CM Punk goes home

So did thy try out KENTA to replace punk?

But seriously that sucks. Hopefully he just takes a few weeks off and comes back.

Could he be that upset that they won't give Bryan the ball?

Hummm... disconcerting, a bit. I hope he doesn't have a lost smile, the devastating injury that took HBK out for so many years.

I do hope this is a quick thing and that he comes back soon.

You know if Punk's only goal left is to main event Mania, the smartest thing to do is leave for 3-4 years and come back in time for a big Mania payday


also the rumor going around is Bryan was going to get the HHH match at mania leaving Punk out of main event plans

This is very unfortunate. Maybe he's just taking another break, as he has reportedly been working hurt for a while now.

If so, it could be the best thing for him, because he has really seemed to be phoning it in as of late. Yeah, he still has solid matches regardless, but he obviously hasn't been putting in his best efforts ever since returning at Payback.

If follow his Twitter, it's not too surprising. He's been complaining about traveling and such.

He also had an interview with ariel helwani where he talked about how long it's been since he took a break. I just didn't think he'd take that break immediately.

This is a shame.

I understand the need for a break. He certainly seems tired.

I was actually kind of looking forward to Punk vs HHH. It was one thing that they were building for long term and it made sense. Shifting gears to put Dragon in that match instead is OK, but not quite as appeals. I will take it over the shemus rumor though.

If you follow me on Facebook, I have been talking about this. Its about time someone stands up to the Mcmahons and stops working for them. Its a shame it took punk this long and hopefully hes not the first.

Listening to Meltz and Alvarez' breaking audio from last night and it seems he was pretty set on retiring in July when his contract expired. He is the anti-Flair and has saved all his money and can live off it for a while apparently.

Update: @WWE has unfollowed @CMPunk

SBR wrote:Update: @WWE has unfollowed @CMPunk

Shit just got real.

If he's saved his money and can make it work, more power too him. Still not the biggest fan of someone just walking out like that with not much time left, but I don't know the story so I guess I can't fully judge someone.

I'm more upset that this mean he might lose his slot on @Midnight in a few weeks.

I know we could make the argument that wrestlers can be fired without much notice, but I am also not HUGE on just leaving. Honestly, at least half of that is because I wanted to see him at Mania.

Ohhh well... if this is not a work, i sucks. Punk is one of the reasons I watch. But good for him for giving himself that freedom and doing what makes him happy.

We will all look back on this fondly when when he comes back in three years and wins the royal rumble two weeks after his return.... a good hearty laugh we will have.

Maybe he can finally main event the biggest show of the year....


$5 Wrestling iPPV!!!!!

I'm visiting Chicago this summer, hopefully I'll see him around. I honestly don't expect him back for a long while unfortunately. And you remember how great April to June was last year when he took a break.

I love how Punk has the urn on his kitchen top.

But guys really....give KENTA a hair cut, put him in some trunks, tat him up....who's gonna know?

I hate when I'm right

Also I'd quit too if I was put in a feud with Kane

Key notes from the 2/3 Observer:

The status of C.M. Punk has become a major talking point in WWE, as he told Vince McMahon about 30 minutes before the start of Raw on 1/27 in Cleveland that he was flying home, and did.

He wasn’t on the show and didn’t appear at the Smackdown tapings the next night. WWE has since pulled him off all shows, although at press time he was still being advertised for Elimination Chamber on 2/23 in Minneapolis. We’re told that he will eventually be pulled off that show as well.

It’s sketchy what happened. Over the last week, ever since Punk’s interview with Ariel Helwani before the Chicago UFC show where he openly brought up that his contract was up in July and didn’t want to say what he was going to do next, several people who know him had noted not to be surprised if he leaves. Two different people said that he was “as good as gone” in July, and one said that they didn’t expect him to even last until July.

There were frustrations with creative and with money, even though he has made great money the last several years. This was not a spur of the moment thing as much as something that had been building. The way we were told was that he couldn’t take it any longer and told McMahon that he was going home. McMahon had been tied up all day since they were rewriting the show, based on what happened the prior night at the Royal Rumble to figure out a way to keep the show under control and not have the audience hijack it again. Punk had been scheduled for an interview on the show to presumably build up a match with Kane on the PPV, which would lead to his planned WrestleMania match with HHH.

Because McMahon was so busy, Punk didn’t see him until 7:30 p.m., when he told him he was leaving. The reason the Kofi Kingston vs. Alberto Del Rio match on Raw went so long is because it came during the period laid out for Punk’s interview and had to go a second segment to cover the time, so the key “money” segments would be in their correct time slots.

The working assumption internally has been for several weeks that Punk was leaving in July and not going to sign a new deal. The belief was that he is not a spender, has saved his money and doesn’t have to work. It was a weird dynamic because he’s one of the few guys on the roster that the company and Vince McMahon knew believed he didn’t need them, and financially, really doesn’t. So they can’t deal with him from the same level as all the other guys who are scared to lose their jobs and spots.

Within the company, the reason was that he came to the realization that he would never be positioned higher than he was. His goal was to main event WrestleMania, as in be in the real main event. He felt that because he didn’t fit the mold of what they think the top star in the company should look like, he would never be the guy and the centerpiece.

It’s not known at press time what caused the situation to get to where it did and what was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Another person close to the situation who was aware it was coming, just didn’t know when, said it was a classic case of being burned out, and noted the dichotomy that he’s never had a job where he’s made anywhere close to the same amount of money, nor ever been as famous, and gotten more out of wrestling than this one. But, he has been miserable at the job for some time, and he was a guy who loved working in pro wrestling when he made nothing or very little. It was noted that he never had the personal connection with Vince McMahon that most of the big stars had, and always knew he was not their kind of guy, didn’t have the look they thought a star should have, and felt he got over in spite of how he was used and not because of how he was used. The feeling was that there was a communication issue and lingering unresolved issues that dated back some time, probably most of the last year, combined with frustration regarding creative going forward and of late.

Sheamus will be replacing Punk at all the Smackdown tapings where he was largely advertised as the main star. It is a brave new world and you can never rule out the possibility it’s a work, and you won’t know for sure unless Mania comes and goes without a return. Daniel Bryan will be advertised as the main star on Smackdown going forward since John Cena is not booked often on the Tuesday tapings.

Punk was at the Wizard World Comic Con in Portland, OR, on 1/25, as he flew form Chicago to Portland, then back to Chicago for UFC that night, and then to Pittsburgh for Rumble before leaving from Cleveland. During the Q&A, he seemed very lackluster about WWE. He basically said that he used to argue the creative but now he just shows up and does what he’s told. He pushed the idea that he felt this was Daniel Bryan’s year and knocked the short-term booking and planning several times. In many ways, this was similar to when Steve Austin left in 2002, when he publicly started complaining about creative, and a week later he was gone (of course that was precipitated by them wanting him to job to Lesnar clean with no build-up on Raw as opposed to Lesnar going through everyone to set up their first match on a major PPV).

Punk did a long interview with MMAFighting.com reporter Ariel Helwani from his home, since UFC was in Chicago. He said at the time that his contract was up in July and said there’s no point in saying anything about it. He said if he doesn’t sign, he wouldn’t say so now, and if he says he is looking at not signing, and then he does, people will think he was working an angle. Plus, he said in 2011, when he started that angle where he was leaving, he was in his mind, 100%, out the door at that time.

The circumstances that ended up taking place led to him signing a three-year deal. He’s always said that he won’t be around as long as people think. Many in WWE have noted to us that Punk has not been happy with his creative.

The one thing with Punk is he is a big enough star that if he does leave for several years, his return would be a big deal. Still, very few walk away at 35. Batista and Jericho left, but they both did so for other entertainment ventures. Punk hasn’t seemed like he’s interested in that direction.

Bellator has already expressed at least preliminary interest in him. He would be free and clear of any WWE contractual obligations in July.

Punk also said he’s told Vince McMahon (via text) that he’d like to induct Ultimate Warrior into the Hall of Fame, although one would think his leaving may nix that, and there probably was never a chance of it to begin with.

I know this wont happen and if it did it would be a DISASTER in practice, but TNA should sell the house for him. They should go all in and finally create the alternative wrestling product that so many wanted centered around a guy with selling power and charisma.

Again. I know it wont happen, but if he is gone from the E, it has been a REALLY long time since a free agent like this has hit the market, such that it is.

CapitalTTruth wrote:I know this wont happen and if it did it would be a DISASTER in practice, but TNA should sell the house for him.  They should go all in and finally create the alternative wrestling product that so many wanted centered around a guy with selling power and charisma.

Again. I know it wont happen, but if he is gone from the E, it has been a REALLY long time since a free agent like this has hit the market, such that it is.

I literally don't think any amount they offer him could make it happen. He doesn't want money, doesn't really seem to want to wrestler, and certainly doesn't want to work for TNA (even if most of the reasons he disliked his time there are gone).

BUT if TNA paid a shit ton and was able to book Punk/Joe or Punk/Hero, they'd make all the money back.

If this is true and isn't a work or a shoot or whatever. he somehow ends up int TNA the few matches I would love to see would be the two above this post and Him VS Angle would be awesome to see. Maybe somehow he might be one of the "Out with the old in the new" people Dixie was talking about??? One can hope