Posted in: Mr. Tito
MR. TITO STRIKES BACK - CM Punk Should Return to Pro Wrestling Following UFC 203, WWE Backlash Predictions, More
By Mr. Tito
Sep 9, 2016 - 1:09:47 AM

Follow Mr. Tito on Twitter.com: @titowrestling

Welcome back to the EXCELLENCE IN COLUMN WRITING exclusively here at LordsofPain.net / WrestlingHeadlines.com by yours truly, Mr. Tito. You guys keep asking me, over and over, if I'll watch UFC 203 this Saturday Night which will feature the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) debut of CM Punk. Whether it's watching the show on Pay Per View or actually driving up North to Cleveland to watch it...

First and foremost, this is a WRESTLING column... For the past 18 years (seriously - late October marks that anniversary), you have NOT seen me review any MMA events. Why? Because it's not my cup of tea...

Now, that's NOT to offend anyone who loves MMA or UFC. If you enjoy watching, keep on watching it. I'm not going to badmouth that sport just for the sake of badmouthing it. I'm not a fan of it and therefore, I just don't watch it nor will I mention it in my column. I've tried watching it in the past, does nothing for me. Maybe it's because I was a big boxing fan during the late 1980s and 1990s when Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, and Lennox Lewis were big names. Maybe I'm too loyal of a pro wrestling fan? I don't know... I just don't feel that UFC reaches out to casual fans as I legitimately couldn't name a single UFC Champion right now. Too protective of the UFC shield and doesn't quite advertise their stars as they could... I couldn't name any of the UFC champions right now if I tried. Either way, what I've watched hasn't entertained me and that's just my tastes/preferences. Therefore, no Mr. Tito column coverage of MMA stuff.

BUT - CM Punk is a former WWE wrestler and left on very controversial terms. Punk walked out of the WWE following Royal Rumble 2014 with about 6 months left on his existing 3 year deal. WWE opted to terminate CM Punk instead of holding Punk to those 6 months and during November 2014, CM Punk gave his side of the WWE story on Colt Cabana's podcast. 1 month later, CM Punk signed a deal with UFC. After several delays due to injuries, CM Punk finally makes his UFC and MMA debut on September 10th, 2016.

As a pro wrestling fan, I have to admit this: I wish that CM Punk would return to pro wrestling. Ditto for his real life wife, AJ Lee.

I almost feel robbed as a pro wrestling and WWE fan for what happened with CM Punk and later with his wife AJ Lee later leaving as well. Both were tremendous talents in the WWE who should still be there and on top of their divisions. My opinion on CM Punk's 2011 momentum getting buried is well documented and I felt that CM Punk's Survivor Series 2011 to Royal Rumble 2013 WWE Title reign was treated as a joke by the WWE Creative Team. Go count the number of RAW and Pay Per Views he actually headlined as champion. Then in 2013, Punk put everybody else over despite the hardwork on providing great match after great match. For AJ Lee, you look at the Women's division now and wonder what could have been... AJ Lee vs. Sasha/Charlotte/Becky/Bayley anyone? Hell, I could imagine that Alexa Bliss vs. AJ Lee would be a ton of fun and fast paced.

But pettiness backstage in the WWE ruined that, particularly CM Punk. Following WWE Money in the Bank 2011, the WWE should have been printing money with CM Punk. But nooooooooooo, they just HAD to put the WWE Title on Alberto Del Rio just so he could headline a Mexican tour as WWE Champion later that Fall. Yeah, how is that Del Rio wrestler doing right now, WWE? Now, with the Brand Split, the WWE could definitely use the star power.

The pro wrestling fan in me almost wants CM Punk to lose this Saturday at UFC 203. That's me being very selfish, as I should wish CM Punk the best in UFC. But damn he was a GREAT pro wrestler, not just inside the ring but one of the best ever on the microphone. Better yet with pro wrestling, you can appear in your prime well into your 40s in pro wrestling but probably not so much in UFC. Punk's speaking abilities could keep him securely at the top to mask any physical reductions with older age. The peak in pro wrestling can last through about your mid-40s. However for Punk as a UFC fighter, he has too much mileage on his body as a result of a long pro wrestling career. You don't think other MMA fighters will study what Punk injured in pro wrestling? I worry that the younger athletes in UFC will be too much for Punk to handle...

And so what if UFC is too difficult for CM Punk to win? Fighting Mixed Martial Arts is HARD folks. There are fighters with various backgrounds (martial arts, kickboxing, amateur wrestling, etc.) and some are strong with grappling while others are better at striking. And you better be able to defend against both. Hard to grasp this style of fighting when you're just joining it in your late 30s when a bunch of fighters have been doing it for years in their 20s. If CM Punk loses, it is NOT a disappointment... Fighting on the biggest MMA stage is an honor in the first place.

Just return to Pro Wrestling, CM Punk. Come home! We miss you. Smaller promotions who have put on good shows, such as TNA and Ring of Honor, are dying for a big superstar draw to help put them over. You're the guy... We ALL KNOW that the WWE screwed you over between 2011-2014. Not even a debate... Hell, I bet that a WWE offer would be on the table. The Brand Split isn't exactly delivering ratings with RAW, in particular, pushing under 3 million viewers when they aren't hosting World Title tournaments. Punk could actually negotiate for Creative Control of his character... That's right, the 1994 WCW Hulk Hogan deal. Go for it, Punk! But I would love to see him join a rival promotion... TNA's President, Billy Corgan, is from the Chicago area... Hmmm...

I'll tell you this much... I'm a CM Punk guy. After UFC 203 and if he decided to return to pro wrestling, I'll watch anywhere he goes even if I have to pay for the channels to see him. He should have been the next "Stone Cold" Steve Austin based on the events from Money in the Bank 2011 and the WWE dropped the ball and buried it.

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RAW vs. Smackdown

Can I be honest here? I really like the Smackdown brand in comparison to RAW. I could probably argue that the RAW roster is a bit deeper and thicker... BUT, I would argue that RAW lacks true drawing main eventers. RAW has Seth Rollins and... Um, well, uhhh... Brock Lesnar? Oh, he's part-time? Vince McMahon keeps trying to tell me that Roman Reigns is a draw but actual statistics show that Reigns as WWE Champion or pursuing the belt cost RAW about 400,000 viewers. Ouch. The rest of the roster is chalk full of upper midcarder who endured years upon years of 50/50 booking, win one week and lose the next. For several, it was winning 5 in a row and then losing 5 in a row. Finn Balor got hurt but I never believed in him as a drawing main eventer so early into his WWE main roster career.

On Smackdown, I get the booming AJ Styles... He is truly the next coming of Shawn Michaels and it's great that WWE is legitimately pushing him. John Cena is a Smackdown regular and he'll be back once his time off concludes. Randy Orton is still a top guy though I'm not a fan and he seems to be made of glass lately. Speaking of being made of glass, lots of upside for Bray Wyatt. I can't say that I'm a fan of his character and mic work lately, but Dean Ambrose is good in the ring and is an OK champion. Smackdown has better MAIN EVENT power than the RAW brand although the bench strength below the top guys is a bit thin. However, I kinda like the midcard on Smackdown. Between the Tag Division and Women's Division, we get some good VARIETY on Smackdown. All of the members competing over the new Smackdown Titles are very different in styles, shapes, and personalities. Better yet about the Smackdown brand, the Tag Teams and Women's wrestlers act like those new Smackdown Titles are a BIG DEAL. Listen to that passionate speech that Becky Lynch gave this week. That was great stuff!

Sure, RAW has Enzo & Cass and the New Day for the Tag Team Division... But are they wrestling each other? Nope... Enzo and Cass are doing other things on the roster. Sorry, but Anderson/Gallows are doing nothing for me. Everybody told me how amazing they were in New Japan but I'm just not seeing that translate well on a WWE stage. After Enzo/Cass, New Day, and Anderson/Gallows... What do you have?

It's easy to argue about the top talent on RAW regarding the Women's Division. RAW has Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Bayley who are 3 out of 4 members of the NXT Four Horsewomen. But what is the WWE truly getting out of them? We just saw Banks and Charlotte nearly kill each other with high risk moves at SummerSlam 2016. Sasha Banks is dealing with injuries as a member of the WWE roster. Then, you have Bayley who is a natural star... But she just beat Charlotte in a NON-TITLE match on RAW this past week! The hotshot booking just ruined a potentially big Pay Per View match just to fill 15 minutes on a long-ass 3 hour RAW show. What the hell, WWE? STOP IT with these idiotic non-title matches that (a) make your champion look weak and (b) give away Pay Per View matches for FREE.

I like the Smackdown Women's Division... It has variety and all 6 ladies seem act like they have a "sense of urgency" to become the first Women's Champion. Becky Lynch is the obvious all-around top performer of the female group on Smackdown. I really liked the passionate speech that Lynch delivered about becoming the first Smackdown Women's Champion. I REALLY like Alexa Bliss... She had good matches on NXT but I really like her character... She reminds you of that girl in high school who thought she was "all that" and didn't mind getting in the faces of other girls. Not bad on the mic, too, as I really liked her line about Daniel Bryan being a "trophy husband" to Brie Bella. Good character and she's damn good in the ring. Very athletic and sells moves like a champion. I like the roles of what Alexa Bliss has on Smackdown and Dana Brook on RAW. Sort of like midcard heels...

Then, there's Nikki Bella... Sorry haters, but I'm a Nikki Bella fan. I think her value to the WWE roster is actually underrated. When AJ Lee had some injuries, Natalya never evolved, and Paige didn't live up to the NXT call-up hype after winning the title on her first night, Nikki Bella gave us a solid champion that built the foundation for the current women's division. And Nikki greatly improved her look (enhanced or not, she looks amazing) and her in-ring ability. Good charisma too. In my opinion, she's the closest in the WWE to being "Playboy Hot" in terms of pure looks, shape, and whatnot that would sell an issue of Playboy back in the day. When she does her little dance at the beginning of her entrance, I'm sure everybody pays attention... The only thing I don't like is the goofy look with the hat backwards. That's what Carmella does... Nikki should show off her looks... When she's not wrestling, wear gowns that really show off her assets and would cause other female characters to resent her.

Naomi's new entrance is AMAZING! That is so unique and goes to show you the true value of the WWE's production truck. Presentation wise, Naomi has turned heads and that's what you want... Now, just let her shine in the ring and let her rack up some wins.

And then there is Natalya and Carmella. I'm baffled at how Natalya has stayed the same character and hasn't changed much as an in-ring performer. They talk about her as an in-ring veteran yet we see other women working circles around her. The personality is awful. After Becky Lynch cut a great promo Tuesday, Natalya came out and cut the most dry promo ever. I don't understand why she is unable to evolve in the WWE... She is FEMALE KANE, folks... Stays the same and always in the way of other performers elevating. Carmella looks very green and her "hip" personality was heavily exposed without Enzo/Cass talking her up. At the very least, WWE got wise and switched her to heel because her face character wasn't catching on. That submission hold locked on Nikki Bella on Tuesday was impressive.

What Smackdown does WAY better than RAW is to KEEP THINGS SIMPLE. On Smackdown, wrestlers are clearly defined as going for either the WWE Title, Intercontinental Title, or Tag Titles... CLEAR separation between the 2 title divisions. On RAW, it's utter chaos... One week you're fighting for the US Title, the next you're entered into the WWE Universal Title tournament. RAW appears to be far more aggressive and impatient on pushing wrestlers upward whereas Smackdown knows what they have. Better yet, Shane McMahon/Daniel Bryan just manage the show and don't get in the way with the exception of the Miz shoot on Daniel Bryan. BUT, that's an exception to the rule because it confused fans on whether it was real or not... It accomplished a magic trick in wrestling... Much different than Mick Foley occupying a space on television as Stephanie McMahon does her usual intrusive work. She is difficult to watch particularly as she now tries to flip and flop between acting like a heel or face authority figure now.

RAW feels like it's utter chaos. Granted, they had to create a new World Title and bad luck with Finn Balor's injury occurred... But why did the WWE immediately push Finn Balor anyway? Seriously, his FIRST NIGHT on the WWE Main Roster resulted in him winning a WWE Universal Title shot at SummerSlam 2016. What hell is up with that impatient booking? Then he gets hurt and we get yet another WWE Universal Title tournament. Out of no where, Kevin Owens wins the WWE Universal Title after the WWE's 50/50 booking didn't build up Owens beforehand. He goes from tagging up with Chris Jericho to World Champion? Huh? How consistent is that? And doing stupid things like giving away Bayley vs. Charlotte for FREE along with Bayley winning the title. There is NOTHING to do for most wrestlers which results in Cesaro vs. Sheamus getting thrown into a Best of 7 series isn't exactly setting the world on fire.

That's my take on RAW vs. Smackdown... My initial preference was to watch Smackdown and I'm heavily leaning that way as the "top dog" show. However, I have watched RAW... I actually watch BOTH shows on Wednesday night back-to-back... Given that the WWE is taking both shows seriously again, it kinda feels like the early days of the last Brand Split from 2002-2003 where both RAW/Smackdown brands were equal and different. That's a GOOD THING. But what WWE needs right now is STAR POWER because nobody from developmental has blossomed into a top drawing star like those, you guessed it, OHIO VALLEY WRESTLING CLASS OF 2002 wrestlers (drink up Comments section!). It's no secret that ever since John Cena was removed from the main event or out with injuries/time off following Wrestlemania 31, RAW has lost almost 1,000,000 viewers. That's scary.

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Mr. Tito's PHAT WWE Backlash 2016 Predictions

Lots of shots taken at Backlash for having "just a few matches". First and foremost, we know this WWE Creative Team by now. They'll throw on a match or 2 to fill 3 hours. If not, who cares? Don't you want individual matches to have MORE TIME?


Usos vs. Hype Bros. - Semi-Finals for Tag Titles
Stupid injury angle... So riddle me this... Usos clearly attack and injure American Alpha yet they are rewarded with another shot at the Smackdown Tag Titles? Eh, whatever... With Rhyno and Heath Slater receiving face pops, the heelish team will win. And they should, too. Hype Bros. do nothing for me. It's just a tag team ripped out of the Jersey Short MTV show.

WHO SHOULD WIN/WHO WILL WIN: Usos

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WWE Tag Titles Finals: Usos vs. Rhyno/Heath Slater
Oddly enough, this Rhyno and Heath Slater thing is getting over. Who would have thought? Smackdown needs an additional midcard act so therefore, Rhyno & Slater win and that places Slater on Smackdown full-time. I figure that American Alpha will cause the Usos to lose (hit them with a crutch?).

WHO SHOULD WIN: Usos. They are getting a bad rap in the WWE but the Usos were once a strong team in the WWE. They were linked to Roman Reigns and then Anderson/Gallows completely destroyed them. Not fair.

WHO WILL WIN: Rhyno & Heath Slater with the assist of American Alpha

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Intercontinental Title: Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Hard to say what the WWE is doing with the Miz character. He delivers a hot promo against Daniel Bryan but for the past 2 weeks, Miz has acted like a wimpy heel. Instead of capitalizing on the internet heat from his Bryan segment, he is going the complete opposite... I do, however, like that Miz is using Maryse more. Nice move by having Maryse get the Intercontinental Title from the ring from Dolph Ziggler this past week on Smackdown. USE HER MORE... Those outfits that she's wearing lately, good lord! We're getting a good idea of what Miz gets to enjoy in the bedroom. As for this match... I just don't like where Ziggler's character is going.

WHO SHOULD WIN / WHO WILL WIN: Miz, but I would have him convincingly win... Make him SNAP in the ring and show that Bryan/Ziggler's comments were boiling in him to the point of explosion.

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6 Pack Smackdown Women's Title Challenge: Nikki Bella vs. Naomi vs. Carmella vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya
I think you can scratch any of the heels in this match (Carmella, Bliss, Natalya) from winning this match. 2 are NXT call-ups still learning and I just don't see the appeal in Natalya winning the title. However, I can see any one of the 3 babyfaces winning it with stronger odds on Naomi and Becky Lynch. I think that WWE needs to build up Naomi as an in-ring wrestler a bit more before giving it to her, but she has worked hard for YEARS to deserve it in the WWE. Becky Lynch is the #1 draft pick...

WHO SHOULD WIN: Naomi

WHO WILL WIN: Becky Lynch

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Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
Randy Orton is getting a rematch against Brock Lesnar soon, so it's hard to deny him... Unless the WWE wants to begin legitimately building Bray Wyatt vs. Brock Lesnar. Oh, Brock Lesnar is a RAW brand wrestler? Who knows? But I think for this month, Bray Wyatt will lose to keep Orton looking strong for his Lesnar rematch.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Bray Wyatt. Smackdown needs to build this guy up for the future.

WHO WILL WIN: Randy Orton. Build him up for that Lesnar rematch.

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WWE Title: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. AJ Styles
AJ Styles is red hot right now where as Dean Ambrose as WWE Champion has been decent... I can't say earth moving, but Ambrose remains good on the mic and good in the ring. Given the thinner rosters, the WWE can't exactly blow off feuds through 1 Pay Per View show now. They have to slow things down... That being said, I wonder if we'll see Ambrose retaining in controversial fashion and then it pushes a rematch just to keep filling WWE Pay Per View cards. The problem by keeping Ambrose face and AJ Styles heel is the real limitations on their opponents. Ambrose would get to wrestle Bray Wyatt (again) whereas I don't know how AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton would work at this point. Orton is such a mysterious worker but AJ Styles can push any wrestler to their limit.

WHO SHOULD WIN: AJ Styles. He's ready NOW. I would even be up for a Double Switch that turns AJ Styles babyface and Dean Ambrose into a heel for follow-up matches.

WHO WILL WIN: Dean Ambrose. I just think WWE needs to stretch this feud out to cover monthly Pay Per Views.

Enjoy the show! We'll see on the INSTA-COLUMN review of WWE Backlash, as it's the start of the NFL Football season...

SO JUST CHILL... 'TIL THE NEXT EPISODE!

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