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Last night CM Punk returned to action inside a wrestling ring for the first time since January 26th, 2014. I don't know if it was just the moment or how amazing the show had been up to that point, I thought this match was just a great seventeen minutes of storytelling.
Here's why, using the five stages of storytelling.
Act One: Exposition; setting the scene.
It started off slow - an uneasy punk trying to find familiarity in a place he once was king, now just another soldier looking for a way to win.
Punk is a great storyteller without even moving. His eyes move a narrative along just as much as a hip toss, and in the early moments of this match you could see his thoughts as if he were whispering in each of our ears.
A lot of "can I still do this," is what I saw in his eyes.
Act Two: Rising action: Building the tension.
There were points in the match that felt very strange, almost slow or frozen in time - waiting for something BIG to happen; the slow build to the crux of the contest; can Punk be who he was before his sabbatical.
Darby controlled most of the action early - further pushing the underlying doubt in Punks thoughts.
Act Three: Climax - the exciting bit.
And then, as if Punk himself snapped his fingers, we're transfixed to years ago when Punk was still hungry and angry and needing that acknowledgment that he was worthy of being in the ring. At one point, hushing his fans as he prepared to show Darby why his return matters: that he is the best in the world when he finds that juice. You could see the snide sneer, the villain wanting to come out and destroy this young up-and-comer.
Act Four - Falling action: Tidying up loose ends.
Here though is where the match really started to excel - before Punk could become Punk again, there were a few things that he had to do, one is pay the wrestling gods for his absence. What better way than some outside of the ring antics, taking two very impactful moves as a small benevolence for his disappearance, the last bouncing his head off the arena floor ...
Act Five: Resolution - Ending the story.
Helping him to end the story the way he began the story. Weeks ago when he said he wanted to face Darby first, he made a very matter of fact statement that he did not want to take the coffin drop - and he didn't.
Playing possum in the ring after a flurry of offensive moves on the outside, Punk finally put all the pieces together, no longer doubting himself.