Does WWE wish Punk was still around?

[BestWrestlingOpinions]

"I'm just a spoke on the wheel; the wheel is gonna keep turning and I understand that: -Cm Punk

And how true was he. Let's not talk about the reasons why he left, this is not the point here. Ever since Punk left, the program has been really good, considering how good WM30 and the following Raw were. Punk was right. Austin left, the show kept going, Rock left, the same. Punk left, we get an even better product now.

But, does WWE wish Punk was still around? Let's see.

Bryan defeated the Authority. To me, this should put an end between those two feuding. Orton will have his rematch, he will lose and Bryan will keep on going. The Shield can feud with the Authority/Evolution. They can have a program until Summerslam. Bryan can be the WWEWHC and having his own feud, regardless of the Authority. It seems like the WWE is ready to usher in a new era; the era of the young stars.

We've got the Shield, the Wyatts, Cesaro, Bryan (who is 33, but hey) and so many other guys promising enough at NXT. Thing is, the only established veteran at the moment that can work with Bryan for the titles is Cena. I assume that HHH, Orton and Batista is gonna work with the Shield, so that only leaves Cena and maybe Lesnar.

So, I will ask again. Does WWE wish Punk was still around? Not many people like Cena anymore. Sure, he has compelling and interesting storylines and people watch. A feud with Bryan would be awesome, hell maybe it could be the heel turn that people are dying for. But still, people will still go on with the same "same old shit" and "Cena being given another shot to the top". Lesnar is a part-timer, so, if he isn't gonna work for a 1-2 month period at least, then he doesn't deserve to be mentioned for a storyline
Enter Cm Punk. He is the one veteran that people want to see in the main event. Imagine a feud with Punk and Bryan. Punk can easily turn heel and this can be the program of programs that get people pumped up. At this point in time,if we erase Cena and Lesnar, there is no other legit veteran that can feud with Bryan, in order for Bryan to be put over more. Cm Punk could be THAT guy. Furthermore, these two could have a story going into the main event of WM31.

Bryan needs some legit competition, until he becomes THE guy, if he is not already. A program with Punk could cement that and not get people angry about it anyway.

 

[Turnz05]

It should be Bryan vs Lesnar at Extreme Rules.

Lesnar beat the streak and already declared himself the number one contender before he was challenged by The Undertaker.

Batista/Kane/Orton vs Shield is great
Wyatt vs Cena is still fresh.

No, Cm punk is not needed, yet

 

[Zycho32]

They probably wish that Punk was around. Y'know, a little. Much like how they probably wish any Wrestler of solid to great skill was still around after they left. Take your pick of any good wrestler who left the company while they were still useful. On the same token however, they most certainly will live without Punk. It's not a road they haven't walked down many times before, after all.

As for the significance Punk could add to major feuds, it's viable, but again, nothing worth sobbing into your pillow about. It's not as if Punk/Bryan hasn't been done before, especially for a title.

By the way, you've gone right out of your way to say that the Authority feud should just lay down and die after WM. And when is THAT compelling in ANY form of entertainment?

 

[Softcore Holly]

Bryan has plenty of legit competition on his plate before Punk becomes necessary. I would say that DB vs the Authority isn't done yet, not by a long shot. So Orton/HHH/Batista will be stiff competition for the next couple of months, and if he's still champ after that it'll be Summerslam where he'll either face Brock or we get Cena vs DB II. Considering that Orton alone was able to keep DB busy for a good chunk of 2013 they have more than enough opponents to last the rest of the year, again that's if he lasts that long and that's a pretty big if.

As for the actual question, I'm sure WWE misses the money Punk brought in(last I heard he was one of the top merch sellers) and having a guy of his talents can't hurt. That being said they moved on without missing a step and it's clear that WWE doesn't need him back. I'm sure they can put him to great use if he was around and I most certainly would love to see heel Punk vs DB, just not confident if we'll ever see it at this point.

Also 222th post, woo! I'm sleep deprived so it's funny to me.

 

[MCMG]

Do they wish one of the best talents of this century was still around - I'm guessing so.

Punk is a talented guy and would improve the quality of the show. They can definitely cope without him but someone of his ability is rare. There is indeed a lot of other talent and no Punk means they can push some of the younger names; however, Punk is probably the second/third best superstar they have. It wouldn't hurt having him back, face or heel. A feud with Bryan would be great because we know both can deliver. Long term there is potential with each member of The Shield and I still want Punk vs Cena at a Wrestlemania.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

What a dumb question this is. Of course WWE wish that Punk was still on the roster. Why in the hell would anyone think anything different?

There aren't too many top main event talents of a good age around at the moment, so WWE would definitely love to have CM Punk back, just as they wish they could have The Rock, Stone Cold, Kurt Angle, Mick Foley etc as active wrestlers in their primes again. The more great talent you have on the roster, then the better shape your company is. With Punk back, WWE would have the opportunity to have a feud with Bryan for the title, which would give us some incredible matches.

I think we will see that eventually, as I'm pretty confident we will see CM Punk back in a WWE ring again before too long.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

It should be Bryan vs Lesnar at Extreme Rules.

Lesnar beat the streak and already declared himself the number one contender before he was challenged by The Undertaker.

Batista/Kane/Orton vs Shield is great
Wyatt vs Cena is still fresh.

No, Cm punk is not needed, yet

If Bryan vs. Lesnar is or ever expects to be on the books, which it should be in my opinion, WWE will most likely save that for SummerSlam. If Bryan is still champion by then, he'll have successfully dealt with the threats that Orton, Batista & Triple H pose to his reign.

While Punk might not be "needed", it may very well be a good thing for Daniel Bryan that Punk's no longer around. Even though Bryan is extremely over, fans would be satiated enough with CM Punk in the spot that he's currently enjoying. IF CM Punk doesn't return to the company by the time his current deal expires, which is supposed to be in July, that's when the company will probably start burying him unless management figures that it's just not worth it. If you look at WrestleMania, Raw this past Monday and really over the past few weeks, more & more people are simply "moving on" to other points of interest. Fans would go nuts if Punk suddenly reappeared on Raw, but it's no longer the huge story that writers and fans are harping on.

I dunno if WWE wishes he was still around or not. Punk's extremely talented and it's perfectly natural to want someone with so much talent on the roster. At the same time though, IF the various reports concerning Punk's attitude are true, then maybe he's a headache that some are glad to be rid of. Allegedly, the attitude in the locker room in the situation has changed to one that's all but uniformly negative towards Punk; seeing him as a one of the guys who showed up, made a lot of money and then left when he wasn't getting everything the way he wanted it. Again, that's if the reports are true. Until/unless Punk, Vince & Trips put out some kinda statement, it's all speculative at this point.

 

[Skyeborne]

I don't think WWE cares either way really. You figure WWE is bringing in a bunch of new guys and sending older guys packing, losing one guy doesn't really matter when they have more to replace him. We are now in the "reality" era, which one of the themes seems to be out with the old and in with the new. They simply don't care if CM Punk comes back because they are trying to push newer talent.

I was really surprised they didn't bring up Corey Graves to fill the bad boy niche.

I don't see Triple H wanting CM Punk back, but Vince McMahon probably does just because CM Punk was number two in merchandise sales. At the same time though as Jack-Hammer says, people are starting to not care about CM Punk; fans have short term memories and with new talent filling their minds they forgot all about him.

 

[perrywinkle]

I don't think so. Punk isn't wrestling for the competition yet (and I somehow doubt he will) so it's not like viewers are turning away from the product because Punk is gone. Although he's a great talent, WWE has Bryan and Cesaro and now Bray. Speaking of which, Bray fills in the mic/promo gap Punk left behind and is, in my opinion, surely going to be Bryan's main adversary sooner rather than later.

 

[CyberPunk]

WWE would definitely want someone of Punk's caliber to be around. There's no doubt that Punk is very talented. On the other hand, it's also worth noting that they might never want a man of his ego to be around. Punk did what he felt was right, whether it was or not. There's still no word on what went between him and Vince. I believe though that if he decides to return, WWE will welcome him back. After all, you'd want main event caliber talent to put over the up and coming.

In a fantasy world, I am pretty sure a Punk vs Bryan Wrestlemania program would be one of the best program. Don't see it happening now, but a man can wish.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Despite the number of people on this forum who "know" the answer to this question, I'll admit I don't......mostly because I don't know what criterion WWE uses to measure the impact of an individual performer. Remember, the question being asked is what WWE thinks, not what we think.

One item we like to bat around: Does CM Punk draw money? Since every wrestling card features a lot of performers, I've always wondered how the company measures how much is attracted by a single performer. Arena attendance? T-shirt sales? Crowd noise? Vince McMahon's opinion?

I would think WWE still wants Punk around, if based on nothing else but the crowd chanting his name. But this fades over time; not just the chants but also the company's desire for the performer. The longer he's gone, the lesser his impact.

Add to that the company's deliberations of how much a pain in the ass the performer is to keep on the roster. To this, CM Punk must rank pretty high, no? If even half of what Punk said in the mess of 2011 was true, they must have really pulled out all the stops to retain him.....yet, here he is three years later, quitting outright because things in the company aren't being done the way he wants them done. Often, companies like to be rid of employees like that, even if they are drawing.

My thinking? I'd suggest the company has mixed feelings about Punk. On one hand, if he came back, they'd build a huge program around him to take advantage of the chants he was drawing after his departure.

On the other hand, even though they'd take him back, they might be breathing a sigh of relief for not having to deal with a constant malcontent.

 

[bioshock]

I think in a month after Extreme Rules is said and done maybe Punk will be needed, but I have my bet that over the summer some young guys might get a random big push here and there, like for instance I could see Cesaro or maybe Rusov get pushed into a title match with Bryan over the summer, or even Miz or Ziggler could get pushed into a feud with Bryan.

 

[Messiah]

I got a better question. Why are there still CM Punk threads? You people are unbelievable. It's been 3 months since he left WWE and people are still taking about him like he should be relevant right now. WWE doesn't care if CM Punk is in WWE, CM Punk doesn't care if hes in WWE. They both can live without each other. You know, guys do leave WWE every once in a while. It's the nature of the business. Guys leave, new talent come up. It was CM Punk's time to go. No use in mourning over him leaving like a bunch of crybaby's. The last thing WWE needs right now is a negative energy backstage bringing everybody down, because apparently that's what CM Punk was. Punk was tired of working 300+ days a year. He was tired of his poor booking, maybe he wasn't getting paid as much as he wanted. Who knows, and quite frankly, who cares? I've moved on from CM Punk. Like i do every time one of my favorite wrestlers leave WWE. It's happened often. Are people ever going to stop talking about CM Punk? What the hell does CM Punk have to do to get out of the spotlight? Should he crawl in a hole and live there for the rest of his life? Because it seems like that's what it would take for you people to quit annoying him with your useless blabber. CM Punk's career will live on forever in WWE history and in the hearts and souls of every WWE fan worldwide. People need to realize the WWE didn't revolve around CM Punk. It never did and it never will. The fact that some of you continue to run your mouths about him is really mind-boggling. There are so many things that have happened in the wrestling world the past 3 months and you want to talk about a man who walked out over 2 months ago? It'snot like he's even doing anything relevant at the moment. You people are just trying to make conversation hoping one day he'll be back. When in reality, he won't be back. CM Punk is gone and will never be seen again. You might catch him at an NHL game here and there, but in wrestling, and the sports entertainment industry, he's finished. He can't make it more clearer. I can't make it more clearer. It's a simple fact that i hope registers in everyone's brain because it's reality. And reality sometimes may feel like a slap in the face, but all you need to do is take that slap, dust yourself off and move on with your life..Talking about CM Punk every 5 minutes is not doing anything, all it's doing is giving exposure to a guy who doesn't need it, doesn't want it and doesn't deserve it.. Why am I even doing this? This is hopeless. You people will never understand. I try and try to help you people forget about CM Punk, but it doesn't work. Maybe, just maybe, one day you'll look in the mirror and realize their is more to the WWE than CM Punk. It's not complicated, It's as simple as it get's. CM Punk is gone, but will never be forgotten.


Thank You CM Punk.

 

[Pedigree1]

Talent alone of course WWE still wishes Punk was still around.. That much is a given,but is talent alone more important than not being an ass or having an attitude??

The more time passes,the more people will move on as well they should.. Punk TBH,is not needed at this point.. Hell look at what we have,Lesnar Beat the Streak,we have the Authority,the Shield,the Wyatts,Daniel as Our champion.. The WWE is very strong at this point,sure in the short short run when punk left it hurt.. But time will march on and it will be fine without him.. Fans would go crazy if Punk suddenly appeared at Raw,but when he didn't appear at WM then I think hes truly gone..

Punk is fine,he has damn there 8 Mil in the bank if not more,is engaged to AJ.. I think the WWE has mixed feelings about him.. OF course they want him back,but I dont think they want the Punk that has been whining back.. Obviously Punk has fans,lots of em.. Punk is a damn good wrestler,one of the best ever 21-30 all time great. But again,do the positives outweigh the negatives,only truly the WWE could answer that..

 

[frostbite2819]

I'm gonna go ahead and say it. No, they dont. They survived and moved on after many stars that were much bigger than punk left. And while I could certainly see all this be a swerve and setup for something big, I could also see punk turn up in jarrets new fed. Before you jump all over me, think about it. Punk has plenty of money, so that is not the issue. Jarret can offer phil the one thing vince and trips cannot, the one thing he wants, the chance to be THE guy, the cena, or austin of his company
Don't doubt it could happen, a guy like punk is the type of guy who could take a chance like that, and I'm sure they have already spoken.

 

[OYDK]

Yeah, they probably WISH that CM Punk was still around because, let's face it, you don't get a CM Punk caliber performer every day, hell they come around maybe twice in a generation... but do they NEED Punk? The current product shows that no, they don't need him. Eventually the chants will start dying down and people will forget about Punk. Maybe that is when he will return but I don't see it happening anytime soon and honestly it's likely that CM Punk will never wrestle again.

I for one would love to see Punk feuding with the new guys such as Wyatt, Rollins, Ambrose, Cesaro, The Ascension (once they come up), etc. but sadly the longer Punk holds out, the quicker WWE will be to realize that they don't need him anymore.

 

[Kong]

Not now I don't. Not after Wrestlemania went off so well. He didn't really even fit in, thus probably why he was pissed. And I think he really over played his hand as well. Now the WWE can bring him back in a year or 2 for some shock value and get more bang for their buck.

In fact I say he should stay gone for the year. If rumors are true that Brock Lesnar has a title run in his contract and with guys like Orton, Cena and Bryan on roster and potential return of the Rock to fued with Brock I think Punk out right now is best for business.

Even Wade Barrett is finally getting some steam. Hell, I think Paige got a bigger pop than Batista did when he came back. And just listening to AJ talk about being the Divas "savior" made me not miss him. Stale.

Maybe when he returns he could fued with Cesaro? Just a thought.

 

[RoseBud]

I'm sure they do, but I expect him to return around the time the Payback PPV arrives.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Yeah this ones a no brainer.....they most definitely want him back regardless of their relationship with him. Punk is a top top top tier talent, the difference having a guy like that could make is substantial. Just think of the dozens of feuds you could make by throwing any superstar in there with him, it would almost certainly be a top draw. I certainly hope he ends up returning to the company, they can definitely get by without him but he's undoubtably one of the biggest draws in recent years and would help immensely.

 

[TDFG]

After Cena, Bryan, Orton & Batista they're a little short of main-event talent at the minute, so yes WWE does miss CM Punk, it's a silly question really.

Big Show, Sheamus, Mark Henry etc. can all be main-event talent but they haven't been dominating storylines lately & Wyatt, Shield, Cesaro are currently getting pushed.

 

[Macho Mans Beard]

I think Punk needs to stay away for awhile. WWE will need to resign him quietly once his current contract is up. Keep him on the shelf for awhile. Keep the signing between HHH/Steph/Vince. WWE can afford to sign him and pay him for NOT working.

Enter Royal Rumble, Punk makes his return and WINS. No one sees it coming cause 9 months from now CM Punk will be far in the back of fans minds. Can you imagine Punk coming out to shock EVERYONE!!! (You thought that black guys reaction to Taker losing was great?) The place would explode.

I do think Bryan should hold the title until next WM. A huge year run would be great. All to have one of the biggest WM Main Events in a long time. Punk/Bryan has YES!!! written all over it.

 

[CanYouDigIt98]

Not that I haven't before, I have quite a lot actually but this thread is stupid.
Of course WWE would still like Punk around. Jesus.

I just think he sadly slipped down the rankings slightly as he had been up there for a fair few years, deservently so aswell. He had been a key figure in he company for years and still would be if he was to come back because he connects with the fans. His ring ability is also great aswell as his skills to make a storyline work and be bigger than it should at times.

I also think the key reason for him leaving was he was pissed at WWE for booking a already emlimnated Kane coming and him going out and then also with the fact that another part timer in Batista had come in and took over and won the chance to Main Event at Mania

This however worked out well for Bryan (Because of the fans though) as the turned that into a big storyline regarding the authority. His absence wasn't really evident as it should be mainly because the hype was all on Bryan. Just like the Streak ending, the burn weren't as bad as it should be because Bryan had won it.

As for Daniel Bryan, 'The Authority' storyline has still got a way to go. I'll evaluate what happens next once that comes to a end.

 

[Headman]

Considering the WWE hasn't gone and tried to bury Punk for bailing on them I'd say the door is likely still open. I can imagine Triple H having to convince Vince that taking the high road on this one would be advantageous to them. As for Punk, he should be careful what bridges he burns. He may be happy with his decision right now but there may be a time where he feels differently.

 

[Punk_Aries_Daniels_Bryan]

A great quote from many movies and shows when I was kid really answers this thread:

The more the merrier.

By "more", I speak of talented wrestlers that have the skills to contribute to the business and keep it successful. Many fans have heard of the "Golden Age" of pro wrestling, and as every generation progresses, their take on what is considered the best part of pro wrestling changes. Not to say that the content may be getting worse by the years, but simply for the reason being that one day we change from being the awestruck kid watching WWE to people reading dirtsheets and digs, and trying to know everything involved with the business.

What does this have to do with the thread?

If I may, I'd like to tell you guys something intriguing. When I asked my Dad on his favorite wrestlers, he would praise the late greats Macho Man Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, Pyscho Sid, Mr. Perfect, Bret Hart ... and if this same question I would ask to my older cousin, he'd say The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Booker T.

All these guys were in the WWE and competed at some point. When Stone Cold left the WWE, he was really missed by the fans. WWE wanted him back because he was an investment to their success. They believed that they needed Stone Cold. I understand maybe earlier in the years, during the brand competition, why pro wrestling may have had its ups and downs if you decided to quit. You could always go to WCW, or vice versa. Now, that isn't the case. If Stone Cold's gimmick, or Y2J's gimmick, or The Rock's gimmick, or Mankind, or Undertaker, all these people .. if they weren't around back then, things would be different now. But the industry is just too powerful. The wheel will turn no matter what, no matter who leaves, no matter what blow it takes. If tomorrow John Cena, Randy Orton, and Daniel Bryan quit, then Vince will find three other guys, shove rocketships up their butts and make them multi-champions within the end of the year. CM Punk is still good for business. He is a good draw, a great wrestler, amazing on the mic with his promos, and his merch sells really well. CM Punk being in WWE will benefit WWE and himself. Him leaving will not hurt WWE though, only himself in the long run.

Kids growing up will recall guys like Cesaro, Big E, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn, Bryan, all new guys. Punk should be a part of the future. I believe even if he did stick around and not leave after Royal Rumble, he would have only stayed for 3 or maximum 4 more years. Still, better something than nothing.

I really don't know if I even answered a question on this thread. Sorry lmfao.
Just trying to say that the great wrestlers of an era can be replaced but not erased. CM Punk will always be great for WWE and they would ultimately would want him back.

 

[Adriang4]

Of course they do, but ATM they're not really in need of him -- WWE's in that perfect post mania position where they won't get stale until around post MITB/SS. And then during that slooooowwwwww crawl to the Rumble, me, you, and the WWE are gonna start missing him.

Even at his most stale (the final few months of his WWE career,) he was still consistently getting the biggest cheers besides Bryan. People didn't care about his matches against Ryback, Curtis Axel and so on, but they certainly loved the opportunity to cheer, "CM PUNK" and "Best in the world," during those boring matches.