In 2012, a friend of mine called me and shouted, “DUDE! ARE YOU WATCHING WRESTLING?!?!” I immediately turned on the USA Network and saw the Undertaker standing face to face with Triple H in the middle of the ring. All of the sudden, it seemed as if the clock had been turned back 10 years as I was standing in the middle of my room wondering to myself why I ever stopped watching the show that consumed most of my childhood. I quickly logged on to the WWE website to read about current feuds. At the time, WWE had a new face of the company, a man named CM Punk. I couldn’t understand how this smaller, rugged-looking guy could have become the champion. That is, until I did some reading of my own.
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| CM Punk throws out first pitch at Citi Field. |
CM Punk at the time was the perfect example of what it felt like to be a Mets fan. After years of suffering brought about by a poor management team, he knew it was time for a change. Although he was in the company for a number of years, he was never given the chance to become the WWE champion. On June 27, 2011, CM Punk delivered what is now referred to as the famous “Pipebomb” promo. For those of you who don’t know, CM Punk aired his grievances with the company on live television. His speech was delivered so perfectly that it is considered by many to be one of the best promos in recent memory.
While things began to change in the WWE, much was the same for the New York Mets. Five years had gone by since the 2006 NLCS and yet many still saw Carlos Beltran as the root of all the Mets’ problems. As far as the fan base was considered, as long as he was around, they were destined to be nothing more than a collection of talented athletes either past their prime or nowhere near it. Around the same time that CM Punk delivered his “Pipebomb,” the Mets were fortunate to have a player by the name of Jose Reyes. Reyes was in the middle of a career season posting a .341 batting average, 61 runs, 113 hits, 14 triples, and 26 stolen bases. Although not many had expected the Mets to do much, they were on the verge of turning things around and Reyes was a major part of it. Meanwhile, Carlos Beltran was beginning to put up consistent numbers that were good enough to change his reputation in the eyes of the common Mets fan.
During Jose Reyes' hot streak, the WWE Champion at the time was John Cena. John Cena, although he is considered to be an all-time great (ala Carlos Beltran), was defined by what he didn’t do rather than what he did do. During the Mid-2000’s WWE experienced an era commonly known as the PG-Era. During this time, John Cena led the pack offering a clean version of what a WWE champion should look like. Although Cena is, as I said earlier, an all-time great, many individuals specifically from my generation, view his character as a “corn-ball.” It was a cheesy gimmick that made fans second-guess their way of life as they sat on their couch week after week to watch a grown man rhyme worse than a Dr. Suess impersonator.
Thankfully, CM Punk came to change the company. On July 17, 2011 he defeated John Cena to win his first ever WWE championship. Only ten days later, Carlos Beltran was traded to the San Francisco Giants for a player named Zack Wheeler. At the time, most Mets fans were unaware of how good Wheeler could be, but what they did know was that things were beginning to take shape. The same could be said for WWE. When CM Punk won the title, most assumed it wouldn’t last long and expected management to somehow screw up the momentum. Fortunately, they were all wrong. CM Punk went on to hold the title for an astounding 434 days until ultimately losing to The Rock at Royal Rumble. John Cena than regained the title by defeating The Rock at a Wrestlemania 29, which in my opinion was one for the history books.
Today, Wheeler and Punk represent the future for their respective franchises. The New York Mets as well as the WWE seem to be in the final stages of the rebuilding process. With WWE Summerslam (Pay-Per-View) approaching quickly, a fan-favorite underdog by the name of Daniel Bryan, will look to defeat the great John Cena to capture his first ever WWE championship. Although a Mets championship may not occur for quite some time, it is clear to see that the next great era is just around the corner. During the mid-80’s the New York Mets experienced the most success in the organization’s history. The best comparison, in WWE terms, would be the era known as the Attitude Era. It remains to be seen if both companies will enter into another golden age but the signs are right in faces of their fans. If you can’t see this... well, than you just haven’t been paying attention. In the words of my father, there are three things that matter most: family, friends and the New York Mets. Give me Daniel Bryan winning the WWE championship and a Stone Cold Steve Austin return and maybe, just maybe, I will add WWE to that list. Let’s go Mets!
