Does CM Punk Need Kevin Nash?
By Kevin Kelly @realkevinkelly
At SummerSlam, CM Punk’s WWE Championship reign came to an end, thanks to Kevin Nash. Is it a good thing? I say yes… provided it’s done right.
First, CM Punk now becomes Stone Cold Steve Austin of 2011, with a true adversary in Alberto Del Rio who has a mouthpiece and muscle in Kevin Nash. Tell Nash’s story and now fans can get interested. The WWE can’t assume fans know who Nash is but if you show all the bad things he’s done and get the Jackknife Powerbomb out front, he can greatly benefit both Del Rio and Punk.
I have clobbered Nash in this column in the past because of what I believed was a misplaced sense of purpose. He’s not a top guy anymore but he’s the perfect accomplice. I still don’t believe in Alberto Del Rio but Punk can carry him to very good matches. When I read that Del Rio is talking about retiring in five years, I wonder if that would derail any of his push.
CM Punk needs to be the anti-establishment hero that he was born to be. Running up against Nash, Del Rio and eventually Triple H will be the best thing for him. I don’t want to see Punk vs Nash in a match but if they do, Punk will make it watchable. I wonder how Nash would feel about being the second-best guy on the mic in a promo battle with Punk… With Del Rio, Alberto’s limitations can be properly covered by Punk’s skill.
I also think I see who could be the Undertaker’s opponent at WrestleMania 28. Unfortunately, he’s the same guy who cost CM Punk the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. Provided Big Show faces Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Nash vs the Undertaker would take some work to get there but I’d be interested in Nash wanting to get revenge for being beaten sixteen years ago.
So, if your top matches at WrestleMania are shaping up to be:
John Cena vs The Rock
CM Punk vs Triple H
Randy Orton vs Wade Barrett
Kevin Nash vs Big Show (or Undertaker)
Or possibly… Big Show vs Shaquille O’Neal
You’ve got a really strong card.
Now, so much can happen to change things and I know I’m reaching on a few of these matches but this could be a possible scenario for Mania…
As it is, could the WWE have found a better enemy for CM Punk’s fan base? Has any one group railed against Kevin Nash more than the savvy wrestling fan who appreciates in-ring ability more than size and look?
And going back to my column from last week, John Cena got beat by Punk… does anyone remember it? His loss didn’t hurt him at all and only helped CM Punk and the rest of the upper part of the card. Same thing would happen with Cena at WrestleMania. He loses to Rock and no one will remember it… it won’t change anything.
In a company where wins and losses don’t matter because the matches don’t matter, the WWE has an interesting situation right now, as the WWE Champion is so-so in the ring and lousy on the mic. Poor Randy Orton is head and shoulders better than Del Rio but he’s on the Island of SmackDown, remote and barren. Cena is tied up with a guy who’s a guest star until next April and Triple H is wearing a suit, pretending to be Vince.
It’s an interesting situation…
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Ring of Honor Thoughts
This past Saturday, ROH wrapped up its first television taping for the September 24th debut and I was ringside to call the matches.
My broadcast partner, Nigel McGuinness got a hero’s welcome and a well deserved one. But, let me tell you something… when it’s all said and done, fans and wrestling scribes alike will come to recognize that McGuinness will be one of the best analysts in the sport. He has all the tools and most importantly, he has the work ethic to continue to develop his skill.
At times, when he spoke about the competitors in the ring, he sounded like a war veteran, describing action from the battlefield. I felt the pain that he’s dealt with as a result of his burning desire to be the best. He achieved his goal when he became the ROH World Champion but the chase plus the successful title defenses took their toll.
It’s ironic that the goal you want the most is what ultimately destroys you. Now his new goal won’t hurt anything but his vocal chords and he will become the best… Trust me, he’s that good.
Wrestling fans will get what they’ve wanted… what they’ve deserved… starting September 24th. Fans will get a pro wrestling show on television that cares about pro wrestling and the fans who love it. Fans will learn about what makes Ring of Honor different and they will learn about the personalities of the wrestlers that make Ring of Honor so unique.
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Racism in Wrestling Follow-Up
Spirited debate followed my recent column and some agreed but most disagreed with Willie Green in subsequent emails and tweets to me.
My thoughts on this are simple. When you accuse someone of being racist, you open yourself to being called a racist yourself. To use race as a reason to hold back anyone from any job is awful. But to accuse someone of doing that when it may not be true is also racism and just as wrong as the shameful acts of ignorance any employer would use, basing hires or opportunities for advancement on color.
Thoughts? Kevinfsu90@yahoo.com or on twitter @RealKevinKelly
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
