Before CM Punk, pro-wrestling superstar, walked into the ring in front a sold out crowd at Chicago’s United Center on Friday Aug. 20, his name was already being chanted.
"CM PUNK!" "CM PUNK!"
These chants can be heard at many pro-wrestling events. Punk is a favorite of the hardcore wrestling fans. For the past seven years, however, these chants have been ignored.
Fans would clamor after CM Punk but he wouldn't appear.
After a public fallout with World Wrestling Entertainment, (WWE), Punk abruptly and seemingly retired from pro-wrestling in 2014. He continued to insist and reiterate in interviews that he doesn't want to return. Punk might have been done with wrestling, and fans had to deal with that fact.
They knew he would walk out on All Elite Wrestling's (AEW), televised Rampage Show that Friday night, seven years after he walked out of the business.
How do you explain?
Because Punk's news was leaked on the internet almost a month before,
TV ratings are a success because of social media leaks
A leak like this could have changed plans for a company in a previous era. Instead, AEW accepted the notion that Punk had signed with them and not his old WWE home. They were also returning to television in Chicago.
Sean Ross Sapp, the managing editor of Fightful, a pro-wrestling news site, said that "the news exploded online" and that it was impossible not to report on the story.
Punk returned to the stage after the cameras started rolling and fans began chanting his name. AEW opened the show by Punk walking out. The surprise of the decade was what fans expected. AEW delivered the surprise of the decade, so they just did it. Punk wasn't explicitly announced by the company, but social media did that for them.
Over a million people watched the broadcast. Perhaps it wasn't an unexpected surprise that many people who saw it live wouldn't have missed it, even though it was. According to Nielsen, this Rampage episode received the highest ratings of AEW: Dynamite since October 2019, when the new wrestling promotion launched AEW: Dynamite. Denise Salcedo, a wrestling YouTuber noticed that "CM Punk", related topics had taken over social media platforms such as Twitter.
David Bixenspan, a journalist, pointed out that Google's search results showed that CM Punk's pro wrestling return outperformed WWE's second largest show, SummerSlam. This was just days after Punk made his AEW debut.
Two surprises were added to the WWE event: Brock Lesnar's return and Becky Lynch's return. They had not been seen in the ring for over a year, and their SummerSlam appearances were not leaked.
The leak worked perfectly in AEW's favor.
Sapp spoke online with Mashable to explain how AEW adapted and accepted the fact that Punk was back.
He said, "Leaning in to it was a smart business move by AEW."
The dirt sheets
Pro wrestling is not new to leaks. Even with all of the drama in predetermined storylines and matches on TV, the best stories in pro wrestling are often the backstage business deals and politics.
Pro wrestlers are skilled at creating compelling characters and arranging athletic shows to attract larger audiences and get to the main event. Wrestling promotions are competing to attract the best talent and retain their existing stars.
Before the advent of social media and the internet came the age of the internet, superfans of wrestling would look for physical newsletters that provided the latest news from the ring. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter by Dave Meltzer, which was published in print in 1982 is the most famous example of such publications.
However, those working in the industry often called these outlets "dirt sheets" and used derogatory terms to describe them. Meltzer, a legitimate journalist and credible source, was seen as lifting the veil on an industry that doesn't reveal how its magic tricks work.
Sapp of Fightful explained that a wrestler discussing what was printed on dirt sheets was "something that was considered taboo for many years." This is no longer the case. Talents are not uncommon to admit that they have leaked information. Sometimes, they will do it openly with a written post. Sometimes they might hint at the details by using a relevant.GIF.
Pro wrestling experienced what can be regarded as its greatest boom in the late 1990s. Ted Turner, a television magnate, backed World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which provided the industry leader WWE with some of its most formidable competition. Both companies were known as The Monday Night Wars in the world of wrestling. They aired their flagship TV programs WWE Raw on Monday nights, and were ranked head-to-head in television ratings.
It was also during this period that dial-up internet began to roll out in homes across the country. The "dirt sheets", also, were made available online. Backstage news began to spread faster and more easily than ever before. The news would leak when talent moved from WWE to WCW or vice versa.
Jan. 1999 was the most famous leakage during this period.
WWE would sometimes tape Raw ahead of time. The internet allowed for leakage of the results. This particular Raw episode featured Mick Foley, a wrestler who is often portrayed as a beloved underdog. Tony Schiavone, a commentator on WCW Nitro would reveal Foley's win spoiler to make fun of their competitor's decision.
Over half a million WCW viewers would switch to Raw to see Foley's long-awaited victory. This is often seen as a turning point in the Monday Night Wars that ended with WCW's purchase by WWE in March 2001.
Modern times
The dirt sheets developed as the internet grew and the wrestling scene changed with the consolidations of the major promotions.
David Bixenspan told me that the Wrestling Observer site did not get as much traffic for a long time.
Bixenspan claims that pro-wrestling news outlets have been formed in the age of the internet over the past decade. They create content that is specifically designed for the internet and will help set the stage for how backstage information will spread in the new era.
Bixenspan said that this was a "byproduct" of the SEO revolution, which took place a decade ago. He was referring to the importance search engines and social networks played in the discovery of content.
The proliferation of leaked information meant that the online wrestling sites were a huge success and the wrestling organizations had also to adapt.
Bixenspan says that AEW tries to be more like a regular league. The company hosts press conferences with media members and is open to discussing news and rumors.
Sapp told me that although WWE makes every effort to stop leaks, it is a large company so everyone needs to be aware of what is happening at all times.
Sometimes plans can change, and it is assumed that it is because of leaks.
Sapp explained to me that a recent example was one about Sonya Deville returning to the ring. "WWE produced Money in the Bank graphics for her and everyone else."
Deville was present at the event as her on-screen role but she didn't wrestle like the leaks claimed.
Sapp stated that a WWE rep told him they had 'jumped the gun'.
Sapp explained that many times company representatives will not be forthcoming, lie or respond to requests for confirmation from sources.
However, WWE, a company heavily invested in social networking, may feel that a leak could be a net benefit for them. They'll also lean into it.
Sapp felt that WWE wanted to create the buzz about a new star online after Bill Goldberg, a legendary wrestler, returned to WWE in the summer. WWE quickly confirmed Sapp's story when he reached them.
Despite the fact that the WWE has learned to live with more information being out through social media, there is still a lot of risk for the source of the leaks.
Chris Jericho, AEW's superstar, confirmed last year that the company had discovered a major backstage leak involving an on-screen talent.
"We know who the spy, by the way. Yes, we do. Jericho said that he will never fucking return to AEW.
Leaks now, always...
Just a few weeks following his return to wrestling, CM Punk defeated Darby Allin at AEW’s All Out pay per view event.
Bryan Danielson, a former WWE World Champion walked out onto the entrance ramp to make his debut for AEW. He was just about to jump ship from WWE to their latest big competitor.
This could have been quite a surprise. CM Punk was reported to have been heading to AEW to return to wrestling a little more than a month prior to Fightful's report. However, Bodyslam.net, another wrestling website, published the news that Danielson had signed with the company.
However, this time, the leaks might have worked in the company’s favor. The $50 All Out PPV was purchased by wrestling fans expecting a surprise. Tony Khan, AEW's owner, said that the All Out event was their most-watched PPV. Although the exact buy rate is not yet known, it is estimated to nearly double last years 90,000.
Sapp said that wrestling companies have been more open to the possibility of leaks. "They have learned to work with the leaks and enjoy the buzz."
As long as fans are looking for the latest information online and dirt sheets to put them together, professional wrestling will continue to leak.
