Pro Wrestling Smackdown: CM Punk Says "I recognize when things suck and I speak my mind"

Event: WWE Super Smackdown

Date: August 30, 2011

Location: Wichita, Kansas

(Triple H is in the ring with Smackdown GM Teddy Long. There is a table and two chairs in the middle of the ring for the official Night of Champions contract signing for Triple H vs. CM Punk. Triple H says that last night he canceled a match between Kevin Nash vs. CM Punk. Instead the match will be Triple H vs. CM Punk. Triple H says that the Board was kind enough to allow Triple H to compete in the match. Triple H invites CM Punk to the ring to sign the contract.)

(CM Punk's music starts and Punk walks to the ring. Punk enters the ring. Triple H pushes away his chair because he won't be sitting in it but CM Punk decides to sit down and he picks up his microphone.)

CM Punk: Well, as lovely as this all is, I find it a tad bit unnecessary. I mean you are the almighty COO of the WWE. Your word is gospel. You’ve already made the match. CM Punk vs. Triple H at Night of Champions. You said so on Monday Night RAW. I’m a little confused. Why are we here? Did you…did you add a stipulation to the contract that says that you can just change your mind about the match again whenever you get cold feet?

Triple H: I understand your frustration. Last night was a little bit fair. I caught you off-guard…

CM Punk: No no…you did not catch me off-guard. Trust me. Nothing you do catches me off-guard. Nothing that happens in this place, no matter how bad the decisions are, ever catches me off-guard anymore. I’m just a little bit curious about the content…

Triple H: As to what? As to why I changed the match huh? I would have thought you made up in intelligence what you lacked in hygiene. You have disrespected me. You have disrespected my family…

CM Punk: I knew it…I knew it…

Triple H: No, shut up! I’m not done talking…

CM Punk: You got something to say?

Triple H: I’m not done talking…

CM Punk: Say it. Go ahead.

Triple H: Shut your mouth. Ever since I’ve been COO around here, despite of you disrespecting me, my family, the WWE, my father-in-law, my wife…despite you holding this company hostage with the WWE Championship, I tried to work with you. I bent over backwards to work with you. And it still wasn’t good enough was it? No no no…you had to push. Let me ask you a question genius. Who do you think got Living Colour to agree to allow you to come to this ring to “Cult of Personality” huh? Who do you think paid that tab? Who do you think got that approved and paid the bill huh? Me. Who do you think approved that shirt you’re wearing on your back…you know the one you demanded say, “Best in the World” when you weren’t even here? Remember when you were off holding the company hostage with the WWE Title? I pushed that shirt though. Me. Even last night when I give you exactly what you want. I give you Kevin Nash. You still have to push my buttons and maybe…maybe I just need to be the bigger man you know? Maybe I just need to shallow my pride. Do a better job. But I’m trying Punk. I’m trying my ass off to be the man and be the COO around here. But the thing is I can only take so much. You disrespected me. You insulted me as a man. Now you deal with me as a man.

CM Punk: I expect nothing less. You see, I don’t want to fight the COO of the WWE at Night of Champions. I want the Cerebral Assassin. I don’t want the new you. The new you sucks. I want the old you. And you’re right…maybe you’re not the guy for the job and that seems to be my point all along. The last guy who was the COO—maybe you know him, his name was Vince McMahon—he couldn’t separate personal issues from business. And now look at ya. You can’t separate personal issues from business issues. And the biggest thing that Vince saw...the thing that you don't see...you think I hate the WWE. I don’t hate the WWE. I love this place. If I hated the WWE, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. I’d be at home a lot happier. You would be rid of the evil CM Punk and you’d be a lot happier. What I want is change. I recognize when things suck and I speak my mind. I want things to be different. I want things to be better. I want things to be so much better. Not just for me, but for everybody. I am dying for a change. We are dying for a change. I want to be the catalyst for that change…

(Triple H interrupts CM Punk before he finishes talking.)

Triple H: Oh save me. You want to be the catalyst as long as it benefits you. I am sick to death of listening to you talk to how you are doing all of this for them. Yeah there are a lot of people out there (Triple H points to the crowd). Maybe half of them agree with what you’re saying. The other half, they don’t give a damn. You know what Punk, some of these people actually like the WWE. Some of these people dig it. They tune in every week. They love what they see. They come here to have a good time. They like it the way it is. Can it be better? Sure it can be better. That’s right and that’s my job to make it better. But when you talk about being the catalyst for change, really what you mean is you will only accept change if it means CM Punk is on top. ‘Cause unless CM Punk is the guy, the man, that’s not enough change for you. That’s not really what you want. See you’re no different than anybody else that’s ever been in this business including me. We’re a lot alike. We did what we had to do to get on top. The difference is I looked everybody in the eye and told ya, “I’m gonna step on ya. I’m gonna walk through ya to get to the top. You…you don’t have the balls to do it. What you did is you backdoor your way around. You try to do it by being a martyr.

CM Punk: So many things to say to you right now. You see me as a martyr? Well unlike you, I’m not…I’m not trying to step on anybody. I’m certainly not trying to be a martyr but if you see me as a martyr then maybe just maybe there’s a lot of weight to what I say. Maybe I’m saying the right things. And you talk about half these people tuning in and liking what they see and the other half not liking what they see. I want everybody to like what they see! I want everybody to tune in and enjoy this! I want this to be fun again. Alright? And if you think I’m being selfish because I want to be the man, well you’re right. I’m not gonna say I’m doing this for everybody. I’m doing this for me absolutely because before I was a wrestler, before I became a WWE Superstar, I was a fan and at my core, I’m still a fan. I’m a fan of this and I will do what I can and what I know will make this place better. Will make this place fun again. There's a reason I say these horrible things about your wife. I mean besides the fact that it's fun and I can say it and I can get away with it. But I'm pushing your buttons. You became COO, I immediately started testing you. Trial by fire call it and guess what? You failed. You’re just like everybody else. You’re just like Vince McMahon. You know I thought maybe since me and you…yeah we are a lot alike…I thought maybe we wanted the same things. I thought we were on the same page. We wanted the same goals. But it turns out, you’re egotistical. You’re vindictive. It’s the same old thing I’ve seen before. I mean you hire your old buddies to do your dirty work because you can’t get your hands dirty. I've seen it before. If I have to be the catalyst of change, if that catalyst of change comes from going through you, then so be it. Frankly, I think it’s been a long time coming. Me and you have never liked each other. Just do me the favor, since you’re the COO, at Night of Champions, don’t fine me, don’t suspend me after I kick your ass.

(CM Punk signs the contract.)

Triple H: You compare me to Vince right? You think that I’m like Vince. That I can’t separate the two. Let me tell you something Punk. One of the differences between me and you is something called respect. I respect Vince McMahon for what he’s done. I respect Vince McMahon for building this industry into what it is. We wouldn’t be standing here right now if it wasn’t for Vince McMahon. You want to compare me to Vince McMahon I say, “Thank you.” You couldn’t give me any bigger of a compliment. But understand this, and this is where I’m nothing like Vince McMahon.

(Triple H starts to sign the contract.)

CM Punk: (Interrupts Triple H) No wait, before…before you sign, the problem is you respect Vince so much and you want to live in the past. You don’t see the future and trust me, I weep for the future. You’re too shortsighted to see that Vince lost touch so very long ago and you are living in that shadow. You have lost touch. You are the guy who likes to point to his crotch and tell other guys to suck it. And I want change.

Triple H: You want change? You’re gonna get it. Let me tell you something. This is where I’m not like Vince. Vince McMahon (Triple H signs the contract) would have got in this ring with you at Night of Champions and sat there and taken a beating from you because it was good for business. This has nothing to with business now with me and you. It’s completely personal and I am gonna kick your skinny fat ass!

(Kevin Nash's music starts and Nash walks towards the ring.Triple H tries to stop CM Punk from attacking Nash. Kevin Nash enters the ring and flips over the table.)

(Punk pushes Triple H out of the way and starts attacking Nash. Triple H quickly pulls Punk away from Nash and shoves Punk to the ground. Punk gets up and is immediately kicked in the face by Kevin Nash.)