How do 'worked shoots' work in the WWE?

It has been one year since CM Punk told the things half of the locker room wishes they could. Call it dirty laundry, or a bait to the so called ‘smart marks’, CM Punk’s one promo changed the entire landscape of the WWE. If you’re wondering what had changed, Punk is on an impressive streak as the WWE Champion, smaller guys like Daniel Bryan have won the World title; things slowly but surely changed in the WWE. But why did it happen? After all, Punk was telling the truth, saying it like it is. This is the result of a genius at work, and a genius behind the curtain, and by now you might have guessed who I’m talking about. Those two people are Punk and Vince Mcmahon.

Vince is a brilliant businessman, and often times than not, the Internet Wrestling Community keeps blaming him for watering down the product, and for storylines that don’t make much sense. Of course, the aftermath of the promo was a complete abomination; HHH’s and Kevin Nash’s inclusion halted Punk’s momentum, till he got the WWE Championship back. But the question is, why worked shoots work so well in the WWE, when they don’t work as well in other Organizations? And to know the answer, we have to take a trip down the memory lane.

We go back to the Golden Era, at a time when Bret Hart was ruling the WWF. His arch nemesis was Shawn Michaels, and things were slowly but surely getting out of control. The one promo when Bret becomes the bad guy (turns heel), and rips Vince Mcmahon apart on the mic (thus confirming Vince’s status as the boss for the casual fan), was one of the very first instances when people started to think something is giving out, there is some reality to the glamorous world of the WWF.

This was one of the most influential promos in WWF history, but things were just spicing up. The events that followed at Survivor Series 1997 completely took the Wrestling world by storm. Time stood still, as people were confused; how can a match be over even without the guy submitting? This was one of the rare occasions when the fans were left speechless, emotions were running high and Bret got double crossed. The line between reality and drama was blurred, and the events that unfolded were monumental in the careers of both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

Then comes the infamous 2001 shoot by Paul Heyman on Vince McMahon. You’d think no one would have the courage to stand in front of the great Vinnie Mac, and tell him to his face how he ruined Wrestling, but Paul Heyman delivered an earth shattering worked shoot that shook the very core of the original ECW fan, the truth in his voice when he said ‘My life, my money, my legacy!’ shook the very core of the industry! Anyone who witnessed the promo would completely agree, and sympathize with Paul Heyman, but that wasn’t the last we heard of someone who has openly, yet planned before, criticized Vince McMahon.

The next instance came in 2005, when the straight shooter Joey Styles took it upon himself to air his frustrations on Vince, and the WWE. It is important to know the meaning of a worked shoot: Something which is pre-determined and rehearsed, but openly criticizes and expresses the truth about distaste against someone. Joey Styles took it upon himself to bash Vince McMahon, about how he destroyed Pro Wrestling, and how he calls wrestlers ‘Superstars’, as Vince had changed the landscape by going the ‘Entertainment’ way. What Joey Styles said made complete sense, and very much like Paul Heyman, he expressed his dislike, and even hatred about what the WWE product had become.

There are a lot of things that go on backstage in an organization, and in an organization like WWE, with cut throat competition among all the guys to get at least a bit of air time, many people play dirty to get what they want. Most of the fans follow the dirt sheets and wrestling rumor websites to get the inside scoop on what is going on. But when it is openly acknowledged on TV by the wrestlers/superstars/talents themselves, it generates a lot of buzz.

Punk’s worked shoot came nearly 6 years after any such thing happened on WWE TV, and so it was something new, something different to the stale product WWE had become, and this caught the attention of all the ‘smart fans’. We can be rest assured this isn’t the last time something like this happens in the WWE, but we need to know one thing – there is no such thing as a shoot, not in an organization like the WWE. When such a promo takes place, it is because of the excellent story telling ability of the person, and the prowess of Vince McMahon to make it look real. Of course, for it to look real, some of it should be true, and that is the beauty of a ‘Worked Shoot’.

WCW produced many such ‘worked shoots’, but too often for the fans to buy it. Various incidents trying to fool the fans backfired, and thus, the ability of Vince to convince the fans made it work. In the end, it is not only up to the person to convince people; there has to be a good antagonist, and Vince McMahon is probably the best in the business at being ‘the bad guy’. Let us now wait and see if someone else gets the baton to captivate the fans; worked shoots work when they’re done when needed, not when you want to fool the people. This is why Punk’s promo worked, and this is why Punk is one of the best in the business.