A Few Questions Regarding CM Punk *IF* He Returns

[Jack-Hammer]

A little less than 2 months into 2014, the only wrestling news story that can challenge the WWE Network for being THE wrestling story of the year, so far, is CM Punk walking out of WWE. We're several weeks removed from the post Royal Rumble Raw in which CM Punk told WWE officials he was, reportedly "going home" half an hour before the show came on the air. Since then, there's been no shortage of discussion & debate among fans & insiders alike; there's been no shortage of rumors as to what lead to Punk walking out. There's been no shortage of criticism from said fans & insiders alike towards both WWE management and CM Punk himself. In all this time, CM Punk has yet to break his silence, nor has any word come from WWE management. Some reports allege that Vince McMahon himself is personally in talks with Punk and that their personal relationship has improved over the past several years. When it's all said & done, however, we simply don't know squat right now.

My best guess, and that's all that it is, is that neither side has released any sort of statement because both sides are negotiating a new contract. CM Punk's current WWE contract is set to expire around the time of the Money in the Bank ppv. It's been reported for months that Punk is hurting & that he's burned out and that he's unhappy over the trend of returning part timers like The Rock & Batista; upon which they've been given top billing. Other reports allege that CM Punk is always bitching and is frustrated over one thing or another. Punk is aware that he's valuable to WWE and part of me feels that this whole incident MIGHT be an aggressive negotiating tactic on his part in the hopes of him not only getting a better deal, but is also a means of giving him an extended period of time off before returning.

Anyhow, that's pretty much the backstory of what we know so far, along with a little guess from myself. As to the questions themselves:

How do you think you would feel if Punk's return meant WWE management sacrificing Daniel Bryan's push & spot?

If Punk returning did mean an end to Bryan's push, would it alter your opinion of him?

Reportedly, it's been alleged that Punk feels that Batista shouldn't have won the Royal Rumble, that it should have been Daniel Bryan and that Batista isn't in good enough ring shape. Like everyone else, I've no idea if it's true or not. It seems a little contradictory to other reports/rumors regarding Punk. Some have alleged that Punk is frustrated because he hasn't been pushed as hard as John Cena and that he's always wanted to be in THE match that headlines WrestleMania. IF that turns out to be accurate, then I fail to see how he could feel Bryan should have won the Royal Rumble match since it wouldn't do Punk himself any good. IF part of Punk walking out has to do with him not being pushed at a John Cena level and wanting to be in THE top match at WrestleMania, then it would seem that something would have to give. IF Punk ultimately wants to be THE man in WWE, it stands to reason that Bryan may be pushed aside.

 

[TheOneAndOnlyGOAT]

I think it's best to let punk explain himself.

Everything you hear on the internet is just "rumors".

Anyway, punk in no way, shape or form will return before wrestlemania 30 and he sure won't be taking Bryan's spot.

If punk comes back, he's going to deal with consequences.

No way Bryan will be thrown in the garbage and a guy who just walked out on the company will take his spot.


Bottom line is doesn't matter if punk returns, rock returns, austin returns, really doesn't matter.

Either Bryan wins the wwe title or he goes over hunter at WM unless wwe wants another royal rumble reaction.

 

[Slbrey]

If CM Punk return's I honestly think the first thing that should happen is he job's to Eva Marie.

 

[lil steroid meat]

IF that turns out to be accurate, then I fail to see how he could feel Bryan should have won the Royal Rumble match since it wouldn't do Punk himself any good. IF part of Punk walking out has to do with him not being pushed at a John Cena level and wanting to be in THE top match at WrestleMania, then it would seem that something would have to give. IF Punk ultimately wants to be THE man in WWE, it stands to reason that Bryan may be pushed aside.

Not necessarily.

Especially that last sentence, that doesn't have to be true.

I think Punk just wants to be the top bad guy in the company. I remember seeing bits and pieces of his DVD, and remember him being hurt by Miz main eventing, because in his words, "I always thought Wrestlemania was where the best bad guy fought the best good guy". If Punk were to return, him and Bryan's star power/pushes could easily co-exist, with Punk being the top heel and Bryan being the top face.

If they had done the Authority angle correctly, instead of pairing up Orton (who is a great worker, but gimmick and promo-wise generic as fuck) with HHH in a feud/alliance for the millionth time, why not do one of the biggest swerves in the modern era and have Punk turn heel and join up with HHH and have Punk and D Bryan fight it and it all culminate at WM30? I guess they were desperate for faces and I know it made sense with Orton's MITB briefcase but . . . meh. They could have written themselves out of that booking hole. Either way, done and over with now . . .

If Punk is ready to return by next year, I'd bet a lot that we're seeing Bryan vs. Heel Punk for the title (with the "jealousy" storyline probably being a big part of it).

Hell, I'm sure Punk probably would have been fine with winning at EC and then going on to job out to Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania.

I think CM Punk's ideal situation is to be the top bad guy in the company (and I think he had that with that year long reign). I think all he views as "having left" is having the top bill on Wrestlemania, win or lose.

But to answer your hypothetical situation, Punk returning at the expense of Bryan being the top face in the company would definitely make me look at dude like he's a piece of shit. But I don't think that will ever happen since it goes against everything he has been saying since that Vegas June 2011 Promo. I just think he wants one Wrestlemania main event as the top heel.

 

[L@RISANO]

A little less than 2 months into 2014, the only wrestling news story that can challenge the WWE Network for being THE wrestling story of the year, so far, is CM Punk walking out of WWE. We're several weeks removed from the post Royal Rumble Raw in which CM Punk told WWE officials he was, reportedly "going home" half an hour before the show came on the air. Since then, there's been no shortage of discussion & debate among fans & insiders alike; there's been no shortage of rumors as to what lead to Punk walking out. There's been no shortage of criticism from said fans & insiders alike towards both WWE management and CM Punk himself. In all this time, CM Punk has yet to break his silence, nor has any word come from WWE management. Some reports allege that Vince McMahon himself is personally in talks with Punk and that their personal relationship has improved over the past several years. When it's all said & done, however, we simply don't know squat right now.

My best guess, and that's all that it is, is that neither side has released any sort of statement because both sides are negotiating a new contract. CM Punk's current WWE contract is set to expire around the time of the Money in the Bank ppv. It's been reported for months that Punk is hurting & that he's burned out and that he's unhappy over the trend of returning part timers like The Rock & Batista; upon which they've been given top billing. Other reports allege that CM Punk is always bitching and is frustrated over one thing or another. Punk is aware that he's valuable to WWE and part of me feels that this whole incident MIGHT be an aggressive negotiating tactic on his part in the hopes of him not only getting a better deal, but is also a means of giving him an extended period of time off before returning.

Anyhow, that's pretty much the backstory of what we know so far, along with a little guess from myself. As to the questions themselves:

How do you think you would feel if Punk's return meant WWE management sacrificing Daniel Bryan's push & spot?

If Punk returning did mean an end to Bryan's push, would it alter your opinion of him?

Reportedly, it's been alleged that Punk feels that Batista shouldn't have won the Royal Rumble, that it should have been Daniel Bryan and that Batista isn't in good enough ring shape. Like everyone else, I've no idea if it's true or not. It seems a little contradictory to other reports/rumors regarding Punk. Some have alleged that Punk is frustrated because he hasn't been pushed as hard as John Cena and that he's always wanted to be in THE match that headlines WrestleMania. IF that turns out to be accurate, then I fail to see how he could feel Bryan should have won the Royal Rumble match since it wouldn't do Punk himself any good. IF part of Punk walking out has to do with him not being pushed at a John Cena level and wanting to be in THE top match at WrestleMania, then it would seem that something would have to give. IF Punk ultimately wants to be THE man in WWE, it stands to reason that Bryan may be pushed aside.

1.) If Punk did come and force the sacrifice of Daniel Bryan's fans. It would be the ultimate test for the smarks. We know that the smarks, the majority I should say, absolutely adore CM Punk and all he stands for. That said, Daniel Bryan is way over with the WWE Universe and it would be mighty interesting for me as a somewhat neutral viewer to see who the fans prefer of the two.

2.)Whilst,ultimately, I wouldn't agree with it happening , it would be interesting to see which way the audience goes if CM Punk does return and essentially take over Daniel Bryan's spot. Also, my opinion of Punk wouldn't change much,tbh. I am sure that he might get more heat than ever if he does indeed mean the end of Daniel Bryan's push to the top because after hearing how John Cena in the SCSA podcast, basically referred to DB as an equal almost, it is pretty clear that Bryan is going to be pushed to the moon during the next year due to him being so loved by the fans everywhere.

 

[L@RISANO]

I have to say however, if CM Punk is to return eventually, especially when the part-timers have left and gone into hibernation again, a CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan feud with Punk coming back to a huge pop and celebrating with Bryan(maybe when Daniel Bryan finally wins the World title again), and then later on that same night, he turns heel by attacking Bryan and stating his decision to challenge for the title.

Face Daniel Bryan vs Heel CM Punk would be pure gold for the viewers,lMO.

 

[Slbrey]

I have to say however, if CM Punk is to return eventually, especially when the part-timers have left and gone into hibernation again, a CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan feud with Punk coming back to a huge pop and celebrating with Bryan(maybe when Daniel Bryan finally wins the World title again), and then later on that same night, he turns heel by attacking Bryan and stating his decision to challenge for the title.

Face Daniel Bryan vs Heel CM Punk would be pure gold for the viewers,lMO.

We have seen that matchup so many times already the only time it was remotely interesting was when AJ was referee.....

 

[OYDK]

If Punk were to come back and take Bryan's spot I would lose all respect for him. Punk's been talking for a while now about how DB has been misused and he deserves to be WWEWHC, so if Punk were to ultimately come in at the expense of Bryan it would make him look like a hypocrite and a punk (no pun intended). But seeing as how this is all hypothetical and I really don't see Punk being okay with Bryan being buried, I would assume that he would come back as a heel where he can truly say whatever the hell he wants and than feud with Bryan going into Summerslam and ending in the main event at Mania.

 

[thebowtiekiller]

I agree with the idea that this is just an attempt at aggressive negotiation by punk im not buying that hes actually quit for good.my theory is he thinks hes got wwe by the balls at the moment he is a big asset to wwe but hes not quite on the level he seems to think he is and they will only put up with his stunts for so long then its either back to the minor leagues or retirement.i just think hes a bit of a crybaby tbh i like him but im not too bothered if he comes back or not but if he does id much rather see bryan in the top spot then him.

 

[JoeMallard]

CM Punk is the second biggest full-time star in the company behind John Cena, but Daniel Bryan is closing in on him. Bryan will fill Punk's spot once he leaves, which I feel will be in July. I don't think Punk will be taking Bryan's spot when he returns. I personally don't think it really matters because this whole thing is a GIANT work. Punk being gone for the moment just allows Bryan and the future of the company to step up and show what they are made of.

 

[L@RISANO]

We have seen that matchup so many times already the only time it was remotely interesting was when AJ was referee.....

But with Bryan at the top(Cena still Face of the Company,mind you) and Punk returning as the top heel, it might be slightly different,however.

I do think fans would be genuinely happy to see it again,tbh.

 

[pik]

The most OVERRATED wrestlers around are CM Punk and Daniel Bryan and his fans make me sick. Batista is physically much bigger and more distinguished name as a wrestler Batista is a 6 time world champion, 4 time tag champion, 2 time (now)Royal Rumble winner, and was ranked the #1 wrestler in the world by PWI in 2005 and he deserved the Rumble victory. All you Bryan marks better just get over it and accept the fact that Bryan has never drawn a dime in his life and he is nothing more than an internet darling. Bray Wyatt has much more potential, as does Roman Reigns and they both outshined Bryan at the Rumble with their performances, not their immature mark fans. Bryan should just face Sheamus at WM 30 because both of them are enhancment main eventers and have been transitional champions..The truth is HHH will never make Bryan the man, because the last great worker whom the fans wanted as champion was Benoit and that didnt end well.. HHH knows everything Bryan does will catch up with him and the end to his story will not be pretty much like the Dynamite Kid..The Miz deserves a title shot more than Bryan does at this point.........I feel horrible for Batista because he deserved a better reaction for his return and victory after making some great movies and accomplishing so much in WWE and venturing into MMA. Orton vs Batista sounds like an AMAZING WM main event and if you cant appreciate that fact then just stop watching wrestling because you obviously cant appreciate real WRESTLING.*'The Animal' returning and cementing his spot in the main event at WM 30, was truly unforgettable! Thank god Punk left so we can get more Sheamus and Batista..

 

[Pedigree1]

Im not going to pretend to know what CM Punk is thinking or feeling. But i guess these are what these boards are for.. If reports are true that CM Punk,had a problem with Batista winning the Royal Rumble then i dont blame him for that and never will. CM Punk is a professional,again he alluded to this in his pipebomb in 2011!! My guess is and my opinion only,Punk is just sick of the politics that go with the WWE.

Maybe he feels that himself and Bryan no matter what,will never be pushed like Cena or the part-timers of yesteryear! It could be that,Punk deserved to be in the WM Main event last year or hell even the year before. Maybe hes thinking that If I dont get it,i want Daniel Bryan to get it. At least one of us to make it to the ME of WM!

If he comes back,i want him to truly air out his feelings. Dont be gun shy about it! Say what you really feel. I hope Vinnie Mac and Punk are working out something i truly do! Punk owes us no explanation as far as im concerned. Or it could be Punk is burned out and needs to regroup and heal! Either way I wish him the best if he is truly gone. As far as being the man goes,I think Punk deserves it i truly do. Punk has busted his ass night in and night out! Been cast aside in every ME there is even when he was champion. If i were him,I be sick and tired as well as the Part-Timers coming in and stealing the ME spot all the time!

 

[pik]

CM Punk should start doing roids, wear skinny jeans, get a belly button tattoo and then MAYBE he could be the face of the company....until then i just dont care about that OverRated Punk who quit on his fans..

 

[The Eighties]

I thought Cena made a great point in the Stone Cold podcast about wanting an all star line-up for the main event scene, like back when you had Austin, Rock, Taker, Triple H and Angle. So Punk coming back shouldn't effect Bryan long term in my view.

Now obviously talking about the immediate future Punk coming back and taking a spot in the main event of Mania from Bryan would make him a hypocrite, and that's coming from someone whose favourite wrestler is CM Punk. There's just no two ways about it.

However I don't think that would happen for two reasons. One is that Punk knows it would likely affect him negatively, it would be a case of eating your own in the eyes of his core fanbase. Secondly, and most importantly, Vince might be willing to be flexible to get Punk back but he isn't going to bend over for him.

We'll know for sure come March 3rd, if he doesn't show up on that Raw then he wont be working WrestleMania 30, it's that simple. If he does show up it will be to work the initially planned angle with Triple H.

 

[Henry Bowers]

I think that spot is Punk's spot not DB to begin with. He EARNED the mainevent spot and he EARNED the main event push.
CM Punk worked his ass off for the fans and for the company and i think if he ever returns he should mainevent WM and get the main push

 

[L@RISANO]

I thought Cena made a great point in the Stone Cold podcast about wanting an all star line-up for the main event scene, like back when you had Austin, Rock, Taker, Triple H and Angle. So Punk coming back shouldn't effect Bryan long term in my view.

Now obviously talking about the immediate future Punk coming back and taking a spot in the main event of Mania from Bryan would make him a hypocrite, and that's coming from someone whose favourite wrestler is CM Punk. There's just no two ways about it.

However I don't think that would happen for two reasons. One is that Punk knows it would likely affect him negatively, it would be a case of eating your own in the eyes of his core fanbase. Secondly, and most importantly, Vince might be willing to be flexible to get Punk back but he isn't going to bend over for him.

We'll know for sure come March 3rd, if he doesn't show up on that Raw then he wont be working WrestleMania 30, it's that simple. If he does show up it will be to work the initially planned angle with Triple H.

If they can get him back or if this is a work...then maybe the Road to WM can be a huge angle that started when the Wyatt family attacked both Punk and Bryan on the same night and claimed that the Devil made them do it....

Would be a great way to have Punk and Bryan join forces to bring down the Authority, as that is what both need to do in the eyes of the fans who believe they are both being kept down by the powers that be.

Just another spin on the possibilities...

 

[enviousdominous]

The term "que sera sera" comes to mind when it comes to what might possibly occur if something else happens, yadda yadda yadda.

I don't see Punk coming back as a hindrance to Daniel Bryan's rise to the top. Daniel Bryan is already at the top, figuratively speaking. He has the undying praise of the crowd, and he's won against top opponents. If it makes sense to put the belt(s) on him, so be it. Being at the top of the pro-wrestling game is, as I see it, more a concept of popularity and marketability. Daniel Bryan is already as popular as he would be if he held the belt for all of last year.

By some definitions, not mine by the way, the concept of the push doesn't reach its full potential until you make someone a world champion. After that, you have to break records involving times won and amount of consecutive or combined days as champion. I don't think Daniel Bryan or CM Punk will strive to break any of John Cena's records.

Daniel Bryan's spot is being Daniel Bryan. He is his own loveable niche in the roster of performers, nobody else can be Daniel Bryan. If Punk comes over and gets every spot that was originally reserved for Daniel Bryan, they're not going to stop using Daniel Bryan for anything. It sucks for people who need to see Daniel Bryan wearing a belt to take him seriously, I'm glad I'm not one of them.

I enjoy Punk's work in the ring, I think he's a good catalyst when things get stale on the show. If it's him or Daniel Bryan taking the world title(s), I'll enjoy it just the same to be honest.

 

[GuessI'mAMark]

Is it possible that I am the only one catching the hole in the question? Realistically speaking, Daniel Bryan is not set to he in the main event of Wrestlemania, as of right now. With that being said CM Punk wouldn't want that spot because as some posters said before, he wants the main event.

Now if you're talking about status within the company instead of matches then ... no your reasoning is still off. ONE world title guys. Should everyone just step aside so Cena and Bryan could be the biggest stars in the company and only hold the title between them? I don't understand how Punk coming back will derail Bryan's momentum when as of right now he isn't the sole person in the title picture.

I personally feel as if this thread is less about Punk coming back/Bryan's involvement and more about who do you prefer. Why not ask if Punk's return will send Cesaro back to the irrelevance of the tag team division? Why not ask if Punk's return will send Sheamus and Christian back to no man's land where creative has no story lines for you? I apologize if it seems as if I'm ranting but I just don't understand the fixation with comparing/picking between Punk and Bryan.

Now I'm a Daniel Bryan fan, don't get it confused, but when he was chasing the title Punk was doing little authority matches. As of right now, the rumors say that Bryan will face Triple H at Wrestlemania. If by some stroke of luck Punk returns and is inserted in the title match, I won't be mad because it was never Bryan's spot. We the fans might think he deserves it but if the company doesn't think so then we can't hate whoever gets in front of him.

OT: I apologize for the numerous spelling mistakes, you could say I got a bit frustrated.

 

[Kidpolean]

If he comes back...he needs to start from the bottom. Id put him in a tag team with Zack Ryder or something like that.

I dont need or want to hear this guy's excuse. If his body was too banged up than come on tv and say it. HBK, Edge, Cena, and many others have come on tv, expalined there injuries and told there fans that they were taking time off. You owe that to your fans and you're under a contract so you shouldn't just walk out on it anyway. If he was mad that Batista is in the main event that he needed to suck it up like the rest of the locker room. IMO there is no excuse for what he did. He ran like a little b**ch, just like he was going to do in the summer of 2011. I was a CM Punk fan but I wont support him after this.

 

[the_peoples_adam]

Let CM PUNK take some time off and rest for some 10 months time..He is really frustrated currently..I think he should only come back at next years ROYAL RUMBLE as entrant no.30 for a massive pop..

 

[d_henderson1810]

I always felt that last year's WM main-event should have been a Triple-Threat Match- Rock v Cena v Punk for the WWE Title.

Each man in the match has issues with the other two, so there would be a lot of heat in the match. Hey, the Rock would take the pinfall, keeping both Cena and Punk strong, and Punk would have got his main-event.