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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Bischoff Criticizes AEW’s Presentation of Punk
Former WCW President Eric Bischoff has been critical of AEW lately, and this week he took aim at the manner in which AEW has presented and utilized CM Punk.
During a discussion on his 83 Weeks podcast (h/t Domenic Marinelli of Ringside News), Bischoff took issue with the fact that AEW has primarily put Punk in matches against lesser-known talent without much of a story attached:
“I think it’s a mistake to put Punk on such a pedestal that you think he’s so over that all he has to do is show up and sprinkle Punk dust on his opponent and that Punk dust will elevate his opponent. I’m not taking anything away from Punk. I think Punk, the way he’s being used now, and this is constructive criticism, I think they’ve diminished the perception.
“There was great equity in that perception. He shows up, does a great promo, gets a great reaction, and does pretty much nothing. ‘Punk is coming, yay! Punk is here, yay!’ Punk showed up and Punk’s not doing anything. … But showing up, getting that big pop, he’s here, and then having nothing going on for two or three weeks in a row doesn’t help Punk. It doesn’t help the product.”
Punk arrived to AEW in August and faced Darby Allin at All Out a couple of weeks later in his first match in seven years, although there wasn’t much of a story attached to it.
He has wrestled several matches since then with little in the way of storyline development as well, although it looks like he may be entering into a feud with Eddie Kingston that includes some substance.
Bischoff made mention of the fact that over 1.1 million people tuned into Rampage when Punk made his debut in August, only for that number to dip below 600,000 presently.
He seems to be suggesting that while Punk is over and popular, the lack of a compelling story has prevented fans from tuning in on a consistent basis.
There may be something to Bischoff’s theory, and it could be put to the test if AEW invests heavily in Punk vs. Kingston and the angle that goes along with it.
Edge Initially Didn’t Want to Go to Crown Jewel
Edge and Seth Rollins tore the house down at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia last month in one of the best Hell in a Cell matches in WWE history, but Edge admitted he wasn’t always all in on being part of the show.
Appearing on The Kids on the Elevator Podcast (h/t Marinelli), Edge said he “wasn’t too keen” on going to Saudi Arabia initially, but agreed to do so after being told WWE needed the blow-off match to happen there.
The Rated-R Superstar decided to use that platform for good by lobbying for Jessika Carr to serve as the referee for the match.
Carr officiated Edge vs. Rollins at SummerSlam and at Madison Square Garden, and she was present for the final match of their rivalry as well.
Regarding Carr becoming the first woman to officiate a match in Saudi Arabia, Edge said:
“If it flew over a lot of heads, whatever, but for me, I can come back to my girls one day and tell them, ‘I went over there.’ I think we did something cool. She was right there for everything, not overwhelmed by the moment, and stood up to the challenge. It was really cool to see.”
Carr played her role to perfection in the match, as did Edge and Rollins, who put their bodies on the line in a contest that set the tone of the entire night.
Crown Jewel was universally praised by fans, and Edge vs. Rollins opening the show with a bang is a big reason why.
Edge has not appeared on WWE programming since then, but as a member of the Raw roster via the WWE Draft, he promises to be a massive part of the red brand when he does re-enter the fold.
Wyatt Reportedly Difficult to Work with in WWE
Bray Wyatt was shockingly released from his WWE contract in July, and many rumors regarding why that decision was made have surfaced in the months since then.
According to H Jenkins of Ringside News, a WWE source said Wyatt was “difficult to get along with” during his time with the company.
The source also said Wyatt was “hard to find when needed” and “there was always an issue with his appointment” when he was away due to medical issues.
With regard to Wyatt reportedly being difficult to work with, it is unclear if that was actually the case or if that was the perception since he was protective over the character he created.
Wyatt undoubtedly put a lot of time and effort into his character, both in terms of the Firefly Funhouse version of himself and The Fiend.
Because of the gimmicks he created, Wyatt was a hugely popular Superstar, and it was also assumed that he made WWE a lot of money.
A source told Jenkins that the idea of Wyatt being a “money maker” for the company based solely on merchandise sales may not have been accurate, though, when taking into account his sizable contract.
Regardless of the rumor and innuendo surrounding Wyatt, there is no denying that WWE officials viewed him as a top star given that he consistently received tons of television time and was a multi-time world champion.
Wyatt’s 90-day non-compete clause is officially over, meaning he is free to sign anywhere he wants. No matter which company lands Wyatt, it will unquestionably be getting a potential game-changer.
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