Dance with the devil

[Juan Ramirez]

Best seat of the house was not front and center, it was not first row, and definitely it was not in the VIP Boxes. CM Punk always had the best seat in the house when it came to Rancid Concerts. There he stood, black Converse Chuck Taylors, black cargo shorts, a Chicago Cubs Jersey and a black trucker cap cocked slightly forward. Punk ran a hand along his scruffy beard as his head bobbed to the rhythm of one of his favorite bands. The last song of the setlist ended to a thunderous applause. EBWF was in town the week before WrestleMania and being far away from home, what better than a concert to soothe his nerves and make himself at home? Outside of the concert, Punk was approached by an EBWF roadie, who had an appointment with him, Punk usually hung out with the boys of the band after the shows, but this time he had chosen just to go for a stroll and speak his mind before the camera.

EBWF Cameraman: How are you, sir?

CM Punk: Much better now, let’s go.

A van was ready for them, both men boarded the vehicle and took off.

EBWF Cameraman: Where to, sir?

CM Punk: The Riverwalk.

Time transpired slowly, like microwave seconds when you’re hungry. Perhaps it was because there was a lot to be addressed. A lot of things were going down in Punk’s life in and out of the ring. Being the silent type, some things would better be left unsaid. Punk gazed through the window at the night sky.

EBWF Cameraman: We’re here.

Punk nodded and slowly headed out of the band, resting his body and leveraging against one of the concrete columns.

EBWF Cameraman: Whenever you’re ready.

Punk slowly removed his cap and allowed the lighting from the riverwalk to fall on his face, clearly beat up from the recent events which transpired at warfare. The camera’s red light was turned on, it was showtime.

CM Punk: That guy you call God, he's got a sense of humor alright… The only God I believe in is Thor anyway… But yeah, call it Prochaska’s theory of vices, call it Karma, call it destiny, call it however you want… It all comes down to this: CM Punk once again fights a match from which he might not emerge victorious or worse, in one piece. I say worse to quote you, because in all honesty… I’m not feeling well as of late… I don’t feel happy with where I am headed, I don’t feel satisfied with what I have right now… I don’t feel at peace with who I am right now.

Punk tilted his head to the side.

CM Punk: I’ve grown soft, my fangs have gone dull, I have lost my spark, I lost my… Wait, no I never had a smile… Call it however you want… Something’s wrong with me. And you know, walking into one of Brian Kendrick’s stupid traps doesn’t have anything to do with this… I have to take the fall and confess I truly believed he had matured a little, grew a pair and learnt how to face his battles along… I thought he had no stooges this time, but looks like Party Boy and that poor man’s Goldust are with him… Yeah, Brian Kendrick might have gotten the best of me at Warfare, and I have to thank him for that.

Punk raised both of his eyebrows.

CM Punk: Yeah, you heard right. You see, I have been wondering what is wrong with me as of late, what has caused all this misery that I am feeling, all this nonsense, all this stupidity that surrounds me and intoxicates the air I breathe, suffocating me to no avail… And it’s the fact I simply can’t cope with who I am right now. And what better way to test one self than facing against someone as mentally broken and unstable as you?

Punk smirked into the lens of the camera.

CM Punk: Destiny has dealt me one hell of a hand in the form of my WrestleMania opponent. Brian Kendrick, a man who knows me, a man who knows what I’m capable of and a man who knows how far from my A-game I am right now. It is no secret that we’ve managed to fight many wars, plenty of them as foes, some others as unlikely allies… I rather wrestle hairy, sweaty men like Albert and George Steele rather than sharing a locker room with that pothead. Kendrick and I are opposite sides of a same coin, opposite colors in the spectre… At first sight. At the end of the day we both want the same thing. And despite we are in opposite corners, fighting for MY Path To Glory title… Brian Kendrick is actually going to be of great help.

Punk pushed his lip ring with his tongue and nodded his head.

CM Punk: Surprised? Allow me to develop. Brian Kendrick fiests chaos, he loves to be surrounded by crapulence, mundanity, violence, blood… Basically, he’s a scumbag who would make the world a favor if he jumped inside a body bag and zipped it up.

Punk tilted his head to his right.

CM Punk: I need Brian Kendrick to prove me wrong. I need Brian Kendrick to show myself that my knuckles aren’t worn out, that my fangs aren’t dull, that my time is not up. I need to convince myself that I am still and forever will be the Best Wrestler in the World. To cut through the chase, I need Brian Kendrick to let out the worst of me. He will be out there looking for blood… And I am more than willing to give him some of mine to quench his thirst. It is my duty, as a martyr, as a saviour of this impious race. But I want to see Brian Kendrick’s face… I want to see him, his face drenched in my blood, fists bloodied up as well… I want to see his stoner face when he realizes I’m still standing.

Punk chuckled.

CM Punk: Kendrick has never learnt that he shouldn’t hurt what he can’t kill. That’s why he always ends up getting his ass handed to himself… He kidnaps, he kills puppies, he stalks women… He’s always pushing the game too far, raising the odds with empty pockets. I’ve got bad news for him…

Punk leaned into the camera, a tone of secrecy in his voice.

CM Punk: I hate dogs, there isn’t anyone in my life you could kidnap and whatever belongings from my ex girlfriend you take out of my place, you’d actually be doing me a favor. Let me confess something right now, Brian. It is not easy to be a role model for an entire planet. It is not easy to be a higher standard, wait, no… THE highest standard… Sometimes you forget the ordinary, sometimes you forget what it feels to walk amongst others in the street… That was the main reason I chose the riverwalk to speak my mind.

Punk turned his back to the camera, arms spread to the enormous body of water.

CM Punk: I used to come here and dwell on my past, present and future, wondering about the day I would be as enormous, cold and imposing as this body of water… Now that I and the Messiah of those who choose a life of discipline… I try to remember how it feels to feel miserable…

Punk turned his head over his shoulder.

CM Punk: That’s where you come in, Brian. You’re the one who can make me feel alive… You’re the one that can taint my face bloody red. I dare you, I double dare you. I want to take all that hatred you have for me, that envy you have and focus it on me, channel it to take me down… Because if a clown like you is able to take me down, this Earth isn’t a place worth living on.

Punk smirked.

CM Punk: Of course, I’m talking nonsense. When I began talking ab out our upcoming match, there was a shade of doubt cast over my soul… I wondered for the first time ever:

“ Could this really be the end of CM Punk?”

Then, after remembering what kind of opponent you are, what you’re bringing to the table and the reason you chose to attack me last week… It couldn’t be clear to me that I am still the better man and I will walk out victorious at WrestleMania… Blood or no blood on your hands, I am sick and fed up of seeing MY Path To Glory belt on your foul, contaminated hands. You know what I find hilarious? Brian Kendrick thinks I am headed for a dance with the devil... The funny part is that he feels like the hunter in this occasion, but once we're in the ring, after a few moments he'd realize he's nothing but the prey. There is no such thing as a dance with the devil, simply because I. DON'T. DANCE.


Punk had a serious facial expression as he almost pierced a hole through the camera.

CM Punk: Brian, Just like every single time you take your jokes and pranks one step too far… You’ll end up licking your wounds in the corner. But hey, not everything is bad… After you end up a toothless junkie, I’m pretty sure that Emma chick is more than willing to chew your food for you.

Punk’s hands reached out to hold the lens of the camera.

CM Punk: Oh and Wes? Your contract offers are still far from appealing for someone of my caliber, talent and ‘star power’… We’ll see if the PTG title around my waist helps me get some leverage on our negotiations, otherwise I don’t think Dana White would mind having one more title on the UFC.

Punk’s hands covered the lens as the scene faded to black.

XXX