Alan Wojcik Review Of Before They Were Stars: CM Punk

Courtesy of Alan J. Wojcik:

Before he became the Money in the Bank winner at WrestleMania 24 and then won the WWE Raw World Heavyweight championship, CM Punk was like many of America's wrestlers: he busted his ass across the country in several independent promotions. They included IPW Hardcore, MLW, IWC, IWA-Mid South, MAW, PWG, JAPW, ROH, TNA Wrestling, the 2003 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup and the J-Cup where Punk cracked his skull open in a match with Reckless Youth. Thanks to Big Vision Entertainment, World Wrestling Network and Ring Of Honor DVD, wrestling fans can see Punk before the WWE on their new release in the Before They Were Stars series. You can open up a Pepsi while you watch several full length matches from the Straight Edge superstar's tenure in Full Impact Pro of Florida. The DVD includes:

Punk vs. "the Shooter" Vordell Walker
Punk vs. Justin Credible
Punk vs. "Rainman" Kory Chavis
Punk vs. "Notorious 187" Homicide (FIP Championship Tourney Final)
Punk vs. Dan Maff
Punk vs. "Notorious 187" Homicide (Falls Count Anywhere, like the strip club next door)
Punk vs. James (Noble) Gibson
Punk vs. Roderick Strong (ROH Bonus match)
Punk vs. "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson (ROH Bonus match)

In addition to those matches, you get a 40 minute long IWA-Mid South retrospective including his feuds with Chris Hero, Colt Cabana, Delirous, Eddie Guererro and Rey Misterio, a music video from Five Victims, Four Graves who provide the soundtrack plus some bonus interviews.

I am not going to break each match down because that would take up your time from checking them out yourself. I really enjoyed this DVD but my major gripe is: since they got footage from IWA-MS couldn't they have tossed in the 92 minute 2 of 3 falls vs. Hero or the 55 minute long tables/ladders bout with Hero from the promotion's past. Or Punk's matches from the 2003 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup weekend. Or the Second City Saints vs. the Propechy feud fron ROH. Enough negative thoughts from me, stay straight edge, enjoy this DVD if you enjoy pure wrestling and some comedy mixed in.

It can be bought from www.bvdvd.com or www.rohwrestling.com