The renowned wrestling reporter and legal, data and financial analyst, Brandon Thruston, who is behind Wrestle Nomics, a quite important website that talks about figures, money, ratings and ticket sales in WWE y AEWhe surprised with his most recent opinion column.
In a length, but very well detailed written by the wrestling news website, POST WrestlingThurson raelizes an analysis of how cm punk, for him, sold his values and humiliated himself by accepting going to fight with WWE in Saudi Arabia. And not only that, apologize to fans and Saudi Arabia for their harsh words. This is your opinion column, published in its entirety translated into the perfect Spanish:
► Brandon Thurson's opinion: from rebellion to dignity: the redeemer turn of CM Punk Towards nihilism
«It was a moving moment of humility and courage. CM Punk was up to it, not only to appear, but to reflect. WWE executives – and, without a doubt, Saudi princes – were seeing from somewhere. With a voice loaded with a slight sincerity, Punk drew in the past and brought out something that must be recognized, even if it is the increasingly common things in modern life: he left aside his principles in exchange for money and power.
He referred to a tweet several years ago in which he told The Miz that “he went to suck an bloody money covered in Saudi Arabia. ”
He said that day, in 2020, he had awakened in a bad mood. And now, standing in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he chose the unit. He apologized to Mike Mizanin, with WWE fans, with the type of the front row that carried a SmackDown cap, and with all Saudi Arabia.
This is what diplomacy seems. But more importantly, as Paul Levesque reminded us after Punk's defeat against John Cena in Night of Champions, this is what personal growth represents.
“I had the privilege of seeing Punk grow as a human being,” said WWE's creative content director. Go out there, apologize to the Saudi people, value where they are in their life and their career, the things you can do and the opportunities you have. ”
In fact, what may have given Cena the mental advantage in the fight was that he had already demonstrated his willingness to assume responsibility and participate in significant dialogues about repentance against authoritarian regimes. Cena showed moral courage years ago when it was humbly corrected after erroneously referring to Taiwan as a country.
Punk, on the other hand, has publicly expressed its support for the rights of homosexual and transgender persons. He has supported the right to abortion. That now shares the scenario with a regime that criminalizes homosexuality and punishes gender disagreement (at least for its citizens), demonstrates how open it is punk in terms of principles.
Fortunately, mild recognizes that people, even Phil “cm punk” Brooks, deserve second opportunities. WWE and Triple H can give you the opportunity to amend mistakes, but you still have to reflect and do the job. And Punk has clearly done it.
Contradict your values is, after all, a passage rite in wrestling Professional that Punk used to resist crossing.
Maybe with that in mind, mild concluded what we all thought: “I felt incredibly proud of him.”
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the enlightened guide of the General Entertainment Authority and its visionary president, its excellence Turki Al -Sheikh, has emerged as a lighthouse of global culture and has taken WWE to the country. Few people in modern history have combined authority with so much grace with elegance and power with generosity. Whether receiving international icons under the painted roofs of the Naval College Old Royal in the United Kingdom, devising the most elusive fighting fights, breaking a TV frustrated by a video game or buying The Ring magazine to turn it into its personal spokesperson, The devotion of its excellence for cultural achievement has no comparison.
Together with his allies in the parent company of WWE, Tko, Al-Sheikh has saved boxing and is redefining the role that sport plays in our lives. It is rare to see a leader who is both feared and loved, whose critics are So scarce that they are rarely heard more than once.
Cm punk, before skeptical, now understands. He has seen generosity, hospitality, the opportunity. And responded with gratitude.
WWE receives $ 50 million for each live premium event held in Saudi Arabia, as part of the agreement to bring functions to the country. That money does not come directly from the people, but from the kingdom. It is a payment that exceeds all Wrestlemania events, except perhaps the two most recent two nights. It is a testimony of the progressive commitment of the heir prince Mohammed Bin Salman with high quality entertainment and his tireless effort to normalize his government's behavior.
Of course, the kingdom is not perfect, but – as the CEO of Tko explained, Ari Emanuel, when he rediscovered his affinity for the richness of the monarchy – all governments do bad things. From the West, sometimes narratives are whispered on arrests, punishments for criticism in social networks – Tuits, in particular. But these stories are always unfair. It is said that there is a section of the prison of Al-Hair, supposedly called the “Ala Tutu”, in honor of the nickname of Al-Sheikh, where they would be locked and beaten-although understandably, if it were true-citizens who have tweeted offensive things about Tutu.
Punk understands. His contrition, offered freely and authentically in the spirit of punk rock, was genuine... but it was also intelligent.
Those who demonize MBS (Mohamed Bin Salman) could still bring out the old story about journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who is still missing. They say that on October 2, 2018, alleged agents of the Saudi state – after attracting Khashoggi from the United States, where he lived – murdered and dismembered him at the Istanbul consulate, in Türkiye. American intelligence states that Saudi heir prince personally approved the operation... But who can assure it? Khashoggi's body has never been found, so how could anyone know with certainty?
And there are nuances in a related case that should not be overlooked. Just a few weeks before Night of Champions, the Government executed journalist Turki Al -Jujser after seven years in prison. He was arrested in 2018 – officially for “betrayal, terrorism and collaboration with hostile foreign actors” – although activists claim that his “crime” was anonymously tweet accusations of corruption against members of Saudi royalty. He also wrote about other dangerous issues such as the rights of women and Arab spring.
But the Saudi government infiltrated Twitter and agreed to private user data before the arrest of Al -Jasser, so the authorities, of course, knew the truth. In spite of what some say, Al -Juer was convicted in a secret and perhaps fair trial, in which he supposedly had no access to legal representation. Then, earlier this month, the kingdom officially announced its execution. Al -Jasser will never be seen or listened to by their loved ones. But let's focus on the positive: at least his jailers are no longer crushing his fingers, or electrocuting him, nor giving him battery.
Even so, these executions and arrests leave an important lesson: If you don't want them to torture or kill you, be very careful what you say about those who hold power. And remember: Khashoggi was barely moderately critical of the kingdom.
Taking all this into account, along with his former tweet about “blood stained money”, it is now clear why it is a relief That punk has finally aligned with this form of justice.
And this is what this story makes even more significant: The government did not have to publicly apologize. Punk came forward. Few have that independence. Very few have the platform, the financial and professional security that Phil Brooks has. And even less they have the vision to identify which side of the story is the safest.
The act of grace of high profile of Punk reminds us, in a comforting way, that there really is nothing worth believing … Except perhaps making a lot of money and obeying those who have power, especially if they are willing to abuse him.
In case it is necessary to clarify it: this article is a satire … Unless you are a senior official of an authoritarian regime. In that case, I apologize and thanks for your service ».
