“CM Punk took his ball and went home.”
“CM Punk did a Steve Austin.”
For more than a week, the wrestling community has been polarized into two groups. There are those who appreciate CM Punk for standing up to the corporate stooges, and then there are those who feel betrayed by Punk’s actions. Although Dave Batista came back to the WWE and went on to win the Royal Rumble, the hot topic has been CM Punk’s exit from the world of professional wrestling. Some have claimed Punk to be just another “cry baby” who went home when things weren’t working out, while some have been calling him unprofessional. Rest assured, even though Punk is no longer in the WWE, he is still the most talked about superstar in the industry.
Before the episode of RAW began which focused on the fallout after the Royal Rumble PPV, the hottest topic was Daniel Bryan. Although Bryan is still the hottest superstar in the wrestling industry, one can understand how frustrated the fans are, so much so that Batista, who returned to the WWE after a four-year hiatus and was booked to win the Rumble, has been just an afterthought merely hours after winning his prized ticket to headline WrestleMania. Dave Batista isn’t what the fans are interested in and rumor has it that Vince McMahon and the other honchos are scared that their plans for the WrestleMania card might fall apart. The fans turned on the WWE product at the Royal Rumble, and the outcome not only infuriated those fans, but certain wrestling legends as well. While Mick Foley threatened to put a brick through his TV set, CM Punk chose to walk away from the WWE.
One thing the fans have to understand is that CM Punk will not change WWE’s direction. CM Punk, in his own words, is just a spoke on the wheel. After CM Punk walked out and the fans hijacked the Royal Rumble PPV, WWE went into damage control and made Dave Batista cut a “I love you, Omaha” promo during a commercial break to try and ensure that the fans in the building didn’t boo Batista during his segment on RAW this past week. Even with Punk gone and the fans turning on the product, WWE has made it clear that they won’t budge and won’t change their plans to push Batista into the main-event spot on the biggest show of the year. So how wrong was Punk in walking out of an organization where he didn’t feel valued anymore? How correct are the wrestling fans, who till a month ago were cheering him on to turn their backs on Punk? The answer is simple, if only people listened to logic.
CM Punk was working hurt, and he clearly wasn’t satisfied with the current product, or his position in the company. For months, Punk has been telling people that he’s close to retiring, and won’t give it a second thought. Punk’s contract was due to expire later this summer, and Punk has made it clear that he’s not interested in extending it. CM Punk was burnt out, and was taking it a day at a time. But after the Royal Rumble, something changed; rumor has it that after noting the negative reaction during the PPV, WWE creative wanted Punk to face Kane at WrestleMania, and Daniel Bryan to take on Triple H. Punk, who expressed his displeasure towards the lackluster storylines he has been involved in was being demoted on the WrestleMania card once again. Two years ago, Punk went into WrestleMania as the WWE champion, but had to settle for a place in the middle of the card. Last year, Punk once again wasn’t in the marquee bout, although to the fans he was. This year, it just got worse.
CM Punk’s frustrations with the WWE are understandable – Who would want to settle for mediocrity inspite of being the hardest worker? CM Punk, for all the adulation and positive response he receives from the crowd, was never pushed as the guy in the WWE. No matter how hard Punk worked, he was never pushed in the league of John Cena – This was also at a time when CM Punk was the hottest commodity in professional wrestling. In the midst of a hot streak, CM Punk was defeated by Triple H, and that’s where his momentum ended. Although Punk went on to hold the WWE title for a record 434 days, he was always an afterthought to the WWE machine, behind guys like Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. So when part-timers headline WrestleMania for not one but three years in succession, why would CM Punk continue to perform even though he’s beat up? As a disgruntled employee, CM Punk has every right to walk out, even though his fans would miss him.
CM Punk doesn’t owe anything to the wrestling fans, not anymore. CM Punk, in the past 8 years in the organization, has been the hardest worker in the WWE. CM Punk put forth great effort, giving the fans the best match possible every night, and by scratching and clawing his way to the top, gave the fans some of the best segments and feuds in the company. Punk’s situation is entirely different from Austin’s back in 2002; CM Punk doesn’t owe any explanations to the wrestling fans. Like any other unhappy employee, Punk told his boss that he was going home. The sad thing is, with or without Punk, WWE will go ahead as planned. CM Punk’s absence is not enough to make Vince McMahon change his mind, and although he might not bring about a change in the WWE, Punk stood up for what he believed in. In the end, that is all that matters.
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