CM Punk was WWE champion for all of 67 days before he lost the title to Sami Zayn on this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown in Mexico City. It was a legitimate surprise, considering Zayn winning the title the first time felt like a transitional run unlikely to be repeated, no matter how much he may deserve the spot after all his years of hard work. Punk is still the bigger star, and that carries a lot of weight.
But there are some interesting stories to tell with Zayn as champion and Kevin
Owens getting involved in all this, playing such a big part in the finish. It’s highly likely the three of them are headed for something from here, we just don’t know what yet.
For his part, Punk has responded to the defeat by doing his best John Cena and getting all inspirational with it. From his Instagram stories:
“I lost. 67 day undisputed title run. At 47. I’d like to say I did it on purpose for my boy Je’Von Evans but nobody wants to lose. Here’s the thing: Winners lose way more than losers do. I don’t have to try again. I get to try again. I didn’t have to come to Mexico. I don’t HAVE to do house shows. I get to. I get to wrestle in front of the best fans in the world in Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City. I don’t have to get the title back. I get to try to get the title back. I don’t HAVE to come to work. I GET TO COME TO WORK. So I’ll see you all in Corpus Christi. I will get MY title back. You don’t have to watch. You get to.”
I don’t know when it happened but Punk has become so much like Cena as he’s gotten older and become much more of a focal point within WWE. Maybe it’s just the nature of the gig? Or perhaps the old dog has learned to appreciate what he has while he still has it? That’s a nice thought, and something we should all aspire to.
Right?
