Vince Russo, a former WWE writer, recently had a discussion about CM Punk’s involvement in the upcoming Survivor Series WarGames match. Punk made a surprise appearance on SmackDown, joining Roman Reigns and his entourage in their battle against The Bloodline. Paul Heyman pulled off a significant coup by recruiting the star as the fifth member of Team Reigns, which was met with excitement among fans. Russo, however, expressed skepticism about the move, suggesting that it lacked connection to the storyline and could have easily been done solely for the pop.
According to Russo, the only way to make things interesting would be if Seth Rollins, who is supposed to be a babyface, interfered in the match and cost the babyfaces a potential win. This, he believes, would have furthered Rollins’ feud with Punk, potentially leading to a high-profile showdown between the two megastars. Russo’s argument is that the current situation, where Punk seemingly joins forces with Reigns without any clear reason or connection to the storyline, is uninteresting and lacks depth.
Russo emphasizes that Rollins is an important character and should be treated as such. He believes that Rollins’ reluctance to participate in the WarGames match and his subsequent anger when the heels screwed him would have been an excellent opportunity to create tension and drama. Instead, the scenario unfolded in a way that appears random and disconnected from the larger narrative. Russo argues that Punk was essentially just there for the pop, and the unlikely alliance between Reigns and Punk does nothing to advance the storyline or provide any sense of urgency.
Russo’s comments raise valid points about the importance of storytelling and character development in professional wrestling. In order to create memorable and engaging matches, promotions need to establish clear connections between the characters and their actions. Without these connections, matches and storylines can feel shallow and uninteresting. Russo’s proposed scenario, where Rollins interferes in the match and costs the babyfaces a potential win, would have been an excellent way to create tension and drama, while also advancing the storyline and character development of the involved parties.
