CM Punk: A Leader or Future Hypocrite?

[babinko]

As we have known even dating back to 2011, CM Punk has always had this frustration in the WWE Locker room. He even stated in his DVD, Punk has been very outspoken in this company, not liking the way the direction is going, and at times wanted to give up. We are now in 2014, many years after the fact. This happens to many full-time wrestlers that they need to make a decision, Should I stay or Should I go?

My question to everyone, is Punk going to be a Leader or is he going to be a Future Hypocrite. Now, I am not talking short time here. Punk is going to be gone sometime within the next year. His body, banged up from all the years of non-stop full-time wrestling, can't keep up with the pounding of the mat anymore. We know how outspoken Punk can be, how he defends the product and where it should be focusing on. If Punk leaves, will he actually stay away from WWE forever?

Staying away for good means he is a Leader. Hes showing how he is fed up with the direction and never wants to be associated with the company. Punk seems to be this type of guy. Like he said in his DVD, if he doesn't get what he wants he doesn't mind picking up his things and moving on to find it. Punk stated how he is set financially and won't need WWE as a crutch. Yet, what if Punk actually comes back? Would that make him a hypocrite? Lets examine this further.

So as we seen with pretty much the last 5 years, WWE is always bringing these part-timers in during the WM season. These guys are getting paid Big Bucks and taking away the spotlight to many of the young talent that deserve it. Punk is right in the middle of all of this, being snubbed of back to back chances to headline WM. Punk probably understands this is a business, and this is how things rolls, but is always willing to voice his opinion on the matter.
Punk must be very irate over the fact Rock, Lesnar, and now Batista are stealing major airtime not only from him, but from others behind the curtain.
Now, if Punk leaves on good-terms come this July, do you think WWE would bring him back for one of these part-timer runs? Do you think CM Punk would want to come back during a Wrestlemania season?

Imagine Punk leaving for good. 4 years down the line, hes in great shape, got that itch to return, and its almost WM season. WWE calls, "Hey Punk, we want you to come back, win the rumble, go to WM". Do you think Punk says Yes? This is where i'm coming to the Leader/Hypocrite. Punk is currently fighting a losing battle. He hates all these part-time wrestlers coming in to hog air time, but within 5 years, is Punk going to be doing that same thing?

Punk at the end of the day needs to realize that this is a hard business to stay afloat, and I am sure he knows that. He was given his chance. He has held the WWE belt for 434 days, longest in the last 25 years. He had his Summer of Punk, he was at the top, but everything eventually comes to an end (unless you're Cena).

Punk might not care about the money, but he cares about wrestling, the fans. I feel that, IMO, if he were to leave now, he would eventually come back for a part-time run, which in the long run, makes him look like a total hypocrite. I got nothing against punk at all, I love the guy, my favorite wrestler to date. I want to know if he is going be a Leader and quit based on what should be right for business and hold that grudge based on part-timers hogging the spotlight, or eventually come back and do what he is complaining about in the first place.

I know it was a long rant but what do you think? Is he staying out for good, or becoming one of these part-timers that he always complains about.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Like I said in the other thread, if he goes, I see him investing in the competition either TNA or ROH to provide an alternative.. As it stands he could easily chip a million or two of his money to start and once contracts roll up cherry pick a few of his guys from both WWE and TNA if needed...

It's not beyond the realms that Punk, Ziggler, Barrett and a couple of others could be the ones who made that leap.

Now would he then be welcome back in the WWE? Probably not and if he was a success elsewhere why would he want to go back? But also remember that Vince has long being a pragmatist and Trip's even more so. This whole situation is the same as with Bret 15 years ago, they don't WANT to lose Punk, but they realise they kinda have to cos he just doesn't fit the model right now and his complaining will only destabilise others over time, just as Bret's concerns about direction were doing.

If he did go onto a part time schedule few could call him a hypocrite as he's served a long time of being a 110% but I doubt the man himself would be happy with that, he doesn't "need the money enough" to risk feeling a hypocrite.

This whole thing could still be a way to get him rested up for Mania or it could be the end of a business relationship that came close to ending 3 years ago for similar reasons. Both sides could probably say "it's not you it's me" and mean it, saving the possibility of working together down the line... He's probably done enough for HOF already, he's probably earned a good write up rather than the bitch slap Warrior initially got and he'll always be useful to WWE in that part time capacity... it might cost them far more than it would have done had they done more of his "demands" from last time... but it would still likely happen, I think for Punk it'd come down to if the fans wanted it, if he didn't feel he was selling out and he had it locked in what was going to happen creatively... much as Batista and Brock have...

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Any wrestler who says or gives an indication that he doesn't care about money is so full of shit that his eyes turn a different shade of brown every 5 minutes. Any wrestler who gets into wrestling and does it, putting his body through the wear & tear that it takes, for some sort of artistic reasoning or for the thrill of it is someone who needs his head examined. You have to love it, don't mistake me about that, but all the love in the world won't put food on the table or pay the bills if your body gets too worn out to do so. As far as money goes, I'm sure that CM Punk could say that he doesn't care about the money. According to sportrichlist.com, CM Punk's salary is well over $1.2 million and he's said to have a net worth of $7.5 million. It's easy to not care about money when you have a cushy, seven figure bank account.

A cold hard fact of life is that when it comes to the boys in the back having some sort of brotherhood or bond, at the end of the day, I think it's a lot of smoke & mirrors. It's not to say that some of them don't genuinely care about each other. But, at the end of the day, they're thinking about themselves, their jobs & their families first just like everyone else. Otherwise, if they're all so unhappy about what's going on, why don't they all just ban together, walk right up to management and say that some things need to be straightened out and talked about, otherwise we're all walking out. As far as his frustrations with WWE goes sometimes, I'm sure it's legit. Everyone gets frustrated with something sometimes and sometimes that frustration can lead to you saying things that you don't really mean & wish you could take back once enough time has passed and you're able to get some fresh perspective. Doesn't make you a hypocrite; we all say & do things sometimes we wish we hadn't when we're pissed off.

Like 99% of all pro wrestlers, CM Punk's a professional bullshitter. A good portion of the most successful pro wrestlers are guys so full of hot air they could inflate the Hindenburg without missing a beat. It goes hand in hand with portraying a fictional personal who engages in fictional feuds in fictional fights with other fictional personas. CM Punk, in real life, isn't the "Voice of the Voiceless" and never has been. In real life, he's not some maverick who's out to change the world and make it a better place. In real life, he's 35 year old Phillip Jack Brooks from Chicago.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Would I not understand someone's opinion if they called him a hypocrite for coming back part time after he gave so much crap to other part timers? Yes. I'd even agree to an extent.

Sometimes people have to do what they have to do. What if Punk quits temporarily because he is so banged up? He's going to have to go for awhile, meaning when he comes back he's going to lose just that much time. Plus he'll have to take it easier if he wants to stay for longer than a year or so.

Also, what if he quits because he's fed up with something? Call him a hypocrite if you want if he comes back, but understand that people often make mistakes. Some time off might make him realize how much he loves the business and how hard it is to let go of things sometimes. Look at Brett Favre. A lot of people hated the fact that he kept playing football so long, but he absolutely loves the game. It's hard to let go of things like that. You could use several wrestlers as examples of the same thing. The Wrestler is based on that very thing. And a lot of people would call Punk the bigger man for admitting he was wrong or acted a little hasty in that situation. In his case, he might not know what he's got until it's gone.

Would I understand someone who called him a hypocrite? Sure. I might even say he deserves the criticism. Would I understand that there's likely more to it though? Definitely. We're all human.

That said, if he left because of injuries and wanted back but was just too beat up, I'd take him behind the commentators desk all day. Guy is absolutely hilarious as a commentator.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Punk is good. Based on some of these threads that people post about the things he says and does makes it hard for me to know if he is just being a petulant diva or if he is actually working the marks. It's not like Punk works that much harder than say Cena, Bryan, Ziggler, Cesaro, Swagger, Ryback, or Yoshi Tatsu. From a TV perspective he seems to not have to work most SDs. It's clear that he doesn't spend much time working on his body. If he is so banged up wouldn't he back off on all of the top rope flops that he does? I don't think anyone is paying a ticket to see him do that.

I think this is just furthering his story with The Authority. Punk and WWE are trying to skew the lines of reality and story. They did it brilliantly with his shoot in 2011 and they are doing something to a lesser extent now. He may leave in July and that's fine. But right now there is a WM pay day around the corner and a storyline to sell about the evil bosses lack of respect for the Best Opinion of Himself in the World.

PS - I love CM Punk the performer.

 

[Gibby]

Interesting point, OP. Whether this walkout is legitimate or not, he's going to occupy some younger full-time wrestler's spot not only in WWE if he comes back, but presumably in any transition time spent slaloming around New Japan or the indys. That's pretty much undeniable.

However, and let's continue to assume we're not being worked - I don't think it is about part-timers stealing the show, because CM knows it's a business as much as anyone else. As Jack-Hammer says, workers will put themselves first and I think this is no different.

Personally, I think he's mad because Batista, a lesser worker and probably a lesser draw who got booed out of the #2 PPV after winning, has usurped a spot that he should have nailed down according to any realistic metric. He shifts the merch, the kids love him, the smarks love him and he jobbed to a part-timer in The Rock last year and then helped deliver MOTN with a very fragile Undertaker at WM29. I am also going to speculate that he was made promises that were not kept based on this jobbing out, and the writing became very vivid on the wall that the path to WMXXX was to be no different.

What does he need to do? Learn to juggle on a unicycle?

 

[Kris Benwa]

Punk is good. Based on some of these threads that people post about the things he says and does makes it hard for me to know if he is just being a petulant diva or if he is actually working the marks. It's not like Punk works that much harder than say Cena, Bryan, Ziggler, Cesaro, Swagger, Ryback, or Yoshi Tatsu. From a TV perspective he seems to not have to work most SDs. It's clear that he doesn't spend much time working on his body. If he is so banged up wouldn't he back off on all of the top rope flops that he does? I don't think anyone is paying a ticket to see him do that.

I think this is just furthering his story with The Authority. Punk and WWE are trying to skew the lines of reality and story. They did it brilliantly with his shoot in 2011 and they are doing something to a lesser extent now. He may leave in July and that's fine. But right now there is a WM pay day around the corner and a storyline to sell about the evil bosses lack of respect for the Best Opinion of Himself in the World.

PS - I love CM Punk the performer.

I'm going to have to agree with everything here. He may claim to not care about the money but you aren't going to miss out on a WrestleMania pay day. Even if he's not the last match on the card he's a big part of the company and will be a big part of the show and would get I imagine a pretty hefty check from working the big show. I'm going to believe this is a work until some more details come out.

As far as the hypocrite thing, I think he would certainly be a hypocrite but If he goes away I'm not sure why but I get the feeling that he'll come back and work another career's worth of time like HBK did. He certainly could be successful as that guy and would personally like to see it if he does go away. That wouldn't make him a part time guy so he could say that "I didn't come back for WrestleMania time I came back for a final run". In the end I think this is a work but if not, I'm interested in seeing what's CM Punk's next move.

Edit: I sort of went on a tangent. I think if Punk comes back for a part time run in the WWE then that would make him a hypocrite. But the thing is he would be still taking someone's spot in any company he went to with a name as big as his. If he totally doesn't want to seem like a hypocrite then he should either stay where he is or stop all together.

 

[NickRude]

Interesting point, OP. Whether this walkout is legitimate or not, he's going to occupy some younger full-time wrestler's spot not only in WWE if he comes back, but presumably in any transition time spent slaloming around New Japan or the indys. That's pretty much undeniable.

However, and let's continue to assume we're not being worked - I don't think it is about part-timers stealing the show, because CM knows it's a business as much as anyone else. As Jack-Hammer says, workers will put themselves first and I think this is no different.

Personally, I think he's mad because Batista, a lesser worker and probably a lesser draw who got booed out of the #2 PPV after winning, has usurped a spot that he should have nailed down according to any realistic metric. He shifts the merch, the kids love him, the smarks love him and he jobbed to a part-timer in The Rock last year and then helped deliver MOTN with a very fragile Undertaker at WM29. I am also going to speculate that he was made promises that were not kept based on this jobbing out, and the writing became very vivid on the wall that the path to WMXXX was to be no different.

What does he need to do? Learn to juggle on a unicycle?

from January 24, 2014..an summary of his guest spot on a radio show for Rumble promotion

- Punk said he was critical of The Rock coming back because of the "part time status," and doesn't feel like guys should come back just to get a WrestleMania spot. However, he is fine with Batista returning since he signed a two year deal and is "in for the long haul" and is a full time guy. Punk also said that he could beat Batista in a jiu-jitsu match.

 

[Kidpolean]

CM punk was a whiny bitch in 2011 and he is a whiny bitch in 2014. I doubt this is a work. I looked past his bs because he actually has talent. Honestly I'd rather a part timer come back just for money than to see one of the top full timers walk out on fans during the road to WM. If this is a work than he needs to come back a heel, it wouldn't make much sense for a face to walk out on the fans only to come back and fight the same management that was there when he left.

Vince needs to fire his ass, and give his spot to Cesaro, Reigns, Wyatt, or maybe Ziggler. This is such a slap in the face to the fans. Let punk go his dumb ass to tna or roh. There are so many people, like myself, that would kill to be in his position in the WWE and for him to pull this bs in unacceptable. If this isnt a work than I no longer respect Punk nor will I buy his merchandise.

How the hell do people on here threaten to stop watching the wwe and not give them anymore money If DB doesnt main event wrestlemania and win the title, BUT supports a guy that walks out on us in the middle of the road to WM?

 

[Kizzani]

CM Punk quit on his fan base because he isn't getting all the attention. He said D Bry should be in the main event and now he is you help create the monster that took your spot...now take your ball and go home.....Bye Punk.

 

[fenderjapan]

Assuming for a minute this isn't a work.......

I don't know what CM Punk expects. He signed with WWE and got to keep his indie ring name and gimmick, UNHEARD OF nowadays. He got a gigantic run with the title. He headlined countless PPVs and had a 5 Star match with Cena. All the while being a tiny guy with an indie look that is a dick to the fans whether he is a face or heel, and banging every diva. Now he wants to quit. But instead of quitting in a respectable manner, he quits in a huff just to piss off Vinnie Mac for "screwing him".

If this is legit, he is obviously just the douche we all knew he was.

 

[Dragonslayer]

I like Punk as a wrestler, since he is very good on the mic and pretty decent in the ring, and can have good matches with almost anyone. I don't consider him the "best ever" compared to some of the big stars of old who are about his size, like HBK, but for this day and age, he's good.

On a personal level, from what I've read about Punk over the last couple of years, he seems to be pretty much a douchebag in real life. He's been over pretty much the entire ladies' locker room over the years, he's outspoken (which can be interpreted as "whiny bitch"), he's constantly giving the impression that he's frustrated because he's not "treated right" (i.e. not THE top guy), and in general he seems to be pretty much full of himself.

Which he certainly has a certain right to, considering that he's good. He is, however, not phenomenal. He definitely deserves to be in the main event picture, and I could understand it if he's pissed off about Batista just walking into the Rumble and claiming the coveted Mania main event spot after being gone from the company for four years; four years in which people like Punk himself - love him or hate him - have busted their asses for the company. To then NOT be given a chance to go to the main event of arguably the biggest Wrestlemania ever, all due to the return of a 45 year old "veteran", who is not half as big a draw as he or WWE think... I guess that could grind your gears - or be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

I actually don't like the treatment Batista is getting now myself, even though I used to like Batista... but he's not The Rock, and he's getting the same treatment... and even The Rock did more for his last run with the WWE belt than Batista has, at this time. But that's for another topic.

In any case, I can understand CM Punk being pissed off and "walking out" (though if I were him, I'd probably still have taken that Mania paycheck) - but I actually would not hold it against him, if he played the "part timer" part himself from now on.

By today's terms, he is still one of the top tier stars, even if he's never quite reached the level of Cena - but he is definitely more positively over with the fans right now than anyone else save for Daniel Bryan. If he leaves now for say, a year or maybe even two... he could rest up, probably make some money with some minor media apperances, take a bit time off from the biz... Because, as we all know: abscence makes the heart grow fonder, and that is especially true in pro wrestling.

So if Punk takes a leave now, he could in fact come back in two years for Wrestlemania season, and would probably get a bigger reaction than he's getting now, and he could be the one who suddenly wins the Rumble, goes on to Mania and wins "the big one". He'd be 37 years old by then, and even if he doesn't want to be a wrestling "lifer", he could still go for one more run (maybe only until Summerslam or Survivor Series), make another nice paycheck for limited work, and get his last moment of glory.

Would it be hypocritical? Maybe, but in all honesty, Punk strikes me as the guy who wouldn't give a damn about that. And if he did it, it'd be fine by me. I couldn't say he hasn't earned it by now, after quite a number of years of constantly good to very good work in WWE. Heck, if Batista deserves it now, Punk deserves it next year or two years from now without the shadow of a doubt.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

When it comes to Punk and the WWE, I don't know if these things are a work or not. I'm not a fan of the blurring the lines of reality, if that's what they are doing. I personally believe that none of them are really that smart to be able to manipulate something like that into anything coherent. Looking back, I think it's pretty obvious that 2011 was a work, or half work/half shoot as there was no chance that the WWE was going to give him the title and let him walk out with it. I think maybe there was a bit of reality to it in the months leading UP to Money in the Bank 2011, where Punk made the argument as his contract was coming up that he wanted a bigger push. By the time MitB 2011 rolled around, the plans were pretty much set.

However, last year's post WrestleMania hiatus was clearly a sign of burnout, and the WWE had to work around it. Since his return, Punk has largely played second fiddle to Bryan. It's not like he hasn't been popular, or pushed into good angles (Heyman, Lesnar, The Shield), but he's not getting near the title or the Main Event. I've long held that being in the WrestleMania main event is the new pinnacle of wrestling. It's no longer about getting the belt. Last match at WrestleMania means you've made it to the top. Punk's been moving further and further away from that goal.

So right now, I think this is the real deal: Be it burnout, or angling for a better contract, he's walking away temporarily. I think that's pretty unprofessional, personally, and indicative of a massive ego that really doesn't give a shit, but hey, he'll be in good company with guys like Batista, Ultimate Warrior and Lesnar. The right thing? Leave when your contract is up, and go do whatever makes you happy, but fulfill the contract that you signed and have been getting paid for.

If it's a work...well, good luck with this story, WWE. You're not really that good at this kind of stuff. You had something good going with the Summer of Punk, but you let that fizzle out too.

What he'll do in the mean time? Oh, I'm sure Punk will be very happy putting in appearances at comic book and sci-fi conventions, UFC/MMA shows, and hockey games. He'll dabble in little side projects that keep him in the limelight in those areas. I don't think he's dumb enough to go to TNA, because ultimately, if he wants to go back to wrestling, he won't settle for anything other than the WWE and the money and prestige it brings.

Lastly, is it hypocritical if he comes back? No. People change. Money makes the world go round. Never say never. I don't know why a guy claiming burnout has to walk away forever. I don't know why a guy who says he doesn't like the product has to walk away forever. The product may change. I think his opinion of the product will also largely change depending on money, schedule and whether he gets the spotlight.

 

[MasterDebator]

I am inclined to think this is not a work. If the WWE wanted to use this as a way to further progress the story-line Punk was seemingly working with Kane/The Authority, why not have him walk out on the company on live television? Wouldn't that at least put some more heat on his opponents and create more of a buzz than Punk unceremoniously hopping a plane to Chicago? Furthermore, CM Punk has been feuding with The Shield as well, so it would have been more logical for him to come out for the save of Daniel Bryan than Sheamus and/or John Cena. No, folks. This is not a work. This is real. Whether it is permanent or not is up in the air, but my gut tells me we've seen the last of CM Punk for a while.

Go and listen to that interview. Punk strikes me as a guy who, while his television persona is justifiably jacked up for show, would leave if he wasn't satisfied with the product. I mean, when was the last time John Cena complained about WWE's on-air product? I don't think he ever has. Punk saying he wouldn't watch wrestling if it weren't for him was not in-line with his character at the moment. It was a total heel thing to say if it were a work, which it isn't. I think a combination of having his wheels spun for a little while, all this talk about old-vets and part-timers coming back to work Mania, and being banged up has led him to this point. How does it make him a hypocrite if he is unsatisfied with the product and his place in it leading to his exit?

In fact, CM Punk is the exact antithesis of every one of us who complained about WWE's direction with Daniel Bryan this Sunday night, yet we all sat like sheep and watched Raw on Monday after hours of bitching and moaning about who should be where and who should be pushed. If we're this down on the product, we can see the door. Punk is clearly down on the product (and has seemed rather uninspired lately -- his comments about his match with Seth Rollins a few weeks ago are also telling) and so he is doing what the rest of us haven't the balls to do -- he said goodbye to WWE.

In conclusion, I think the point raised earlier about Punk becoming some kind of objective wrestling-savior by investing in a rival company to create competition (which, by the way, is the chief reason why wrestling has gone from bad-mediocre and back for years) is a compelling idea, but one I think is silly unless Punk himself takes on a managerial/consulting/producing role. Cash ain't gonna do it and Punk doesn't have the coin to finance a rival to the WWE.

 

[NegativeFeedback]

Steve Austin:
I remember one time I was wrestling down in Columbus, Georgia. I was working with Ric Flair in a cage, and I got a call from Jim Ross. They were dropping the creative on me. They wanted me to do the favors for Brock Lesnar in Atlanta. Man, I was running hard. [What does that mean, do the favors?] I was going to get beat. [I don't like this already] I didn't either, back then. So Jim Ross had called to give me the down low on what was going to happen. I said well, really? I'm running up and down the road trying to sell these buildings out. We're kicking ass. When you got a number one cat, you keep throwing the gas on him. You don't fiddlef*** around with him. You keep the hammer down. I said, man, it ain't good business. I'll be happy to lay down on anybody if we're going to do the buildup and we're going to get paid for this thing and do a big number, but we had not done this. It was just going to be a Monday Night RAW, a match out of the blue. I said well, if that's going to be the case I won't be there. Well, I'm just telling you what's happening, you might want to call Vince.

"So sure enough, I get a couple messages that I need to call Vince. So I called him. Vince gave me the same scenario. It was like two in the morning. We got RAW the next day. I said so that's what we're doing? He says yep.I said, okay. See, I see the way you're looking at me right now, the way I said okay. It means okay, it ain't okay. But when I say okay to him, he just heard me say okay. My okay mean like ha, that's bulls***. My okay means I ain't going to be there. So that's when I took my ball and hauled ass back to Texas and said hey, piss on it. I quit. So that was the case.

"[So what happened?] Well, you know they got TV, man. I'm sitting on an airplane going back to San Antonio and my phone's blowing up like a son of a b****. They're trying to get ahold of me, and I said sayonara, catch you later. It was just a real bad decision, but made. [Bad decision by you?] Oh yeah. Well, bad decision on their part, business wise, to want to beat me on short notice with no advertising. No buildup, come on, man, s***. We're trying to make this kid. He had all the potential in the world. Nothing personal against Brock, I love Brock and I always did, but it just wasn't a good business decision. And if I'm out there working my ass off, as was everybody else, we're all making damn good money selling out, and all of a sudden, dude, you want to pick me off like that?

"[What's the repercussions for going against Vince like that?] I quit! I quit, I was gone for almost a year. [Didn't you have a contract that says you can't quit?] Well yeah, I could quit. I mean, it wasn't like I was going to go anywhere. I didn't do anything. I was gone for like eight or ten months. [How nice was the break?] Oh, I was miserable. Dude, are you kidding me? I made a snap decision and walked away from, we were doing killer business. Every arena was sold out, it was 20000. I don't care what day of the week it was, they were all sold out. I was on top. So you walk away from that paycheck. You ain't got nothing coming in the mailbox. They stop paying you. You still have bills. I'm watching the show. They're doing a smear campaign. Now they've got to just trash me and say I took my ball and went home, and that was their whole spin. They just said that I took my ball and went home. It was bad. I was miserable watching all my buddies go up and down the road and keep doing Monday Night RAW. I was leading the charge, and I took my s*** and went home.

On whether or not he has any regrets about his wrestling career:
"Not really. When you look back on anything in life, hindsight being 20/20, some things you'd like to have done a little differently. If I had to come up with just one of them, I'd say how I handled the Brock Lesnar/Atlanta deal a little bit differently then I did.

"I was supposed to work with Brock on a Monday Night Raw in Atlanta and I find out about that in Columbus, Georgia when I was working with Ric Flair in a cage. My favorite wrestler of all time. Anyway, I took my ball and went home as WWE said. It was a bad decision made and I wish I would have handled it a little different then I did. Really, that's about the only thing I'd change if I could go back in time. But, as we know, right now, we can't."

I'm guessing that if he actually did walk out, he must have had Steve Austin's infinite walk-out in mind. But as we can see, Steve Austin obviously regrets ever doing it. I'm sure Punk will end up feeling the same way.

 

[Pedigree1]

Is a CM Punk a hypocrite or Future leader? In reality JH nailed it. He is some 35 year old guy Phillip Jack Brooks from Chicago IL! Pro Wrestlers are a lot like actors. Professional bullshitters and who knows if this all true or not. We all do,our jobs for money true there is pride and joy,but at the end of the day its all about money.

CM Punk can claim its not about the money,but its about one thing with athletes,its all about the money. He is neither a leader or hypocrite IMO. We all say things when were pissed off,were not sorry at that moment,but later on most of us are. If his net worth is indeed 7.5 Mil and I think it might be higher,than clearly he is not hurting for money. With Punk though its hard to tell what is real or Kayfabe,playing a storyline with the authority! If the authority mentions they had to suspend Punk or whatever reason if they bring his name up,then this is a work

 

[MasterDebator]

The only difference I can point out between Punk leaving and Austin's infamous walkout would be that Austin's seemed to be based solely on creative differences, while Punk's decision seems to be rooted in creative direction plus a lack of desire to pummel his body on the road and in the ring.

To supplement what others have said, I think Dave Batista coming back and getting this HUGE push right away, despite what Punk publicly says, rubbed him the wrong way. Obviously, this is conjecture, but after culling together bits and pieces of rhetoric I can remember from Punk's interviews, I'd say it was at least a factor.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I like Punk as a wrestler, since he is very good on the mic and pretty decent in the ring, and can have good matches with almost anyone. I don't consider him the "best ever" compared to some of the big stars of old who are about his size, like HBK, but for this day and age, he's good.

On a personal level, from what I've read about Punk over the last couple of years, he seems to be pretty much a douchebag in real life. He's been over pretty much the entire ladies' locker room over the years, he's outspoken (which can be interpreted as "whiny bitch"), he's constantly giving the impression that he's frustrated because he's not "treated right" (i.e. not THE top guy), and in general he seems to be pretty much full of himself.

Which he certainly has a certain right to, considering that he's good. He is, however, not phenomenal. He definitely deserves to be in the main event picture, and I could understand it if he's pissed off about Batista just walking into the Rumble and claiming the coveted Mania main event spot after being gone from the company for four years; four years in which people like Punk himself - love him or hate him - have busted their asses for the company. To then NOT be given a chance to go to the main event of arguably the biggest Wrestlemania ever, all due to the return of a 45 year old "veteran", who is not half as big a draw as he or WWE think... I guess that could grind your gears - or be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

I actually don't like the treatment Batista is getting now myself, even though I used to like Batista... but he's not The Rock, and he's getting the same treatment... and even The Rock did more for his last run with the WWE belt than Batista has, at this time. But that's for another topic.

In any case, I can understand CM Punk being pissed off and "walking out" (though if I were him, I'd probably still have taken that Mania paycheck) - but I actually would not hold it against him, if he played the "part timer" part himself from now on.

By today's terms, he is still one of the top tier stars, even if he's never quite reached the level of Cena - but he is definitely more positively over with the fans right now than anyone else save for Daniel Bryan. If he leaves now for say, a year or maybe even two... he could rest up, probably make some money with some minor media apperances, take a bit time off from the biz... Because, as we all know: abscence makes the heart grow fonder, and that is especially true in pro wrestling.

So if Punk takes a leave now, he could in fact come back in two years for Wrestlemania season, and would probably get a bigger reaction than he's getting now, and he could be the one who suddenly wins the Rumble, goes on to Mania and wins "the big one". He'd be 37 years old by then, and even if he doesn't want to be a wrestling "lifer", he could still go for one more run (maybe only until Summerslam or Survivor Series), make another nice paycheck for limited work, and get his last moment of glory.

Would it be hypocritical? Maybe, but in all honesty, Punk strikes me as the guy who wouldn't give a damn about that. And if he did it, it'd be fine by me. I couldn't say he hasn't earned it by now, after quite a number of years of constantly good to very good work in WWE. Heck, if Batista deserves it now, Punk deserves it next year or two years from now without the shadow of a doubt.

There is also another Mania match that may have gotten his goat more that is rumored...

Warrior v Ryback

In Ryback you have Vince's "chosen one" a prototype in the mould that Vince and Trips want to be the face of their company, he has had a lot of Punk's spotlight (and injured him along the way) and now seemingly is about to be fed to the raving ego that is The Warrior... That more than anything could be the straw that pushed it for Punk... if Ryback isn't getting the love, what chance have he, Bryan, Zig or the others got?

 

[L@RISANO]

CM punk was a whiny bitch in 2011 and he is a whiny bitch in 2014. I doubt this is a work. I looked past his bs because he actually has talent. Honestly I'd rather a part timer come back just for money than to see one of the top full timers walk out on fans during the road to WM. If this is a work than he needs to come back a heel, it wouldn't make much sense for a face to walk out on the fans only to come back and fight the same management that was there when he left.

Vince needs to fire his ass, and give his spot to Cesaro, Reigns, Wyatt, or maybe Ziggler. This is such a slap in the face to the fans. Let punk go his dumb ass to tna or roh. There are so many people, like myself, that would kill to be in his position in the WWE and for him to pull this bs in unacceptable. If this isnt a work than I no longer respect Punk nor will I buy his merchandise.

How the hell do people on here threaten to stop watching the wwe and not give them anymore money If DB doesnt main event wrestlemania and win the title, BUT supports a guy that walks out on us in the middle of the road to WM?

I agree with Kidpolean on this.

If this is not a work and part of the story in order to give CM Punk some deserved rest time, then VKM needs to fire his ass regardless of what he does when he leaves. In the end, this wouldn't be the first guy to leave on bad terms and as said in the comment above, he has left his fans high and dry in the middle of an important feud just before WM.

Personally, I am not his biggest fan but I do enjoy his segments like I do Daniel Bryan. However, if this has something to do with Main Eventing WM then I have to say he is clutching at straws because he doesnt really have a chance with the way things are at this time.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

No. Kidpolean is wrong...

So you would "kill" to be in his position in WWE? What is his position? Look at it coldly rather than with jealousy.

Phil Brooks is a guy who dedicated his life to the craft of being a wrestler, he paid his dues, drove the miles, slept in his car, ate tuna from the can, the whole "impoverished for his art", just as guys like Bryan and those in the history of the biz did... He created a name, a character and a gimmick... he didn't succumb to the temptations of the road and kept true to his core values, notably being a straight edge guy in a business that has always been about who and how you party as much as the show itself... He works his way to the "biggest game" and finds himself marginalised and fighting to get even a minor push... but does it... he gets there to the point where when his last contract was up, he was rivalling the chosen point man and the fans were demanding he replace him. So he plays a little hard ball, asks for some concessions to stay and more to the point, works the angle for the benefit of the company while doing so... had he not signed the deal he'd have jobbed to Cena that night, he'd have looked bad, maybe asked for a run in or something to soften that but he'd have done it... but he had self belief and more importantly knew the fans were ready for the change...

So he gets his run and he does exceedingly well with it... but soon "Dwayne" want's to come back and this time he wants the title... again, Punk could have thrown his toys but he didn't he did the job to Dwayne AND Taker, knowing it wasn't the best match he could be in but he showed the right respect... but he gets pissed off at times and if the wrong person catches him like the fan, he's not messing about...

Then they start building a new guy Ryback, who is their prototype of a guy - he has "their look" and they've moulded him for 7 years... he works him and gets hurt... and rather than take the time off, does the company/professional pride thing and sucks it up...

Till this past week or so... Where he not only sees a guy come back to the plum spot of the year, and behave badly doing so without catching even a bit of flak... they then kneejerk to move Bryan into his match he's been building for months and he is offered either Sheamus or someone lower... not even a Money In the Bank win which might have salved it... and hears that the guy they "wanted over" in Ryback is likely to be fed to Warrior in a minute at Mania...and he's whiny and deserves firing if he says "fuck this"...He saw Bret in 97, he'd rather go home than have that happen to him at Mania cos he's on his way in July...

No... Phil Brooks is no saint, he's clearly got a chip on his shoulder, has been through the entire divas roster and probably stamped his foot to get what he wants more than others have... but if THAT was what you were putting up with, would you still kill to be in that position? At worst in his case, he has been well paid... but sometimes money isn't enough...

I HOPE it's a work, I really do... it probably is and either way it won't end badly because there is a massive publicity boon to WWE in this at the moment, they're making mainstream media for the 2nd time in 3 days... they couldn't buy this publicity even when Dwayne was around...

At the end of the day this is the worst thing thats happened for a long time... it's either Bret 2014 or it's going to make 30 so watched that they will think this is the way to go with talent and it will vindicate their position

 

[Kidpolean]

No. Kidpolean is wrong...

So you would "kill" to be in his position in WWE? What is his position? Look at it coldly rather than with jealousy.

Phil Brooks is a guy who dedicated his life to the craft of being a wrestler, he paid his dues, drove the miles, slept in his car, ate tuna from the can, the whole "impoverished for his art", just as guys like Bryan and those in the history of the biz did... He created a name, a character and a gimmick... he didn't succumb to the temptations of the road and kept true to his core values, notably being a straight edge guy in a business that has always been about who and how you party as much as the show itself... He works his way to the "biggest game" and finds himself marginalised and fighting to get even a minor push... but does it... he gets there to the point where when his last contract was up, he was rivalling the chosen point man and the fans were demanding he replace him. So he plays a little hard ball, asks for some concessions to stay and more to the point, works the angle for the benefit of the company while doing so... had he not signed the deal he'd have jobbed to Cena that night, he'd have looked bad, maybe asked for a run in or something to soften that but he'd have done it... but he had self belief and more importantly knew the fans were ready for the change...

So he gets his run and he does exceedingly well with it... but soon "Dwayne" want's to come back and this time he wants the title... again, Punk could have thrown his toys but he didn't he did the job to Dwayne AND Taker, knowing it wasn't the best match he could be in but he showed the right respect... but he gets pissed off at times and if the wrong person catches him like the fan, he's not messing about...

Then they start building a new guy Ryback, who is their prototype of a guy - he has "their look" and they've moulded him for 7 years... he works him and gets hurt... and rather than take the time off, does the company/professional pride thing and sucks it up...

Till this past week or so... Where he not only sees a guy come back to the plum spot of the year, and behave badly doing so without catching even a bit of flak... they then kneejerk to move Bryan into his match he's been building for months and he is offered either Sheamus or someone lower... not even a Money In the Bank win which might have salved it... and hears that the guy they "wanted over" in Ryback is likely to be fed to Warrior in a minute at Mania...and he's whiny and deserves firing if he says "fuck this"...He saw Bret in 97, he'd rather go home than have that happen to him at Mania cos he's on his way in July...

No... Phil Brooks is no saint, he's clearly got a chip on his shoulder, has been through the entire divas roster and probably stamped his foot to get what he wants more than others have... but if THAT was what you were putting up with, would you still kill to be in that position? At worst in his case, he has been well paid... but sometimes money isn't enough...

I HOPE it's a work, I really do... it probably is and either way it won't end badly because there is a massive publicity boon to WWE in this at the moment, they're making mainstream media for the 2nd time in 3 days... they couldn't buy this publicity even when Dwayne was around...

At the end of the day this is the worst thing thats happened for a long time... it's either Bret 2014 or it's going to make 30 so watched that they will think this is the way to go with talent and it will vindicate their position

are u serious? Ask 99% of Indy wrestlers or tna wrestlers if they would take cm punks role in WWE over there current roles in there organization and they will say YES!!!!

the stuff he did to get to to wwe means absolutely nothing. I don't care if he slept in his car and ate tuna out of a can, lots of indy wrestlers do that and never get a chance to step foot in a WWE ring.

Look at guys like Taker, Kane, Big Show, Jericho, Guerrero, hell even The Rock at one point. They all played second fiddle and had other guys pushed over them. Thats a part of the business. CM Punk can take his ass back to roh and wrestle in front of 200 people that will tell him he's the best in the world even though he's not. Punk is clearly unprofessional and this is the second time he's threatened to leave the company so f**k him.

I have no reason to be jealous of punk. Imo he's one of the most overrated wrestlers of all time. I do enjoy his work but at no point in his career was he ever even close to being the best wrestler in the world.

BTW...this isnt even an argument. Why does everyone try to turn everything into an argument. This is simply my opinion and nothing you say will change that. I believe in loyalty, thats a big deal to me. The wwe gave this guy a stage to become a star on, put food on his plate, gave him a chance to travel the world and live out his childhood dreams...and he repays them by walking out during their most important time of the year. Not only did he disrespect the wwe by doing this but he disrespected his fan base as well. Im pretty sure the people that purchased tickets to Mania wanted to see him wrestle but NOPE he said f**k my fans and f**k the wwe, so my response is f**k CM Punk and this is coming from a CM punk fan. I wore his freaking shirt to WM28 and to Raw a couple of months ago.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

When you boil it down, Punk has said that he holds the pinnacle of his profession as headlining WrestleMania.

Let's look at the last few WrestleManias:

WM 27: Cena Vs. the Host of WrestleMania, The Rock. Oh, you mean his opponent was The Miz? And the Miz won? Really? No one gives a crap. WrestleMania 27 was an advertisement for WrestleMania 28. The whole point of that main event wasn't to get the Miz over; the Miz was practically forgotten in the whole buildup to WrestleMania. That match was about Cena and The Rock's interaction

WM 28: Cena Vs. Rock I - Imagine you are any other wrestler in the WWE. For one whole year, you know that you are not going to get into the main event of WrestleMania. You shrug...you think this is a once in a lifetime thing...right?

WM 29: Cena Vs. Rock II - WHAT THE LIVING FUCK? Not only do they bounce everyone out of the main event spot again, but they put on the most predictable main event in years.

WM 30: Who knows what the main event will be but it's shaping up to be some form of Orton, Batista and / or Lesnar now, with maybe a chance that they'll redeem it by bringing Bryan in.

Again, if we take Punk's leaving at face value, yeah....I'd be pretty deflated by the fact that for 4 years running, the main event has been dominated by part time players while I was in the prime of my career.

I think the only thing is that if Punk was to do this, he should've waited til his contract was up, and then pull a Jericho. "Contract's up...I'm done. See you later."

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Like I previously said, it's very likely he had time off built into his deal that he didn't take cos of that long title run... if he is done, then he'd be doing nothing contractually wrong by saying "I'm owed x off, I'm taking it"...

That might feed into how they have pulled his netflix doc etc... but even still smells like time off to heal rather than a full quit... now there's a "possible" AJ deleted tweet out there that also smells fake.. sucks to be her right now thats for sure either way...

 

[Mitch Henessey]

If Punk is walking away, because he's too beat up, and he's tired of putting his body through hell week, then you can't be mad at the guy. Punk doesn't strike me as the type of guy, who wants to stick around pro wrestling, when he's in his mid 40's or 50's. I get the impression he'd rather walk away before he's too crippled, and limping around the ring for nostalgia pops.

Everything is still up in the air now, because we have to wait and see how things will unfold in the coming weeks on Raw. There's a good chance Punk's walk out could be apart of The Authority storyline, and Punk will only return if he's promised a one on one match with Triple H at Wrestlemania XXX.

As far as being a hypocrite goes, I think a lot of people forget Phil Brooks is playing a character on a wrestling show(s) most of the time. He likes to blur the lines between what's real and what's not real, and break the fourth wall every now and then, because Punk is playing mind games with everyone.

 

[Kidpolean]

If Punk is walking away, because he's too beat up, and he's tired of putting his body through hell week, then you can't be mad at the guy. Punk doesn't strike me as the type of guy, who wants to stick around pro wrestling, when he's in his mid 40's or 50's. I get the impression he'd rather walk away before he's too crippled, and limping around the ring for nostalgia pops.

Everything is still up in the air now, because we have to wait and see how things will unfold in the coming weeks on Raw. There's a good chance Punk's walk out could be apart of The Authority storyline, and Punk will only return if he's promised a one on one match with Triple H at Wrestlemania XXX.

As far as being a hypocrite goes, I think a lot of people forget Phil Brooks is playing a character on a wrestling show(s) most of the time. He likes to blur the lines between what's real and what's not real, and break the fourth wall every now and then, because Punk is playing mind games with everyone.

I can be mad at him and I am. I doubt this has anything to do with his body being beat up. If his body is beat up this week than it was probably beat up the week before, a month before or even two or three months ago as well. So why choose to take time off to heal during the road to wrestlemania? He could have done this any other time of the year but he chose the one time of year where it has the potential to do serious damage to the wwe's plans and storylines. If he was beat up so bad, and he knew he wasnt winning the RR, than why even compete in the match at all? Why did he even start a program with HHH if he was to beat up to make it to Mania? Shawn Michaels went from RR to WM with an, at the time, career ending back injury...but Punk cant last til Mania. Angle did the same thing, he needed neck surgery and was told that one more bad bump could result in a broken neck or paralysis, and he made it to Mania. If Punk would have left in November or December than I would give him the benefit of the doubt BUT NO he chose to leave the night after RR, after he was already clearly booked into a major match at Wrestlemania.