CM Punk getting pinned clean by Chad Gable at a random WWE live event definitely felt like one of those “wait, they actually did that?” moments. Turns out that was pretty much the entire point.
According to Fightful Select, WWE specifically booked Gable’s October 29 win over Punk as part of a bigger push to make live events feel like something fans can’t afford to skip. The company has apparently been looking for moments that will blow up online afterwards and make people think twice about assuming house shows are completely predictable.
“We had mentioned a number of times that WWE has aimed to get viral moments or buzzworthy items out of their live events to encourage attendance. The Halloween themed matches, and Chad Gable beating CM Punk were both a part of that.”
So Punk eating a clean pin wasn’t necessarily the beginning of some massive new storyline. WWE apparently wanted something people would immediately pull their phones out for, post online and have everyone who wasn’t there wondering what the hell they just missed.
The gamble worked pretty quickly. Gable caught Punk during their match at the Road to Survivor Series: WarGames event in Youngstown, Ohio, and kept his shoulders down for three without any interference or other nonsense involved.
Footage naturally made its way online, while Punk added to the moment afterwards by shaking Gable’s hand and raising his arm. Suddenly, a match that happened away from WWE television had people paying attention.
The Halloween-themed matches at WWE’s recent show were apparently coming from that same mindset. WWE wants these shows to have a few genuine wild cards rather than feeling like nights where everyone already knows exactly what they’re getting.
That makes Gable pinning Punk a pretty good example of the strategy in action. WWE wanted a house show moment people would talk about after leaving the building, and having Punk unexpectedly stare at the lights certainly got the job done.
Would more unexpected results like this make you more interested in attending a WWE live event? Let us know what you think in the comments.
