Why did the WWE fire CM Punk?

[MartialHorror]

It was believed for awhile that CM Punk just quit, but Punk's recent interview revealed that he was actually fired. Vince McMahon pretty much confirmed it. But why?

Alberto del Rio being fired is one thing, as WWE wasn't doing a lot with him and he probably was pretty costly considering he wasn't a huge draw (and even then, I've heard that WWE said they'd rehire him and Rio refused). But CM Punk was huge and fans were calling out his name seemingly on a weekly basis. Remember that much of this was during Wrestlemania season, where the Daniel Bryan chants forced WWE to change their plans involving him.

His contract was coming close to expiring, so if WWE just let it alone for a few more months, then things would settle more amicably. Instead, what they did angered him to the point where he said he's done with that company. All they had to do was wait and then perhaps he could've come back in some capacity and they'd make a lot more money. So...why? Why go out of their way to alienate him? Was it to make an example? That doesn't feel right though because I remember del Rio making a claim that he thought CM Punk might return by the end of the summer, so he must not have known.

Is Vince or Triple H that petty? Am I missing something? What advantage is there to unnecessarily firing one of your top draws?

 

[OYDK]

Vince and HHH are that petty. The difference between somebody like C.M. Punk walking out and Stone Cold walking out, is C.M. Punk never had a good relationship with HHH or Vince Mcmahon... actually it was quite terrible as we now know that neither man was very fond of Punk as a person or high on him as a potential face of the company. Stone Cold on the other hand, has always had Vince's respect and Vince understandably had a soft spot in his heart for Austin after everything they went through. When Austin walked out, the first response from the WWE and Vince was to find a way to work it out. When Punk walked, it seemed the first response was to send him on his way.

It seemed HHH and Vince were just waiting for a reason to get rid of Punk and when he walked out, they had it. He said they never really contacted him so it was likely decided right from the get-go that they were going to fire him. Receiving the papers on his wedding day is CLASSIC HHH move.

As for why they would fire one of there top draws? Maybe making a statement to Punk and the locker room? Maybe Punk wanted out and asked and is not telling that part? Who knows.

 

[MCMG]

I'm guessing because Punk walked out when they had plans for him. Then didn't come back when they asked him (probably too soon from their point of view.) I mean, I'm guessing they felt he disrespected them and the business so fired him.

Punk's had the last laugh, obviously. The Marvel thing plus UFC. Moreover, he got to do an open podcast and make the WWE look bad. I'd suggest, however, that him being fired was simply because they were pissed off and didn't want him back after what he did.

 

[Dave]

I actually think that the WWE made a mistake in firing Punk. When they did, they gave him every reason to go ahead and put them on blast. They were the ones who then breached the contract and gave up every legal right they had.

Let's face it, CM Punk had all but left the WWE. He can put any spin on it that he wants but, at the end of the day, he had no intentions of going back to the WWE. I don't know why so many people think that he was fired, when he openly admits that he went into Vince's office and told him and Triple H that he wasn't going to be wrestling any more. They share a hug and Punk leaves the building. He is then asked if he wants to go back to work and he tells his boss “no”; albeit for really good medical reasons. Then, he is contacted by Triple H to talk about his status in WWE and tells him that he can't talk right now...

Honestly, if this were any of us, is it any wonder that he was fired? If you work in a call centre and you tell your manager that you can't and wont work for however long you deem to be necessary, do you actually think that they are going to continue paying for you? Nope.

Punk needed medical attention and I appreciate that. But he was also a world class cunt about leaving. He should have made it clear that he was coming back to the WWE when he had gotten his treatment. But he didn't. And actually, he made it seem as though he would never be back. I don't blame the WWE for firing CM Punk but they should have sued him for breach of contract. You can't just walk out on your job and then take the high road, it's a dick move.

 

[Navi]

i think they made a mistake as well. They could have taken the high road and just let the contract run out and that would have been the end of it. Punk wouldn't have had a leg to stand on. He's the one who walked originally and didn't come back, in that case he looks bad. I don't know all the legal aspects of it, so maybe they had to have something on paper, but yea they ended up looking just as bad as he did.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

They felt disrespected and they were tired of paying someone who let them know in no uncertain terms that he had no intention of returning. Does it make them look petty firing him on his wedding day? Yeah but, at the same time, they'd been trying to get up with him for days and he hasn't bothered to return their call. He probably would've been fired prior to his wedding day if he'd bothered to answer the phone or check his messages.

If he was unhappy, he was right to just get out of the business and do something else with his life. However, as much as he accuses WWE of being classless, and management was classless in many instances, but he hasn't exactly behaved with a lot of class himself. He just walked out half an hour before Raw goes in the middle of WrestleMania season, plus it's well known that he can be difficult to work with if he doesn't get his way.

I think both sides ultimately look bad, though I think WWE could've come out looking a bit better had they just let his contract run out instead of firing him. At the same time, as has been pointed out, why should Punk get some sort of preferential treatment? When you walk off the job, you're gonna get fired, so I see no reason for anyone to wring their hands over him being given his walking papers.

As for who has the last laugh, it remains to be seen. Punk signing with UFC is gonna be a major story going forward and it's gonna be a big payday for him. However, it's possible Punk could get out there in the middle of his first MMA fight, get his ass handed to him and be utterly embarrassed. If he wins, it'll be a major feather in his hat. If he loses, he'll have some egg on his face that everyone from MMA fans, wrestling fans, wrestling insiders, MMA fighters, wrestlers and dirt sheet writers will be throwing at him.

 

[ColeMc]

He walked into Vince's office and said he was done with the the job.

He didn't show up to work for 5 months.

They sent him contract termination papers to make it official.

If I don't go into work or call with a reasonable reason why I'm not there for 10 days, my work would sack me for position abandonment.(Has happened to someone at my work.)

 

[Mustang Sally]

They felt disrespected and they were tired of paying someone who let them know in no uncertain terms that he had no intention of returning.

Yes, and in that regard, I don't know why they continued paying him.....if they did.....because Punk was the one in breach of contract, not the company. The only reason I can see them issuing pay for no performance was that they hoped to work something out with him before things got out of hand.

Well, things eventually did get out of hand, didn't they? Still, I don't see it as a question of WWE firing Punk since he had already quit. Just because Punk called it "being fired" doesn't mean he was being accurate. Rather, I think it was simply the corporation filing termination papers on him after finally giving up on the idea of his working for them again.

That the papers arrived at Punk's residence on his wedding day might have been intentional, or not......but makes little difference since he had already "fired" himself.

 

[ColeMc]

Agreed, everything in Punk's interview I am sure he believed, he is also a deluded egomaniac who believes in a fantasy world where he is right, blameless and virtuous ALL THE TIME.

 

[J.J.]

I am reading a lot of silly responses - as if many of you truly know the whole ordeal.

To be honest I am waiting to hear WWE's side of the story. Always two sides to a story and from there I'll have both perspectives. I'm not going to ride with just Punk's story.

Although I may never hear WWEs side until some tell a dvd is released in a few years from now.

So until then I have no idea why they truly fired him. From the outside looking in he quit on his own. I feel this situation between both parties could've been handled better.

 

[The Brain]

It was believed for awhile that CM Punk just quit, but Punk's recent interview revealed that he was actually fired. Vince McMahon pretty much confirmed it. But why?

Alberto del Rio being fired is one thing, as WWE wasn't doing a lot with him and he probably was pretty costly considering he wasn't a huge draw (and even then, I've heard that WWE said they'd rehire him and Rio refused). But CM Punk was huge and fans were calling out his name seemingly on a weekly basis. Remember that much of this was during Wrestlemania season, where the Daniel Bryan chants forced WWE to change their plans involving him.

His contract was coming close to expiring, so if WWE just let it alone for a few more months, then things would settle more amicably. Instead, what they did angered him to the point where he said he's done with that company. All they had to do was wait and then perhaps he could've come back in some capacity and they'd make a lot more money. So...why? Why go out of their way to alienate him? Was it to make an example? That doesn't feel right though because I remember del Rio making a claim that he thought CM Punk might return by the end of the summer, so he must not have known.

Is Vince or Triple H that petty? Am I missing something? What advantage is there to unnecessarily firing one of your top draws?

Why did WWE fire CM Punk? Uh, because he walked out on the job. Seems pretty obvious, right? The better question is why did they wait so long. Punk made the decision to walk out. You can agree or disagree with the reasons he did it but he made the choice to walk out so why wouldn't WWE fire him? Just in case maybe some day he would come back? He drew his line in the sand. Why should WWE sit around like a rejected high school kid hoping his girlfriend will come back? They don't need him. You may think Punk is a big draw but he wasn't drawing a dime while sitting on his couch at home. No, Vince and Triple H aren't that petty. Unless you consider it petty to not want to pay someone that's doing absolutely nothing for you. I guess they're petty for not paying me either.

 

[Dave]

Why did WWE fire CM Punk? Uh, because he walked out on the job. Seems pretty obvious, right? The better question is why did they wait so long. Punk made the decision to walk out. You can agree or disagree with the reasons he did it but he made the choice to walk out so why wouldn't WWE fire him? Just in case maybe some day he would come back? He drew his line in the sand. Why should WWE sit around like a rejected high school kid hoping his girlfriend will come back? They don't need him. You may think Punk is a big draw but he wasn't drawing a dime while sitting on his couch at home. No, Vince and Triple H aren't that petty. Unless you consider it petty to not want to pay someone that's doing absolutely nothing for you. I guess they're petty for not paying me either.

This. Exactly this.

That said, the way the WWE handled the situation was really poor. You said it yourself, why did they hand on so long before firing him? My guess is that they honestly thought that he would come back. And in that case, and Punk being what Punk was, it would be crazy to just close the door on one of the biggest draws in your company.

I think it all comes down to perspective. Whilst CM Punk did a great job of making it seem like he was treated unfairly by the WWE, you could easily spin the story and make the WWE seem like they did nothing wrong. That's why it's so intriguing.

For example, if Vince came out to the media and said that he kept the door open for CM Punk because he emotional and tired, then it would all be forgiven. In my mind, it was Punk who turned his back on the WWE when he didn't need to. I suspect that if Punk was playing ball with the WWE instead of ignoring them at every turn, he might not have found himself fired on his wedding day. I absolutely think that his lawyers told him to stay away from the WWE so that they would fire him and he could take them to court.

Now, doesn't that sound like an altogether different story than what was told?

 

[LBGetBack]

I think at the heart of it, this whole situation can be summed up and explained in a pretty simple way......Vince McMahon, Triple H, and CM Punk are all enormous assholes.

That much is pretty clear and explains pretty much everything that was handled incorrectly on both sides.

 

[FromGlasgow]

I can't see how the WWE looked bad, I'm sure if most people here decided just to never show up for work again only because the company wouldn't accomodate your demanding needs what do people expect to happen from that? I'm glad he's signed with UFC now as I don't imagine UFC caving in to every demand he makes and would love to see him telling experianced UFC champions what their place on the UFC card should be then watching their reaction during their match again Punk.

 

[MaryChristine]

clash of egos... its that simple.

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

I think at the heart of it, this whole situation can be summed up and explained in a pretty simple way......Vince McMahon, Triple H, and CM Punk are all enormous assholes.

That much is pretty clear and explains pretty much everything that was handled incorrectly on both sides.

THIS!!!!

Huge ego's on both sides. All of them are assholes in their own different ways.

I don't think the WWE thought Punk's anger and burnout was seriously going to keep him from coming back.

Would love to have seen Vince's expression when he learned of the UFC deal.

 

[MartialHorror]

Why did WWE fire CM Punk? Uh, because he walked out on the job. Seems pretty obvious, right? The better question is why did they wait so long. Punk made the decision to walk out. You can agree or disagree with the reasons he did it but he made the choice to walk out so why wouldn't WWE fire him? Just in case maybe some day he would come back? He drew his line in the sand. Why should WWE sit around like a rejected high school kid hoping his girlfriend will come back? They don't need him. You may think Punk is a big draw but he wasn't drawing a dime while sitting on his couch at home. No, Vince and Triple H aren't that petty. Unless you consider it petty to not want to pay someone that's doing absolutely nothing for you. I guess they're petty for not paying me either.

Didn't Austin walk out under worse circumstances? You can argue that Austin was a big draw, probably because he was, but I dont think the company needed him at that point because more attention was being put into the Rock, Triple H, Hogan, etc.

Keep in mind everybody, that making parallels with your own job is kind of stupid. Working in the entertainment industry is a different beast and normal jobs tend to treat injuries differently- getting you to the doctor immediately.

The person whom I'm responding to made a good point that it's odd they waited so long. But it just seems wiser to not piss him off in case he wishes to come back. Now if he ever returns to wrestling, it will likely be with a different company. Won't it be hilarious whenever fans chant CM Punk, now that he's with UFC- whom WWE thinks is a rival company?

Firing CM Punk also leads to a greater probability that AJ Lee won't remain with the company for that much longer and considering that the entire division seems built around her...I personally feel that there is something else that hasn't been brought up yet.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Possibly because he walked out during their biggest season?

Seriously, who gives a shit about his injuries (everyone has those), who gives a shit that he wasn't on the main at Mania (lots of guys don't get that), he walked out. You do that at any other job and the same thing happens.

 

[IconMCI]

In reading this, I think everyone is looking at this in one way. Poor CM Punk. I dont feel sorry for him, so he got his termination letter on his wedding day. We arent talking about him losing his job on his wedding day, he had no intention of coming back, in Cabana's podcast, he never indicated that he was wanting to come back, or was even considering coming back. Being fired in this scenario for Punk was a blessing, it freed him up to do the things he wanted to do. He didnt sit at home reading the want ads, and find UFC fighter listed, and then applied hoping he interviewed well and gets the job. His contract didnt allow him to do that. Being fired gave him that opportunity to pursue it. Being fired didnt mean he was unemployed. Punk is an independent contractor, being fired meant that he wasnt shackled to the demands or expectations of his contract any longer.

He got it on his wedding day. Based on what I have read and heard lately, Punk should think of this as the greatest wedding gift ever.

While I am not necessarily siding with Punk on everything that happened, I dont side with WWE either. There are "health issues" that have been brought up. I put quotation marks in, because none of us know whether they are real, or a work?

Thankfully from a health perspective Punk is here to tell the story, and WWE is still here to tell us different stories.

WWE was gracious in that they ended the relationship around the time that Punk's contract was due to expire anyway. They didnt add the extension to his contract for lost dates. I bet Rey Mysterio wished that he was in receipt of that, but that is a different story.

From a business perspective, if WWE would ever want to fix this relationship, letting him out of his contract or firing him was a positive thing. WWE didnt go out of there way to trash him like they did Austin (Remember the Austin took his ball and went home speeches).

Time will tell for both parties. Either way I am now interested to see how Punk fares in the UFC. It will be a different story than Brock. I am still waiting for the surprise entrant in a Royal Rumble, or perhaps that day when Punk comes out to the WWE ring another day. I dont pin all my hopes on it, but just knowing that it can happen (Austin, Hogan, Warrior, Sting) is what keeps me interested in WWE.

 

[enviousdominous]

There's a teeter-totter method of logic going on in the WWE regarding whether ego or potential financial gains should come first in making a decision to let go of someone.

You can't use a notion related to common sense to discourage the idea that Punk was fired for living up to his pseudonym. Sure, he obviously wasn't drawing much just sitting at home on his couch. The WWE still sold his merchandise and put him in their video game. To say that he wasn't a draw is fair, to say that he wasn't making them money is outright poppy-cock.

My opinion; CM Punk was fired because Steph and her blonde step-child didn't take kindly to his attitude from day one and finally had an excuse to drop him. I don't think Vince wanted to let Punk go and would have been willing to make things right eventually. Sure, it sends a bad message to the locker-room if you reward someone for deciding not to work when they feel inclined not to of their own accord. Then again, if Punk does ever return, the "CM PUNK!!" chants would blow the roof off.

 

[FreezeIzGAWD]

Sometimes I honestly wonder are half you guys SERIOUS when you answer on here.

A guy gets into it with his Boss and walks out during PEAK BUSINESS season and still gets paid for weeks WITHOUT WORKING.

He then is getting Married and is mad the Boss fired him instead of paying fir him to take a FREE HONEYMOON ON THE COMPANY.....

And in your eyes.....

THE BOSS IS THE EGOTISTICAL A$$HOLE......

WOW.....

Crazy!!!!

 

[Cats Pajamas]

My opinion; CM Punk was fired because Steph and her blonde step-child didn't take kindly to his attitude from day one and finally had an excuse to drop him. I don't think Vince wanted to let Punk go and would have been willing to make things right eventually.

I had that same thought. Vince has been through this enough times by now to know how counter-productive holding a grudge is. His apology on Austin's stupid podcast and the "future endeavors" message that the WWE sent Punk only proves that Vince isn't interested in burning bridges anymore. Even though walking out on your job gets you canned just about anywhere, I'm willing to bet Punk would've been welcomed back had it just been Vince.

I wouldn't doubt Triple H as being the real reason Punk lost his job. If being a first ass pain in the nuts during contract negotiations wasn't enough to get on Hunter's shit list, then refusing to work with Trips at Mania 30 certainly did it. Triple H was probably the guy who convinced Vince to cut his losses if anyone did.

We arent talking about him losing his job on his wedding day, he had no intention of coming back, in Cabana's podcast, he never indicated that he was wanting to come back, or was even considering coming back.

Exactly, it doesn't really matter what day Punk got his papers from WWE, he knew his career there was done the night he walked out. Anyone who has ever had a job knows that walking off the job is the same as saying "take this job and shove it." He was just trying to get peoples pity though he only made himself look like an asshole.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

The guy walked out in January, never kept in touch(in his own words)with the WWE and they waited until June to fire him and somehow the WWE is wrong? If anything they were very lenient with him.

It is funny to hear people blaming HHH and Steph when Vince is the one who calls the shots.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

There is a lot of crap floating...

The main reason for ending his employment is to send a message to the other talent that you can't do that... in reality though it was a gamble for them.

They knew that his contract was ending anyway, so they took a punt on tying him to a No-Compete clause cos he walked, just as they did with Del Rio and are trying to "take a punt" with Rey and this extra year on his deal.

None of it actually holds any water, Punk has proven that... but the threat may well deter some from actually rocking the boat with them any further, it strengthens their position. WWE will now seriously review it's contracts, and will seriously look if making them employees is worth the risks. Again, Punk gets what he wants...

Unfortunately for WWE the last 2 guys they have fired have gone straight to a Judge and got it thrown out immediately and Rey is basically "striking" for a release, no court would find against him now other judges have thrown out Punk and ADR's no compete clause but the one "favor" Punk did for them, was telling people they fired him on his wedding day.

The message is sent loud and clear to those in WWE... Fuck with us and we will not only fire you, but do so right when you don't need us to... We don't care if we mess with a wedding, funeral or pull you from Mania on the day... We mean business.

 

[Navi]

I've read a lot of posts on this thread about they fired him because he wasn't working and they didn't want to pay him anymore. Now I don't work for the WWE and have no idea how these guys even get paid. Is it on a match by match basis? Or do they have a let's say for example, the contract states in round figures $52k a year, so they get paid $1,000 a week, with more certain weeks if they are in a PPV? Sincerely I have no idea, and I imagine all the contracts are different depending on who you are.

If they weren't paying him for sitting at home, then letting the contract run out would have been the best option. If they were still paying him for work done, which I don't know if that's the case, then he should have still been paid. In any case, like I said before the WWE made themselves look as bad as he did. There really are no winners in this situation that i can see anyway.