It was all a ruse.

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WWE: 10 Greatest Survivor Series Teams

The loaded gun Vince McMahon used to scare cable networks out of airing rival NWA’s Starrcade pay-per-view is called Survivor Series. Originating in 1987, the show’s theme consisted of multi-person teams battling it out in one of WWE’s “Big Four” events.

What became known as the traditional Survivor Series elimination matches have fallen by the wayside in recent years. The inclusion of WarGames, two connected rings surrounded by a steel cage, has replaced the original concept.

The elimination matches made for some of the best teams ever assembled. It was Marvel Team Up in a wrestling ring. Superstar wrestlers who don’t usually cross paths join forces to right a wrong and reign victorious.

Nostalgia is strong in professional wrestling. Many fans miss the elimination matches when looking back at some of the great teams of yesteryear. Champions, legends, and future superstars made for some classic matches and memorable moments.

Some teams made sense, while others worked well despite their atypical pairing. Over thirty-five years, there have been 181 traditional teams since 2021. Here are the best of the best. The 10 Greatest Survivor Series Teams.

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Well, They Officially Zigglered Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura lost to Seth Rollins in a last man standing match at WWE Fastlane on Saturday. It was another bid for the world heavyweight championship, and once again, the title eluded the “King of Strong Style.”

Honestly, Nakamura was never leaving Indiana’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse as champion. He’s never going to win a world title in WWE, but that’s not the issue.

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The Rock Makes Suprise Appearance on SmackDown

The Rock made a surprise appearance on Friday’s SmackDown. Oh, Pat McAfee was there, too, but it was all about “The Great One.”

McAfee opened the show and was interrupted by Austin Theory, who insulted the people and proclaimed that SmackDown was his show. McAfee reminded him that SmackDown is the people’s show, which brought out The Rock.

In a call back to the 3/25/02 episode of Raw, which hosted the inaugural WWE Draft, The Rock had one side of the crowd say “YOU’RE” and the other side yell “AN ASS***” at Theory.

Eventually, a quick brawl ensued where The Rock drilled Theory with a spinebuster and people’s elbow. The segment ended with The Rock coaching McAfee to hit Theory with a people’s elbow of his own.

Ringside Logic stands with the writers and actors of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. No movies being filmed meant The Rock got to play in WWE’s sandbox again.

The crowd pop when The Rock’s music hit was otherworldly. Yes, a surprise appearance from Hollywood’s biggest star will blow out a few speakers. An advertised appearance would have nearly been as loud, if not the same.

Why?

It’s the difference between a wrestler and an attraction. Larger-than-life personalities sell tickets. Every wrestler should aspire to be as over as The Rock and leg slapping won’t get it done.

Gunther Becomes the Longest-Reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion

History was made last Friday when Gunther became the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of all time. Friday was day 455, topping the Honky Tonk Man’s 36-year record.

Honky Tonk Man won the title from Ricky Steamboat in June 1987 and lost it to the Ultimate Warrior at the inaugural SummerSlam in 1988.

Gunther beat Ricochet on the June 10, 2022 edition of SmackDown to win the title. In the main event of the 9/4/23 episode of Raw, Gunther defeated Chad Gable to ensure he would break the record.

Seeing a dominant wrestler carry the workhorse title to record-breaking success is nice. Honky Tonk Man could draw more heat than a furnace on Elm Street. However, his work in the ring looked too phony to take him seriously.

I know, I know, that was the point.

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WWE SummerSlam 2023 Review

The last time SummerSlam graced the Motor City, Rodney Anoa’i, aka Yokozuna, escaped the star-spangled power of the Lex Express to preserve his WWE Championship reign. Thirty years later, Tribal Combat is set to engulf The Bloodline as another Anoa’i in the form of Roman Reigns puts his WWE Undisputed Universal Title on the line against his cousin Jey Uso.

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WWE Money in the Bank 2023: Uso Pins Reigns In Tag Team Thriller

Whoever said, “A bad day in London is still better than a good day anywhere else,” doesn’t go by the name Roman Reigns.

The Bloodline Civil War tag team encounter pitting The Usos against Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns headlined WWE Money in the Bank on Saturday from the O2 Arena in London, England.

The Square Mile deserved a historical moment for its first worldwide PLE in over 30 years, and they got one. Roman Reigns suffered his first pinfall loss since losing to Baron Corbin at TLC in 2019.

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Prediction: Dom Dom is going to SummerSlam

Whether it’s turning on his family or hiding behind his on-screen girlfriend, Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio is an enigma people love to hate. He’s essentially Ziggy from The Wire (If you know, you know).

Cowardly saboteurs are commonplace in wrestling. MJF does a great job in the role in AEW as their world champion.

However, MJF drips with arrogance because he’s as good as he says he is but chooses to cheat. On the other hand, Dominik’s hubris immensely exceeds his station, exacerbating the crowd heat he garners.

After focusing his long-running daddy issues on Cody Rhodes, Dominik has a date with “The American Nightmare” on July 1st at Money in the Bank. The match-making segment on Raw ended with Rhodes calling Brock Lesnar a coward for not answering his challenge for a third encounter.

Like Wile E. Coyote, a lightbulb went on in my head. Rhodes’ crack about Lesnar was the spark. It’s all so clear now.

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NXT Battleground 2023 Review

Lowell, MA, a city with an underrated wrestling history, hosted NXT’s latest PLE, Battleground, at the Paul Tsongas Center. Six matches filled out the card, including the main event where Carmelo Hayes returns home to defend the NXT Championship against Bron Breakker.

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