LogFAQs > #906622636

I disagree with the main drift too. Virtually everyone on that list is either a long-time WWE guy who had already enjoyed great success and thus would have no credibility delivering a "pipe-bomb" style promo (Goldust, really?) OR an indie guy who came around AFTER Punk had already paved the way for that type of character to exist.

I'm no Punk fanboy by any means, but I actually think he doesn't get enough credit for his run, which literally changed the company up to and including its entire talent and business model. Without Punk there IS no Kevin Owens. There IS no Austin Aries. There IS no AJ Styles. Not on WWE at least. He quite literally paved the way for "Indie star" to be a legit WWE gimmick (or at least to contribute to one).

I could be convinced that Daniel Bryan and his run would have still happened without Punk, mainly because for Bryan, the main storyline was "underdog overcomes the odds" and his being an Indie star was helpful, but not really required to tell the particular story they wanted to tell. And MAYBE Bryan being successful would have still helped pave the way for some future guys... but I really doubt it.

Most of Punk's WWE career took place during an era where the product was pure shit and where there was virtually nobody on the roster who could both talk and wrestle, which he could. His matches AND his angles were always like, Top 3 in any given card/month/whatever. He was consistently entertaining in a time when the product was consistently forgettable. And parlayed that into what might have been THE biggest non-WM match/angle in the last 20 years or so (since Invasion maybe?). Don't sit there and tell me "Mark Henry could have done that too." It's laughable.
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