There is an argument to be made that CM Punk truly became a star when injury forced him into regular commentary duty in the summer of 2010.
Punk's stint on the announce team was not only entertaining in its own right, but also laid the foundation for his career-making rivalry with John Cena. The "pipe bomb" was cool and all, but it was his smooth and sensical color work that codified Punk's singular talent on the stick.
Not so for WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins. Given a chance to commentate on RAW's Main Event, he came across as whiny and self-entitled as he always does. Even if he had a compelling perspective, his watered down and nasally voice is a non-starter for a career in speaking.
CM Punk is a true renaissance man. He's a fine wrestler, possesses a sense of personal style, cuts elite promos, and he's good enough at MMA to give the UFC a crack. The problem is that a varied skill set is a liability for WWE. Punk has options in life!
On the other hand, Seth Rollins amounts to little more than a wrestling savant. He's a genius between the ropes, but a nasally voice, outsized ego, and lack of empathy doom him in virtually any other endeavor.
This is a wonderful gift for WWE as his career longevity will never be truncated by outside opportunity. John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Hulk Hogan, Batista, Punk, Rock, and many others all enjoy the flexibility to excel in many professions. Not Seth. For better or worse, he's in this for the long haul.
Not that this is a bad thing. One could argue that Seth Rollins is a cut above the likes of Punk, bell to bell. For his sake, I hope it stays that way. Patience isn't a strong suit for him and those unemployment lines can be mighty long!
***
OFFICIAL WRESTLER WRANKINGS FORMULA
ANY WIN = 2 POINTS
US OR INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE BOUT = 1 POINT
WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUT = 3 POINTS
NON "BIG 4" PPV BONUS = 1.5X
SUMMERSLAM, SURVIVOR SERIES, ROYAL RUMBLE = 2X BONUS
WRESTLEMANIA = 3X BONUS
The WWE season begins on the day after WrestleMania 31 and culminates with WrestleMania 32. The wrestler who accumulates the most points over the course of the season, wins the coveted Wrankings Championship!
Hell in a Cell -- 10/25/15 (1.5x bonus included)
Monday Night Raw-- 10/26/15
Main Event-- 10/27/15
Smackdown-- 10/29/15
-----------------------------------
WRESTLER WRANKINGS, WEEK 31 *TOP TEN*
1. Seth Rollins -- 92 points
2. John Cena -- 71.5
3. Ryback -- 68
4. Neville -- 59
5. Kevin Owens -- 52.5
6. Roman Reigns -- 50.5
7. Sheamus -- 41.5
8. Dean Ambrose -- 40.5
9. Randy Orton -- 39
10. Stardust -- 36
Thanks for reading, Cagesiders. We'll see you back here next week!