CM Punk’s Matches and Reactions in WWE History

Vince Russo believes WWE relies too heavily on hometown celebrations involving wrestlers such as Sami Zayn and CM Punk.

Speaking on The Brand, Russo pointed to three recent moments designed to generate large reactions from local audiences.

“They do this all the time, and they did it at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Okay, bro, we just put the belt on Sami in Saudi.

“Then we turn around and we put the belt on CM Punk in Chicago. Then we’re in New York City, and we’re celebrating the Knicks.”

Zayn won the Undisputed WWE Championship in Saudi Arabia before losing the title to Punk nine days later in Chicago.

Russo acknowledged that the New York Knicks celebration produced an enormous response during Saturday Night’s Main Event at Madison Square Garden. He questioned how much the moment meant to viewers outside New York.

“That’s going to be huge in the building. There’s no question about that. The house is electric.

“But again, Bin, the guy watching in Washington State doesn’t give a [expletive] about the Knicks. The guy in Idaho doesn’t give a [expletive] about the Knicks. The guy in New Hampshire doesn’t give a [expletive] about the Knicks. It was a New York thing.”

Hamin argued that WWE could have used the hometown celebration to generate heat for someone opposing the New York audience.

“They sacrificed the whole show. But if that’s what it is, where is the guy going, ‘Screw New York?’ Where’s the Southerner? Where is the guy for everybody else?

“The opportunity is there to get heat because everybody’s Mr. New York. If you’re putting everybody over, even your top heel, to have them hold the title at the end to get everybody to pop, it makes no sense.”

Russo believes WWE eventually needs to stop building important creative decisions around immediate hometown reactions.

“That all keeps going back to the pop. The pop of Sami in Saudi, the pop of Punk in Chicago, the pop of the Knicks in New York.

“Bro, they’ve got to—at some point, they’ve got to get away from the easy cheap pop.”

If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit The Brand, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.