Bill Simmons and WWE champ CM Punk discuss SummerSlam and all of the different angles in the WWE right now.

http://www.grantland.com/podcasts#

Good stuff.

I don't believe a thing CM Punk says in these type of interviews anymore, but it sure is fun to listen to and that's the way it should be.

Just picked up tickets for August 9ths Smackdown. I hope it will be a good show.

@Tasuki: Awesome dude! Hope you have fun

Thanks I dont know if its me but no matter how bad the show is its still a blast to go to the live event. Last time I went to a WWE show here is The Great American Bash 09.

I feel the same way man. I've been to a Raw house show and Live Raw on TV and they have both been great. I hope a PPV comes around close by sometime soon.

@Y2Josh: Yeah I have to say when I went to the American Bash that was by far the best live WWE experience I have ever had. They had Rev Theroy the band that does Randy Orton's theme song and Adilitas Way do free concerts before the PPV it was sweet.

I was thinking about it, and I really think we're going to see John Cena turn heel soon. Makes too much sense at this point, and it'd give new life to what's become a stagnate character. At Raw, when he and CM Punk held their respective WWE Titles up, did you hear how much louder the cheers were for Punk? Not quite like Chicago, but the crowd was clearly on Punk's side.

I can see a scenario at Summer Slam much like one about 16 years earlier in another championship match for the then-WWF Title. It was WWF Champion Kevin Nash (then Diesel) defending against Bret Hart. May've been at Summer Slam, or Survivor Series. I don't remember. Both of them were adored faces at the time. In the end, Hart won by tricking Nash into thinking he was more hurt than he was when he went to deliver his Jackknife Powerbomb. When Kev showed sympathy and concerned for his injured friend, Bret got a surprise small package on him and got the three count. Afterward, in his anger, Nash snapped. Beat the holy Hell out of Bret and a ton of poor referees that came to ring to break it up. I can see Punk winning in similar fashion at Summer Slam, tricking Cena somehow and getting the win. It may be out of character for Cena to snap like Nash did on the spot. But, I could see it the next night on Raw, perhaps going out to shake Punk's hand in congratulations on a great match, and brutally attacking him to the crowd's shock and disgust.

While it'd be similar to what Nash did, I think he'd be more of a Bret Hart-style heel, bearing righteous indignation. Insulted that the fans who had once supported him so are now cheering Punk, especially after he prevented Vince from enacting Montreal Screwjob II, Punk's support of the vicious Nexxus, and fans approving any use of trickeration from Punk with deafening cheers after a would-be Summer Slam win. Can see in subsequent TV events, Cena taking the moral high road with the fans. "You love someone who lead the Nexxus more than you do me? A group that tried to injure people for fun? You don't have the right to boo me! Why don't you all go home and take a good look in the mirror. Not a one of you is any better than the Nexxus... A group of ammoral THUGS". That sort of thing. Doubt he'd go the Rick Rude route, saying how fat and out of shape the fans are, but he'd take his shots.

Just a theory on what's going to take place in the near future.

I bet 1000 bucks Cena isn't turning until at least Wrestlemania.

His character nowadays is mostly just worthwhile when facing faces who he dislikes despite being faces. Really stuff like Rock/Cena and Punk/Cena does a lot to highlight how boring just having good guys vs. bad guys in 21st century wrestling can be. Suspension of disbelief is dead during most heel promos, especially with the painful overuse of every heel insulting the audience despite being over already. Two relatively good guys who dislike each other for having different ideals and storylines like that are far more interesting than "he's good, he's evil, good vs. evil in a match for a title". It would pretty much be a lot like what Russo has tried and failed to do for years now.

of course if they went in this direction, most of the feuds would be botched as that's way too intelligent for wrestling to get right even somewhat consistently

I can't wait for Raw Is Punk... SD just doesn't do it for me.

"Look in my eyes, what do you see? The Cult of Personality"

but Smackdown is the wrestling show

Outside of Christian,Randy Orton and Sin Cara I find SD boring. I like Daniel Bryan's in ring work but I want to jam a pencil in my eye any time he talks dude really has no personality what so ever.

I really don't know what people see in Wade Barrett?

Cody Rhodes and Mark Henry have their moments but other then that blah...

My biggest beef is Theodore Long taking up some much air time. They could squeeze in another match instead.

As much as i'd like to see Cena go back to being a heel, there's too much money in him being the uber-face of the company right now, so i'd doubt it is coming any time soon.

Just cuz I feel like posting it. Classic Dwayne Johnson for ya (hearing OOOOHHH YEAHH is bittersweet now)!

@kkslider5552000
Well, that's 1000 dollars you're gonna have to put in my pocket!

I do agree with you on the whole face/heel thing. The whole good vs. evil thing gives wrestling a more fakey, comic book feel. It's just not real life. There isn't all good/all bad, white/black. Just millions of wierd shades of gray in this world. In the olden days there weren't such extreme superhero and villain-like wrestlers. That gave pro wrestling more of an image of legitimacy and respectability (not to mention believability).

Cena's character could stand to be a few shades darker, as he's every bit as boring and stale as "pre-Hollywood Hogan" Hogan who did/said the same things for over a decade. Think the cheers for Punk is partly a reflection that many fans feel the same.

Also agree with the insulting the audience bit. It's always felt like a show with people like aforementioned Rick Rude and others doing pre-match insults of the audience. It's like a cheap ploy for heat (except maybe after first turning, if the crowd is part of the reason for heeldom). The greatest heels provoke the crowd in other ways, while rarely addressing them personally.

But, dealing with shades of gray, it may get too complex for the writers to deal with (although I give them such credit for the Punk angle), and leave fans confused as to who to root for!

@Splat
First of all, love the avatar. I'm gonna be loving Raw is Punk (man, miss Raw... is... JERICHO)!!! Hope he has a big presence at Raw. The wrestling world is going to be hanging on his every word when he at last speaks! And I haven't even checked on Smackydown in a while. Guess I need to remember I have SyFy now (Cox Cable didn't for the longest time without another subscriber package) and check it out.

@the_bronydar
You and kkslider may be right, but it just feels like it may happen and that it's time. May be awkward having two megafaces vying for "ownership" of the show, because at any one time there's pretty much one main face star for both brands that gets the bulk of the attention. If Cena does turn, it'll be interesting if he can get as much heat as Hogan when he joined the nWo (4 LIFE!!! TM) and had various fruits, vegetables and other unknown contraband thrown into the ring at him!

Daniel Bryan's promos are great classic face promos, Wade Barrett is a really good talker, Cody Rhodes is like a supervillian and it's awesome and more Teddy Long = more Zack Ryder which is in no way a bad thing

Wow... Haven't talked in here in like forever.

r/prowrestling over at Reddit has been interesting the past few weeks.

Anyways, I can't wait for RAW tonight. CM Punk's new theme has been implanted in my brain and I want to save cash for that "Best in the World" t-shirt. Can you believe it went for as high as $500 on eBay before it dropped on WWEShop?

Also, Jim Ross. That guy has me roped in when he does commentary, definitely better than Michael Cole. I hope he stays on SmackDown and not RAW.

One more thing - Is that anonymous GM still around? It has been quiet for the past week.

@Sylverstone: I think they Anonymous GM is gone due to the Triple H becoming the COO. I think they might have been using the GM to introduce Triple H as a suit but since all that with CM Punk went down I am thinking they dropped it cause I havent heard of it for a few weeks. I will have to look for that laptop and podium when I watch Raw tonight. As for the CM Punk shirt I know I so want one I am going to Smackdown on the 9th I am hoping that I can pick one up there.

and so the entire story of the Raw GM and his real identity is now

ENTIRELY POINTLESS

aren't you glad you invested time into watching a show where a storyline going on for over a year is dropped. Aren't you happy you wasted time thinking it had a point? I know I am!

Not really in the end it answered my main question and that is who. Although I should say that I said I am totally not sure if they dumped the GM idea or not has anyone seen that podium on Raw as of late? Truthfully I just got use to them having it so I havent looked for it but I will tonight.