By Graham "GSM" Matthews In this all-new, Next Era Wrestling exclusive column, Graham "GSM" Matthews highlights the heroes of wrestling and what makes them inspirational idols to him and to others. This on-going series will go beyond the squared circle in an attempt to break the fourth wall between a wrestler's character and real-life persona. The date was July 16, 2010. I was watching Friday Night SmackDown over a friend's house, approximately around midnight or so (I think we spent the night playing video games or something). I remember very little about the show itself except for one segment. That one segment featured the Straightedge Society, led by CM Punk. I had already adopted Punk's straightedge lifestyle many months prior, but I still didn't consider myself a fan of his. That was, however, until this swarming July night. In said segment, Punk discussed the Money in the Bank Ladder match that was happening that Sunday at the pay-per-view of the same name. It wasn't long before he was interrupted by Big Show, one of the competitors in the upcoming Ladder match. Punk threw insults at Show left and right, even challenging him to do a 450 Splash off the top of a ladder! It was absolutely hysterical, and the first time I actually found Punk's character, who was preaching people to be straightedge more often than not, to be humorous. Little did I know that almost exactly one year later Punk would compete in my favorite match as a wrestling fan to date against John Cena for the WWE Championship. So, it was on that night that I slowly but surely started to become a fan of CM Punk. He went on to incorporate many other comical elements into his character and poked fun at himself and others in promos, especially during his time as a tweener in the summer of 2011 and as a face. Not only is his character entertaining, but his matches are always enjoyable to watch as well. He is one of the best in-ring technicians that this industry has seen in quite some time and has deserved every bit of success that he has earned up to this point. He has solidified himself as a main event player these last few years and has earned his top at the top of the card. Who the best wrestler in the world is today is arguable, but there is no questioning that Punk is certainly a strong candidate.
So, what makes him inspirational to others? It has been well documented by wrestling fans that Punk isn't the most "fan friendly" guy in the world despite being a fan favorite. He can a real a-hole at times to his fans, I think that goes without saying. Sometimes they deserve it, sometimes they don't. Having been through everything that he endured as a child, from having a crappy childhood to have an alcoholic father, can you really blame the guy? Sure, he could be a little bit nicer to his fan base at times, but if I was in his position and some fan came up to be at five o'clock in the morning at the airport asking for an autograph (yes, that is a blatant reference to his notorious pipebomb promo from June 2011), chances are I would react the same way: not giving that fan the time of day. Speaking it his "pipebomb promo", it was on June 27, 2011 that CM Punk sat Indian-style in the center of the stage at the conclusion of Monday Night Raw and aired his grievances. From claiming he deserved to be in the main event of WrestleMania 28 to calling Vince McMahon a glorified bully, Punk pulled no punches. Granted, something like that in any other workplace would more than likely get you fired, but you have to respect the fact that Punk speaks his mind. He inspired me to do the same from that point forward, along with many other people as well. He tells the truth and says things the way they are without sugarcoating anything. While that could sometimes be a bad thing and something that others may find insulting, I would much prefer to do that over lying to something just to make them feel better about themselves. Not that I don't want to make people feel better about themselves, but lying to someone isn't right and won't accomplish anything. As previously mentioned, Punk's straightedge lifestyle has served as inspiration for me as well. Depending on whether he is face or heel, he will either portray it as either a good or bad thing. Despite what his heel persona suggested, being straightedge doesn't make you better than anyone. Everyone is equal, regardless of whether you drink, smoke or do drugs. However, seeing Punk take a stand against all of the aforementioned things motivated me to do the same. Are drugs, smoking and alcohol bad for you? Yeah, but doing them doesn't make you a bad person. Everyone has a choice, and whatever that choice may be, it should be respected. I don't wish to get into that right now, but the point is that Punk's straightedge lifestyle is something that people can look up to, including me. Last but not least, his "don't care what people think or say about you" attitude is something that, I think, a lot of people can learn from. Does it really matter what someone says about you? Does their opinion of you really mean anything? Not at all. Punk, as a character and as a person, encourages people to stick up for what they believe in and do what they think is right, regardless of the consequences. Too often in today's society are people worried about what others are saying about them. As seen in his various feuds with authority figures and other Superstars over the years, speak your mind and always attempt to reach your goals. Punk has prided himself on the fact that he has made it to where he is today all by himself. While it doesn't mean he doesn't have friends or family, it means that he didn't use anyone in the business to get ahead for his own benefit. That is what is called independence. If there is a cause worth fighting for and it looks like you are on your own, chances are there is someone else out there that feels the same way do you. Stay independent and once you reach your goals, you can say you did it all on your own. How can you not be proud of yourself for that? I can honestly say that I wouldn't be who I am today without CM Punk (or pro wrestling for that matter). He has helped change me and my attitude for the better over the last three and a half years and I will continue to look up to him as one of my inspiration idols. This series will continue to be published on a weekly basis, so if there is anyone else you would like me to feature in upcoming editions, let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading. |
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