There was absolutely nothing leaked about this to my knowledge and it put to rest rumors that the new Mrs. Phil Brooks is expecting a baby. She returned and took back the Diva’s title from Paige and was the babyface with Paige seeming to make the turn to heel. I know there is all the Punk stuff, but will get there but let’s go through what this means for the Diva’s Division and Paige.
It was clear the Paige was floundering ever since beating Lee which she kind of addressed in character in her promo. A.J Lee showed up and in a complete role reversal she admitted she had become too cocky and that Paige beat her fair and square. She tried to shame Paige into a match and it ended up working and A.J Lee got back what she had prior to her sabbatical in which she got married and moved to Chicago to live with her new husband C.M Punk aka retired pro wrestler Phil Brooks.
In Lee’s absence we did see a couple good Divas’ matches with Natalya and Charlotte in NXT and the Diva’s Title Match last night with Naomi and Paige. However what A.J Lee has that all the other Diva’s do not is a presence and never was that more obvious than when she was having a verbal exchange with Paige. She has learned from the BEST IN THE WORLD after all and she has learned very well. In fact A.J spent time with a lot of great performers a list that includes not just Punk but Bryan, Ziggler, Kane and John Cena. That is an impressive list and to A.J’s credit she learned a lot. She even had experience with a great performer in Jay Lethal who both trained and dated A.J. She is really experienced and has become the measuring stick in this division despite her tiny stature.
I think this heel turn is a chance to reinvent Paige which is badly needed. She is a very experienced wrestler and she has not been booked well enough to show that fact off. She is honestly not even an average talker at this point. This feud with Lee and a change in attitude could help her get a re-start on the main roster.
In terms of what A.J’s return means in terms of Punk is anyone’s guess at this point? He claims he is retired last I checked and seems content to sit on his couch and watch late night T.V. Punk has looked like a very refreshed and happy man which was a very different picture from the one Paul Heyman painted on Chris Jericho’s Podcast who by the way also is back in WWE. Punk seemed burned out and uninspired as well as angry over the lack of info on Network and the creative direction of the company.
No one seems quite clear on when Punk’s Contract ends or if it will based on the actions WWE took in dealing with Rey Mysterio. We know it falls somewhere between when Punk left in storyline with WWE Title at Money In Bank and his return to the Company. Punk in his DVD talked about signing his contract the night of the show at Money in the Bank in 2011. It could have been dated ahead to his planned return date but really it is all speculation only he and WWE know the answer. In any case the deadline is coming up.
Does A.J’s return mean anything in terms of Punk’s wiliness to return to the place that made him miserable? I have no real idea he does seem to love spending time with A.J which was made obvious when the two were both away from the WWE. He took her to sporting events and she seemed to be by his side a lot of the time. I don’t invasion Punk as being the type of guy that needs to have his woman around him all the time. Amy Dumas, Maria or a number of other girls that have dated Punk could speak to that. He did marry A.J though so who is to say that doesn’t mean their relationship is different from the rest.
I guess the point being made is that it would be generalizing and speculating to suggest what if any impact AJ Lee would have on him returning or not to the WWE. It stands to reason that A.J is in a very strange and awkward position especially with WWE perhaps needing Punk more than ever with Bryan injured and Barrett and no one really “over” to the level he is.
People have been angry that Punk Chants for no reason until tonight would ring out for months after his departure. It speaks to how much fans love him and how much he represents change to the fans of WWE. On the other hand look at how the Shield has been getting over and Dean Ambrose being the one of most notably. He is the closest thing the WWE has to Punk and he was always a favorite of Punk when he was in the company.
Heyman in that same interview that was taped in April suggested he felt it would be a long time before Punk returned. A lot has changed though since that time and perhaps C.M Punk’s leverage to comeback is starting to crumble as more and more talents are taking baby steps to being stars in the WWE system. Punk is a smart guy and he is going to make the best deal for C.M Punk because that is the type of guy he is. Despite his passion and love for wrestling he is not ruled by it and is happy to stay away if it makes sense too. If he does see his leverage going away it might be time to come to table and make a deal.
He could just honestly be done with wrestling and nothing will bring him back. Only he knows the answer to that one.
What will be the problem to deal with for the WWE and perhaps A.J Lee is that speculation will run wild now with A.J Lee back on if Punk will return and a false expectation of it only being a matter of time. Lee in her own right as mentioned is a tremendous asset to the WWE’s Women’s roster. She will have to deal with WWE fans chanting for her husband and so will the WWE. Punk is back in play whether anyone wants him to be or not. The iron is hot and I don’t expect it to cool off anytime soon until Punk himself ends it within the WWE. Let’s face it if he is truly done why not for all parties involved just have him come back and retire in the ring and give him one last big night.
That hasn’t happened and that is why all the speculation will remain because it just doesn’t seem real until it happens in that environment for a lot of fans. There is a tremendous amount of Irony in that but it is true. A wrestling retirement in the ring normally would mean nothing but in terms of Punk if he walked into a WWE Ring and said it I would have a hard time not believing him. Although Punk is one of the most brilliant people as blurring the lines from reality to work that is wrestling.
In any case as J.R would say “business is about to pick up” and never more has that line been more literal.
Condo on the Moon is on Twitter and Facebook and check out our weekly podcasts Every Friday! You can find us now at Condoonthemoon.com
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