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I don’t think I am breaking news when I say that we live in a society that demands immediate satisfaction, or at the very least, immediate results.
The majority of our entertainment comes in the form of videos that are too long if they top 90 seconds, we get irrationally frustrated when a download isn’t complete within a few blinks of your eyelids, and we will pay exorbitant amounts of money to ensure a same-day delivery.
That intrinsically transfers over to how we consume professional wrestling. And when CM Punk made his shocking return to WWE back at Survivor Series, I, like the rest of wrestling fans, figured WWE would get the wheels in motion for what it had in store for Punk immediately.
When you’ve got the most controversial person in wrestling suddenly on your roster, you strike while that iron is piping hot.
Instead, Punk cut a promo that didn’t last longer than 10 minutes, dropped a few hints as to what his future may hold, and didn’t say much else. Wrestling fans, yearning for the immediate satisfaction of Punk stirring the pot via a pipe bomb-esque promo, left that night wanting more.
We’d soon find out that Punk wouldn’t appear on television for more than a week, as he has been advertised to appear on the Tribute to the Troops edition of Smackown on Dec. 8. Raw general manager Adam Pearce also invited Punk to the Dec. 11 edition of Raw in an effort to have the latter sign an exclusive deal with the brand, which was news World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins was not too pleased to hear.
Adam Pearce tells Seth Rollins that he intends to sign CM Punk exclusively to RAW
Seth Rollins says when Punk shows his true colours and it blows up in his face, stay out of his way when he does what he’s gotta do#WWERAW
pic.twitter.com/c7QpOA3u9S— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) December 5, 2023
Today’s conventional wisdom would be for WWE to quickly cash in on the attention Punk brought. It has chosen to be patient instead. And while that may not satisfy wrestling fans’ seemingly insatiable appetite, I don’t blame WWE for taking its time.
One of the side effects of our ever shrinking attention spans is that it can at times prevent us from seeing the larger picture. I, along with nearly every other human being on the planet, has been guilty of this at one time or another. In this case, that larger picture includes what WWE has planned for Punk at WrestleMania.
WrestleMania 40 is four months away and there isn’t even a premium live event in the month of December. If there is a time for WWE to slow things down, chart out a quality path for Punk and execute it to precision in the coming months, it is now.
There is literally no reason to rush at the moment. There are plenty of weeks between now and even the Royal Rumble, which takes place in late January.
WWE’s patience with Punk isn’t necessarily outside of the norm for the promotion under its current regime, as it has done a masterful job of stretching out stories that in some cases last multiple years. Remember when Jey Uso openly defied Roman Reigns in October of 2022? That came two years after Uso was essentially forced to join The Bloodline by his older cousin.
WWE then waited all the way until June of 2023 to finally remove Uso from the group — eight months later. In the meantime, WWE managed to keep fans engaged with a story that had earned a main event spot at WrestleMania.
But alas, this is 2023 and society’s collective attention spans probably aren’t going to suddenly increase in 2024. So I understand if the slow burn style of storytelling isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea.
However, WWE has proven it can thread a story for an extended period of time. I’d be willing to bet that time WWE is taking is being put to good use by crafting a well thought out and fully fleshed out story, as opposed to one that is rushed together in a panic and includes gaping holes in logic.
So hang in there, wrestling fans. WWE still has plenty of time to deliver on the goods you all came to see. If recent history is any indication, it will be worth the wait.
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