The Termination of CM Punk by The Coward Tony Khan

[The Green Meanie]

I've always been straight edge. Never had any interest in doing any of those things, ever. Punk was my first exposure to the term "straight edge". I never knew it was a thing others did and/or had a name for what it was. He even made it seem cool to be that way. I took his whole "being straight edge means I'm better then you" mantra to heart.

I really can't stand The Elite. During this whole episode, I was wholly on Punk's side for all of the developments. But this...I can't justify. It hurts to think that his wrestling career is (more then likely) over, but sometimes enough is enough and you just can't tolerate behavior like what happened. So internally I'm fairly conflicted about what happened, but Tony Khan did what he had to do, absolutely.

[AxB]

Yeah, me too. I was straight edge before I knew what straight edge was. The last time I tasted alcohol I was 13 years old (so technically I'm over 35 years sober, but seeing as I never had a drinking problem, it seems silly to claim it that way).

I've been a CM Punk fan since I bought the IWA-MS Sweet Science 16 2002 on VHS tape. I spent most of his WWE run decrying how badly they were underusing him. And I've enjoyed most of his AEW run. But by all accounts he's been acting like a proper twat the last few years. And the one most important way AEW differs from most other wrestling companies is, Coach Tony K didn't grow up in wrestling and doesn't have aspects of the Wrestling mentality. Trying to attack Vince backstage is probably a less stupid idea than trying it on Tony Khan.

[AxB]

[Shartnado]

15 hours ago, Travis Sheldon said:

I have no dog in this fight, but I do have a keyboard so I'm compelled to spew my opinion

This is always the safest option, we cannot let keyboards go to waste!

[Matt D]

I think what's most important is that Punk creates a dummy account, comes back to the board, and comments on every Dynamite.

[EVA]

10 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

The only straight edgers/sober people I met in the punk scene were nice guys more into stoner rock than anything, ironically, and also dorky wrestling fans like myself. One of those groups named themselves Dino Bravo! Our old scene was real drunk and druggy though (and unfortunately most all of my bandmates ended up being total pieces of shit). All the punk houses and the bands fell under the weight of the addictions of the residents and other, way worse things. Never any violence except for behind closed doors... There is still all ages spots around town but I don't really know what's up these days. Being a college town helps. 

 

I read this paragraph in Craig Finn’s voice.

[Shartnado]

35 minutes ago, Matt D said:

I think what's most important is that Punk creates a dummy account, comes back to the board, and comments on every Dynamite.

Freshly Squeezed Wrestling? j/k

[odessasteps]

44 minutes ago, Matt D said:

I think what's most important is that Punk creates a dummy account, comes back to the board, and comments on every Dynamite.

If he hasn’t been already ….

[Belgian_Waffle]

I can't resist weighing in on the straight edge thing too. I've had a decent amount of unpleasant interactions with sXe dudes over the years but I can say as someone with 11 yrs of sobriety under his belt that straight edgers pale in comparison to the peer support/recovery militants you meet who will aggressively remind you to no end you are not doing sobriety the right way (meanwhile they never saw a 20 year old newly sober woman they couldn't wait to sidle up next to and "sponsor"). My brother refers to these guys as "AA University" which would be a great name for a heel faction. One of the many (many!) things I love about Jon Moxley is it's clear the program didn't get to his head, man. 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

54 minutes ago, Belgian_Waffle said:

My brother refers to these guys as "AA University" which would be a great name for a heel faction.

I think you just gave the Brock Anderson/Lee Johnson team a name!

(Also agree entirely with the rest of your post - I'm not in recovery but try my best to support those who are, and we really need to move away from that 'one size fits all' approach)

[Curt McGirt]

2 hours ago, EVA said:

I read this paragraph in Craig Finn’s voice.

I've never even heard the Hold Steady and had no idea who that was -- and sound nothing like him haha. 

My introduction to straight edge was (go figure) Minor Threat. But by that time sXe people were playing music that wasn't fast and was half-baked versions of the good metal I was already listening to, so it went no further until I got into old stuff like SSD and Negative FX later... whos crowds/members were of course the introduction of violence into sXe. And then they went to shit musically too. 

I'm just dipping my toe into recovery and my phone meet yesterday morning had a tape of a recovery speaker who was basically a drill instructor yelling at you. That shit is not gonna work for me. 

[Godfrey]

The straight edge kids in my town were always the first to fight the Nazis so they’re obnoxious but okay by me

[Zakk_Sabbath]

1 minute ago, Curt McGirt said:

m just dipping my toe into recovery and my phone meet yesterday morning had a tape of a recovery speaker who was basically a drill instructor yelling at you. That shit is not gonna work for me. 

Hey good on ya man, inbox always open here or on Discord if you need to chat - truly hope you're able to find a better fit

 

[(BP)]

5 minutes ago, Godfrey said:

The straight edge kids in my town were always the first to fight the Nazis so they’re obnoxious but okay by me

Yeah, the problem in the Northeast became when they drove all of the Nazis out of the scene they just found different people to beat up. In my area they beat a guy to death in a bar for wearing a Skynyrd shirt that had the confederate flag on it. Obviously no one should get murdered over a shirt, but even their premise for doing it was a stretch. 

[Curt McGirt]

Yeah. As much as I worship '80s hardcore I would have been pushed out of that scene by the violence of the bonehead fascist and straight edge cliques, and just the random buffoons, real quick. Metal might've not been too fun either. As much as I think like Saint Vitus that I was "born too late" I can see myself probably only participating in the scenes via records and tape trading. 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

3 minutes ago, (BP) said:

Yeah, the problem in the Northeast became when they drove all of the Nazis out of the scene they just found different people to beat up. In my area they beat a guy to death in a bar for wearing a Skynyrd shirt that had the confederate flag on it. Obviously no one should get murdered over a shirt, but even their premise for doing it was a stretch. 

I remember seeing video in the 2000s of the Boston and Brooklyn guys, FSU, DMS etc. with fucking bricks in their backpacks and ball peen hammers in the pit. Even as a high schooler, I was like wtf are we doing here guys

[(BP)]

I stopped going to shows after high school and didn’t miss it much. I was mostly there to pick up scene girls, which was a terrible strategy since they made up about five percent of the audience, were already there with guys twice their age, and scared the shit out of me. 

[JLowe]

12 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

Yeah. As much as I worship '80s hardcore I would have been pushed out of that scene by the violence of the bonehead fascist and straight edge cliques, and just the random buffoons, real quick. Metal might've not been too fun either. As much as I think like Saint Vitus that I was "born too late" I can see myself probably only participating in the scenes via records and tape trading. 

I grew up in NYC during the '80s and was a hardcore fan who never saw any of the big NYHC shows (like the famous matinees at The Ritz or CBGBs) because of all the skinhead fights. Lots were just closet jocks.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

3 minutes ago, (BP) said:

I stopped going to shows after high school and didn’t miss it much. I was mostly there to pick up scene girls, which was a terrible strategy since they made up about five percent of the audience, were already there with guys twice their age, and scared the shit out of me. 

[Curt McGirt]

1 hour ago, (BP) said:

scene girls

The last punk house in town was a loft apartment dubbed thee Death Tower by its (many) inhabitants. I was told recently by two female regulars/friends that I was the only person there that didn't feel threatening/make them uncomfortable. That was one of the most depressing things I've heard in my life. 

[Log]

2 hours ago, EVA said:

I read this paragraph in Craig Finn’s voice.

Needs more mentions of Gideon and Charlemagne.

[Craig H]

I thought I was into being straight edge in high school. Knew what straight edge was and everything.

Then the local club that had punk shows every Friday here that was a high school hangout and a little older had a straight edge night bringing a couple sXe bands from Chicago. That meant a lot of sXe folks from around Chicago made the trip here. I just remember so many of those dudes being assholes and no one I wanted to fuck with. A couple were harassing kids smoking cigarettes outside the main entrance. I mean, everyone there except for me smoked. Basically if you were a smoker and goth or punk that’s where you were going on a Friday. That was the last night I described myself as being straight edge. I’d get in a fight to defend a friend or get in a fight because of who I was friends with, but that was the extent of anything violent I did and I never actively sought out being an asshole like those dudes.  I just wanted to be the shy, nice friend who didn’t smoke or drink or do drugs and wound up also being the driver for my group of friends.

Weirdly enough, that place ran a black metal night some weeks after that that I remember being pretty tame as far as who showed up. They also got a couple big Midwest punk bands to come here. But that sXe night was the worst other than when someone threw a chair through the front window to just be a dick.

I clearly have since given up the no drinking stuff and since I turned 40, the no weed stuff too.

Edited September 8, 2023 by Craig H

[Curt McGirt]

The only outwardly dangerous black metal bands are the self-proclaimed "NSBM" (National Socialist black metal, AKA Nazis) groups. I think even the "war metal" subset are just dudes that like to wear camo and lift weights. Now dangerous to themselves on the other hand, there are a lot of really depressed motherfuckers out there.

[Godfrey]

55 minutes ago, (BP) said:

Yeah, the problem in the Northeast became when they drove all of the Nazis out of the scene they just found different people to beat up. In my area they beat a guy to death in a bar for wearing a Skynyrd shirt that had the confederate flag on it. Obviously no one should get murdered over a shirt, but even their premise for doing it was a stretch. 

Fair enough, that’s brutal. I was on the west coast and the Nazis didn’t go anywhere so we never had a chance to see how they evolved

[Craig H]

46 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

The only outwardly dangerous black metal bands are the self-proclaimed "NSBM" (National Socialist black metal, AKA Nazis) groups. I think even the "war metal" subset are just dudes that like to wear camo and lift weights. Now dangerous to themselves on the other hand, there are a lot of really depressed motherfuckers out there.

This definitely wasn't that, the Nazi groups I mean. It was probably some early 20s dudes into that growly, grindy black metal where it sounds like they're trying to summon a demon. It was forever ago, but I still remember there being no mosh pits that night and no one moshing. Just a bunch of folks all dressed in black nodding along to music you normally wouldn't nod along too. And then my group and me went to the pizza place next door and hung out/loitered there for the rest of the night.