CM Punk finally breaks his silence.

[MCMG]

If you say so mark.
Not worth debating with you.

He got fired. Listen to the podcast

He wasn't unprofessionally at all.
Thats your opinion.

WWE can take shots at him while punk remain silent.
But when punk does it, its a problem. gtfo mark.


WWE is a bad company. treats their wrestlers like slaves.

Do you honestly think Punk wasn't concerned about his image. He mentioned twitter so many times and tried to play it off as he didn't care. Yes that's his "gimmick" but he DOES care. That's what has led to this entire thing. Punk cares too much and he cares about every last detail. The guy is clearly never satisfied.

I know Punk got fired but he just walked out the arena when they had plans for him. If that isn't saying "I quit" then pretty much nothing is.

I don't know Punk, of course, but he wanted to get the people bashing him of his back. The WWE took one/two shots at him inside the sacred venue of a wrestling ring where it is all part of the act. Punk did an entire podcast with his best friend with no intention of telling the full, complete story.

Also, saying the WWE treated wrestlers like slaves is ridiculous. Pro wrestling has always been a tough industry. I'm sure if you talked to the wrestlers from the 70's and 80's they would say it was just as bad if not worse.

 

[Darkshadow1234]

Do you honestly think Punk wasn't concerned about his image. He mentioned twitter so many times and tried to play it off as he didn't care. Yes that's his "gimmick" but he DOES care. That's what has led to this entire thing. Punk cares too much and he cares about every last detail. The guy is clearly never satisfied.

I know Punk got fired but he just walked out the arena when they had plans for him. If that isn't saying "I quit" then pretty much nothing is.

I don't know Punk, of course, but he wanted to get the people bashing him of his back. The WWE took one/two shots at him inside the sacred venue of a wrestling ring where it is all part of the act. Punk did an entire podcast with his best friend with no intention of telling the full, complete story.

Also, saying the WWE treated wrestlers like slaves is ridiculous. Pro wrestling has always been a tough industry. I'm sure if you talked to the wrestlers from the 70's and 80's they would say it was just as bad if not worse.

Your opinion.

WWE treats wrestlers like slaves. More like circus animals.
Point of they don't give a shit about the wrestlers.
Not just wwe. But the wrestling business as a whole.
Wrestling, football and other sports are tough industry. Doesn't give them the right to treat their workers as slaves.

Newflash, he was hurt. thats why he walked out. On deaths bed

WWE always takes cheap shots at him. It wasn't plan or part of the act.
Punk didn't say nothing till now.

You still justify wwe. But thats ok.
Keep kissing wwe ass.

Enjoy your day.

 

[DB2CMPUNK]

Do you honestly think Punk wasn't concerned about his image. He mentioned twitter so many times and tried to play it off as he didn't care. Yes that's his "gimmick" but he DOES care. That's what has led to this entire thing. Punk cares too much and he cares about every last detail. The guy is clearly never satisfied.

I know Punk got fired but he just walked out the arena when they had plans for him. If that isn't saying "I quit" then pretty much nothing is.

I don't know Punk, of course, but he wanted to get the people bashing him of his back. The WWE took one/two shots at him inside the sacred venue of a wrestling ring where it is all part of the act. Punk did an entire podcast with his best friend with no intention of telling the full, complete story.

Also, saying the WWE treated wrestlers like slaves is ridiculous. Pro wrestling has always been a tough industry. I'm sure if you talked to the wrestlers from the 70's and 80's they would say it was just as bad if not worse.

Now you see why Pro Wrestling (mostly WWE) is a dying industry in 2014

 

[d_henderson1810]

Big surprise! Most of the IWC CHOOSE to believe Punk.

Once again, people believe the employee over the company.

There are two sides to every story. We don't know how disruptive Punk was backstage, and how much he contributed to things. But it wouldn't matter, because you have made up your minds.

I can't believe a lot of you are actually WWE fans, since all you ever do is bag WWE. Vince and Triple H are always wrong, and the person criticising him is always right, according to you lot. There are no "two sides of the story", there is only the one you choose to believe.

How do we know that Punk isn't lying' or deluded? He seems to overate his standing in WWE. He thinks Triple H should be priviledged to fight him. Triple H has achieved more in wrestling than Punk would in ten lifetimes, but because you hate Triple H and love Punk, you won't accept this.

Punk seems like a self-entitled prick. Not once does he say that he should have done some things better too, and share the blame. He puts it all on WWE, and thinks they should all bow down before him.

You people only like him because he is disrespectful to authority, like most of you are to your bosses, and because he is an indy guy, and that makes him "cool". He overrates his contribution to WWE.

 

[MrTDG]

Regardless of how anyone feels about how CM Punk handled the situation, his story isn't unlike what others have said about the wrestling business for years. Outside of him being hurt and the staph infection, on the creative side, I am 100% with what Punk had to say. Sometimes I used to wonder are they even interested in making the most money they possibly can. I know the WWE makes money, but it seems as if when a guy gets hot (usually on their own), they deliberately shut it down. And it seems it's been this way since WCW was purchased. Everyone from Rob Van Dam and Booker T all the way through CM Punk in 2011, among others, it's just a lot of missed opportunities and much of it is deliberate. As a company, they can't seem to get out of their own way. It's like a football team with a decent O-line and D-line, adequate to good talent at the skill positions, but because play calling sucks, the team consistently underperforms.

 

[MrTDG]

Big surprise! Most of the IWC CHOOSE to believe Punk.

Once again, people believe the employee over the company.

There are two sides to every story. We don't know how disruptive Punk was backstage, and how much he contributed to things. But it wouldn't matter, because you have made up your minds.

I can't believe a lot of you are actually WWE fans, since all you ever do is bag WWE. Vince and Triple H are always wrong, and the person criticising him is always right, according to you lot. There are no "two sides of the story", there is only the one you choose to believe.

How do we know that Punk isn't lying' or deluded? He seems to overate his standing in WWE. He thinks Triple H should be priviledged to fight him. Triple H has achieved more in wrestling than Punk would in ten lifetimes, but because you hate Triple H and love Punk, you won't accept this.

Punk seems like a self-entitled prick. Not once does he say that he should have done some things better too, and share the blame. He puts it all on WWE, and thinks they should all bow down before him.

You people only like him because he is disrespectful to authority, like most of you are to your bosses, and because he is an indy guy, and that makes him "cool". He overrates his contribution to WWE.

I have to directly address this one. First off, Triple H was my favorite from 1999 until 2005 and I am still a fan of him. With that said, what good reason was there for Triple H to beat CM Punk at Night of Champions 2011?

 

[Straightfromthehart]

Now that was a SHOOT.

Wow the stuff about the doctors is big time damaging publicity for the wwe brand. And sound really messed up. We all know they work non stop, but the incompetency in the wwe medical staff he spoke about was really surprising....DOCTORS who are company yes men? That must be against the law, no?

The booking stuff came as no surprise but....

FIRED ON WEDDING DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Ultimate fuck you...from....Triple H it seems.

Punk Is an arrogant punk, and to be fair honest about his dick head attitude at times, this is what got between the two. But fired on your wedding day....that is ****** up!

It's a pity because without a doubt you can take the man on his word....he won't work for them. Which is great news for the Indy scene. He'll develop the two year itch and return to pretty much whoever is most likely number 2 to wwe, most probably tna or if he's going retro ring of honor

 

[Yawa]

It's amazing people still care about why he left... I haven't listened to Cabana's podcast and don't plan on to, mainly because i hate listening to podcasts.. I haven't heard anything from Punk since January, have no idea what's going on with him.

I don't understand, then why are you commenting on here? Why are there people on these forums giving their opinion on this who won't bother listening to the podcast? Seriously, nearly half the comments in this thread are people stating, "Well I didn't hear his explanation, and never will, but what a quitter...!"

As for why he left, guys, I'm a Pharmacy student, and I know what Mrsa is, what antibiotics must be given to treat it, and just how serious it is, and apparently many of you think it isn't "that big a deal."

He wasn't just banged up, he could have died. At any point during those three months he walked around with that lump, it could have burst inside of him, spread to his heart and other organs, and killed him. Likely within hours.

Forget the fact that Ryan Reeves broke three of his ribs. Forget the fact that he had likely stacked two concussions in a 4 month period. Forget even that he came back two weeks after a surgery that requires a 4-6 week recovery time. Forget all that.

The fact that he had Mrsa for 3 months and the WWE Doctor on staff was either unable or unwilling to diagnose and treat it, speaks VOLUMES to confirming our fears for what it's actually like backstage in that company. That fact alone justifies EVERYTHING he did to walk out. A child gets an infection like that in school and they are essentially "quarantined," and immediately and consistently monitored until all signs of it being gone are confirmed.

Any Doctor worth his license that I have ever interacted with who even suspects his patient has such a thing would not think twice about testing for it and removing said patient from any and all activities. The fact that the WWE "Medical staff" are obviously overruled by pressure from the higher ups and Vince "No sick days" McMahon is absolutely ridiculous and in any sane work environment would be subject to a criminal investigation.

Seriously, it is mind-boggling to me how anyone can defend WWE's policies at this juncture.

Bottom line, CM Punk was encouraged to compete while having a staph infection that eventually became Mrsa, by a "Doctor" who absolutely must have known by the end of the 1st week that it wasn't a "calcium deposit," but still prescribed him what he "knew" would be ineffective antibiotics and refused to test or treat it. That alone, outweighs everything else, and absolutely puts Phil in the right for walking out.

If he hadn't, and just continued to accept the Doctor's negligence and wrestled with it, he'd be dead. No doubt at all, he would be dead. Don't believe me? Consider this...

For those who don't know, Mrsa is a super resistant bacterial infection. It repel's nearly all modern Antibiotics accept for a specific kind, or a specific combination. The reason it's deadly and why Doctor's treat it like the plague, is the only gurantee for survival is catching it early. If it gets inside of you or into your organs, there is no gurantee even using a massive dose of the "right" combination of antibiotics will save you. If it spreads to your heart, or other major organs, you are dead.

So the fact is, he was lucky. It hadn't burst or spread. But his luck was not going to last forever. Because it bursting and spreading wasn't just a "possibility," it was the likely outcome. He wasn't going to work to sit behind a desk typing memos, he was taking bumps, jumping off high places, and falling on his back for 15-20 minutes a night, 5 to 6 days a week. His luck was eventually going to run out, and when it did, it would likely be too late for anyone to treat it.

He is lucky to be alive, and far too many people on here sharing their absurd opinions on this don't seem to grasp that.

 

[ckoneagain]

Having listen to the Podcast i pose a theory...Punk states that Vince was upset and hugged him when he was leaving saying he was part of the family etc. What if Vince really DID feel like that. I mean we hear all the time how vince is trying to juggle everything backstage and have input on everything but surely he has some guys do some things for him too, he can't literally do everything.

Punk says he was suspended for what was supposed to be two months after demanding time off and not getting it. Imagine you've got one of your top guys (not the first of course) asking for time off, and your sponsors are saying no, and you're lawyers are saying no and everyone is telling you you can't let him take time off, but you actually care about the kid's well-being? Seems to me suspending him on some trumped up nonsense would actually be doing him a favour wouldn't it? whilst not losing face or seeming weak to the others?

So then the guy is off for two months, he doesn't call you personally to ask you anything, everyone else just assumes you're pissed at him and during this time, you've legitimately given control of the company to your daughter and son-in-law to some degree to see how they will handle it when you're gone? Imagine then that during that 'test period' the controlling group decide this trapped up little Punk (pun completely intended) needs to be made an example of so as to impress the old man somehow. So you fire him, you tell everyone that's what's happening, you just have to make the call...you make the call, find out it's his wedding day in two days and you can't fire him, but you've just told everyone you would, don't wanna look weak now huh? So you put it in writing thus never having to deal with it yourself.

I might be dreaming this all up, but maybe in some world, Vince actually did care about punk's well-being and it was his 'underling's' that got shitty with him and fired him.

Point is, it would be interesting to hear Vince's side of all this...

 

[Starkiller]

Punk is the best in the world. He worked his ass off, during his run as top face he outsold cena in march until they made him turn heel, since cena is not talented enough to be a top heel. Just another classic tale of how politics in the wwe try to screw talent that stands up for what they believe in. Hhh big history of burying talent he doesn't like, hats off to punk for always standing up hhh, not backing down, owning him in promos and burying him and vince in this latest interview.


As wrestling fans we are getting robbed of seeing great in ring talent like punk can do. It's too bad because there is so much he brings to the table. Where he was he actually surpassed HHH on all levels and then trying to get him to work with hhh at mania, that's an insult and big props for punk for not giving hhh the glory of that. Hhh wants to work the big matches with the top guys when he should be letting younger talent develop and have those opportunities.

I always hated hhh since the bret shawn feud but after hearing this interview I really don't like that guy lol


Punk buried vince hhh and how the wwe operates
But ad crazy as it sounds never say never.

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

I haven't listened to this yet, but I will tonight. But first some thoughts pre-listen.

Good on Punk for leaving something he's no longer happy with. But, let's be honest here, he just walked out. If you worked at WalMart you couldn't just decide to not show up, continue to get paid, and then maybe come back later and have them apologize to you. You work for a company and have to abide by their policies and rules. Sure they may be shitty. But you can't expect just leaving is going to win them over. You do what they say. If you don't like it, you can quit. You can't be like "well yeah I was being very difficult to work with and then I decided I would just walk out" and expect them to not fire you. You also can't be under contract with a company and when one of the top execs calls you say "sorry I'm busy with other work. I'll call you later." The only reason they didn't fire him sooner if because he brought in money and they wanted to see if they could get him back. That's it.

Punk also talks about how happy he is now and all the stuff he's doing. But, if he didn't have millions in the bank or the exposure that WWE offered him, would he being doing any of this stuff? If he hadn't been a WWE superstar would be he writing a Thor comic for Marvel? Would be be in national media. Would he be doing stuff with Nerdist? Probably not.

Don't get me wrong. I applaud him for leaving a situation he didn't like. If I were in the same situation, maybe I would have done it the same way. But you have to take some of this with a grain of salt.

 

[Yawa]

I haven't listened to this yet, but I will tonight. But first some thoughts pre-listen.

Good on Punk for leaving something he's no longer happy with. But, let's be honest here, he just walked out. If you worked at WalMart you couldn't just decide to not show up, continue to get paid, and then maybe come back later and have them apologize to you. You work for a company and have to abide by their policies and rules. Sure they may be shitty. But you can't expect just leaving is going to win them over. You do what they say. If you don't like it, you can quit. You can't be like "well yeah I was being very difficult to work with and then I decided I would just walk out" and expect them to not fire you. You also can't be under contract with a company and when one of the top execs calls you say "sorry I'm busy with other work. I'll call you later." The only reason they didn't fire him sooner if because he brought in money and they wanted to see if they could get him back. That's it.

Punk also talks about how happy he is now and all the stuff he's doing. But, if he didn't have millions in the bank or the exposure that WWE offered him, would he being doing any of this stuff? If he hadn't been a WWE superstar would be he writing a Thor comic for Marvel? Would be be in national media. Would he be doing stuff with Nerdist? Probably not.

Don't get me wrong. I applaud him for leaving a situation he didn't like. If I were in the same situation, maybe I would have done it the same way. But you have to take some of this with a grain of salt.

I get you haven't listened to it yet, but it really isn't just about happiness. Listen then come back and try to understand that if he hadn't walked out when he did, he'd be dead. He was wrestling with Mrsa for three months.

Aside from the terrifying exposure of the culture of negligence running through the WWE medical staff, it's a pretty hard podcast to grasp if you are pro WWE. He tries to be positive about it, but all he does is expose just how toxic and political it is backstage, essentially confirming the IWC's worst fears about how single-minded, sheltered, and just downright delusional the McMahon family really is.

Nonetheless, I'm still blown away the WWE staff Doctor treated a man with a Mrsa infection like he had a head cold for three months.

It will open your eyes to say the least.

 

[Brushfire]

IYou can't be like "well yeah I was being very difficult to work with and then I decided I would just walk out" and expect them to not fire you.

I got the impression that he wasn't all that bothered by the fact that they fired him (seemed like he expected it), but the fact that they did it on his wedding day. And even that apparently didn't bother him all that much, but really upset AJ Lee. Besides, I think by just the fact that Punk won the court settlement shows that he wasn't perhaps as in breach of his contract as some think he was by walking out (I know there was a lot more too it than that).

 

[Jack-Hammer]

You're an idiot and you bring absolute no value to these forums. Don't you think Vince is going to paint himself as the hero regardless of the facts. You think Vince is going to be honest on the freaking WWE network of all places? Man you're stupid, no wonder girls won't have anything to do with you. Career issues aside WWE did not treat punk's stalph infection. End of story. Multiple people should be fired for that issue alone and I really don't think Punk's making it up considering the horror stories we've already heard about WWE. As far as creative goes Punk's merchandising was outselling Cena 2 to 1 so why shouldn't he be treated as the top guy? Punk was also right about Wrestlemaina 29 which sucked BIG time outside of Taker's and Punk's match.
By the way did you see the monster rating the first hour of Raw got this past Monday? Aren't you the one who said Sting wouldn't draw? You have no credibility regarding pro wrestling.

You're an absolute fool and normally I wouldn't even bother to address such idiocy, but you're so clueless that I just can't help myself. I don't know if you're 12 years old or just naturally immature, but it's a sad reflection either way.

My entire stance on this is that I don't pretend to know all the facts, but you obviously believe you do. Like so many other sheep, you've just automatically decided WWE is the "bad guy" without even having heard what WWE's side of the story is. I'm not calling Punk a liar on anything he claimed because I DON'T KNOW if he's being 100% legit, if anything's embellished or what. Guess what, neither do you, you malignant turd. But just because Punk has stated something doesn't automatically make it rock solid gospel. We'll probably never know the entire, 100% truth because this entire thing is essentially one person's word against someone else's.

IF Vince addresses this on Austin's podcast, again, I DON'T KNOW if he'll tell it straight anymore than I know if Punk is telling it like it is. I don't know either man personally, hence I can't say to any degree of certainty how honest or dishonest either one of them might be.

And yes, I did see the monster rating Raw drew the first hour and so what? I haven't claimed that Sting wouldn't be a draw, so stop misquoting me, worm. I doubt Sting's drawing power if he appears on a regular basis, but of course people are going to tune into Raw for the novelty of Sting being in WWE for a little while. People tuned into TNA when Hogan showed up for a little while, but that all stopped after about 3 or 4 weeks.

I couldn't care less what your opinion is of me, son. You've posted less than 40 times in 3.5 years, so I guess you've decided to dust off your password and mouth off like the emotionally stunted little tumor you are. So, I won't bother replying to you, if you make another post sometime between now and when your shriveled nuts drop, because it's not worth the waste of time.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Actually if he worked at Walmart he'd have more protection, that's kind of his point.

If he showed up unfit to work with a potential staph infection, blown out knees, concussion etc... Walmart would be OBLIGED to send you home or face legal ramifications if your condition worsened, they may have health coverage they HAVE to refer you to or at the minimum allow you your vacation.

As an "independent contractor" the "talent" don't get the same protections as employees, look at the ridiculous ADR/Barbierri situation... one was covered by HR, one wasn't.... sure both got fired eventually, but the "staffer" got the better rub, the "talent" had to sue to get what was right...

This is WWE's biggest issue right now, it's an ugly one that more and more people they don't want looking at it are looking at... Vince is bricking it that SAG get involved as in reality his talent are actors and all their competition must be SAG registered for other shows like Gotham etc... only a matter of time till they say "Well if you're not sports, and really acting...sign up or we take you off the air..."

 

[Radical Canadian Goose]

There are two sides to every story. We have finally heard one side now let's hear the other. I do think that Punk may have fabricated a couple of details, but I believe the staph infection story is legit. WWE has a history of negligence with medical issues so I am no surprised. I want to hear Vince respond to all of Punk's claims, before I lay a final judgement on this matter

 

[THTRobtaylor]

He won't... he can't honestly... he can only refute anything negative about the company. If he for one second admits... "Our concussion policy is wack, or we let a guy with THAT severe a health issue compete" they are dead in the water...

All he can do is confirm they fired him, why they feel they did and answer a few awkward questions from Austin... No way Austin is gonna let the "You fired him on his wedding day but not me when I did the same thing in a less serious state?" pass... Austin knows he fucked up back then and can admit it, but he'll also know if even half of Punk's health story is true, he can't let Vince off that hook. It's gotta be dealt with.

For what it's worth a lot of what Punk said he genuinely has no reason to lie about... he doesn't score or lose points if he says Vince was "teary" and Hunter was a prick in that room... we know Vince DOES rate and care about his guys in the main, even if he doesn't always treat them right and the Savage DVD, Jericho's latest book etc reinforced it... this was the same thing again, only this time the guy was blaming him outright for it... gonna sting but again, Vince has got nothing to gain by denying it if it's true... he can say it hurt and the fans and Punk would get it if he tries anything else... it'll be hollow and he loses... cos it'd be clear he's trying to work. If anyone comes out looking bad from Punk's side it's Hunter, it reinforces every negative ever told about him... and as I said in an earlier post, if they "got wind" this might be coming, it could be part of why AJ lost the belt...classic Hunter/Steph move...but even more, could be part of why the Authority is now off TV... damage limitation and all that...


Vince's best policy in this interview is to acknowledge the mistakes in communication, the regret that they lost a top performer and that the door is open for him...even if he decides not to walk through it...and perhaps more important deal with the AJ elephant in the room... that she is 100% fine in WWE's eyes whatever happens... and apologise for the bad form of firing him on his wedding day... even if they say it was "unintentional", they knew... she had to have the time off... Like I said earlier, Punk can handle that... but it shows real lack of class to ruin AJ's day that way but he held off saying it, just heavily implied it.

All Vince can do now is show class, even if they didn't prior... he HAS to now cos Punk showed it first, particularly where AJ is concerned... if he doesn't... then lawsuits and stuff could happen down the line and it wouldn't be the first time...Sable did it...and is married to the guy Vince hitched his wagon to and who is screwing him.... how much of Brock's reluctance to help WWE/Vince out is down to his wife still being pissed at them?

 

[FarFromFine]

You're an absolute fool and normally I wouldn't even bother to address such idiocy, but you're so clueless that I just can't help myself. I don't know if you're 12 years old or just naturally immature, but it's a sad reflection either way.

My entire stance on this is that I don't pretend to know all the facts, but you obviously believe you do. Like so many other sheep, you've just automatically decided WWE is the "bad guy" without even having heard what WWE's side of the story is. I'm not calling Punk a liar on anything he claimed because I DON'T KNOW if he's being 100% legit, if anything's embellished or what. Guess what, neither do you, you malignant turd. But just because Punk has stated something doesn't automatically make it rock solid gospel. We'll probably never know the entire, 100% truth because this entire thing is essentially one person's word against someone else's.

IF Vince addresses this on Austin's podcast, again, I DON'T KNOW if he'll tell it straight anymore than I know if Punk is telling it like it is. I don't know either man personally, hence I can't say to any degree of certainty how honest or dishonest either one of them might be.

And yes, I did see the monster rating Raw drew the first hour and so what? I haven't claimed that Sting wouldn't be a draw, so stop misquoting me, worm. I doubt Sting's drawing power if he appears on a regular basis, but of course people are going to tune into Raw for the novelty of Sting being in WWE for a little while. People tuned into TNA when Hogan showed up for a little while, but that all stopped after about 3 or 4 weeks.

I couldn't care less what your opinion is of me, son. You've posted less than 40 times in 3.5 years, so I guess you've decided to dust off your password and mouth off like the emotionally stunted little tumor you are. So, I won't bother replying to you, if you make another post sometime between now and when your shriveled nuts drop, because it's not worth the waste of time.

Lol, you don't care what the guy thinks but you feel the need to call him names (who's 12 again?) and attack him because of *his low post count!* because apparently having 9,000 posts on a wrestling forum makes you better than someone else?

We don't have to take Punk's words as 100% fact, but most of it was just confirming things we already knew. We all knew he was banged up, we just didn't realize he had legitimate LIFE THREATENING things going on.

It's doubtful that Vince will address this on Austin's podcast because what point is there in directing attention towards someone that doesn't work there anymore? It is slightly more likely than him addressing Del Rio or Rey and their contract situations. If Austin is allowed to ask about it, expect a quick deflection or for him to say he can't discuss everything because of legal issues.

In listening to the podcast it sounds like Punk walked out because he didn't like where the storyline for him was headed and because he needed to get himself back into good health. It seems as if he was planning on coming back, but after the shit with getting suspended until after 'Mania and the royalty issues it got out of hand and ended with them firing him on his wedding day, basically ensuring that he won't be back anytime soon.

Or it's all an elaborate work and he's just that damn good. It is impressive that he usually gets one of the 3 loudest chants at each show with an active crowd and is still one of the most over guys in wrestling when he hasn't been on TV in 10 months.

 

[Shadowmancer]

I am still processing what I heard in that interview I found it to be a very interesting one, and yes it was biased towards Punk, but anyone that thought it was going to be straight down the middle doesn't know what one of these long form interviews is supposed to be. An interview isn't a news report or an academic report it is one persons side of whatever story they are telling. Apologies to anyone I think this is going to be a bit of a word fort.

As to the interview itself I will start with my thoughts on the injuries and the Doctor, having heard the doctor in question on Talk is Jericho, I found his attitude in relation to this to be a bit weird as a ring side doctor. I would think the fact that it was behind the scenes would change the perception from they are selling to lets actually properly examine the person. Not cutting out a growth or even sending for tests to be done on it seems negligent in the extreme. Ignoring unsafe workers that injure others seems like a waste of time and money. I know Bret Hart prides himself on being safe in the ring, I think all wrestlers that actually no anything pride themselves on being safe in the ring. I can understand people being green but Ryback isn't, he has spent so long in development that it isn't funny. Wrestling injured is partially on Punk but at the same time the doctors should have actually taken the keeping the performers healthy part far more stringently than they seem to. The idea that they could get a clearance for Punk to wrestle over the phone is sickening. Rushing people back is also a thing that I find bizarre and counter-intuitive since it is risking further injury either to the performer themselves or to others due to potentially weaker limbs. The idea that someone was hoping that they would injure themselves so they could get surgery and get time off is insane and shows a real lack of ability to help. It also shows a major

The creative side of things is next on the list of things that I would like to address from my perspective. It does seem that the long term booking is ignored. I can see a viable theory in going here is your feud, once this is complete we don't have anything for you straight away but we will give you a few weeks of lighter duties to let you refocus, I think that is an interesting concept and it could work for people that are in the midcard and just coming out of a major feud. But the idea that the guy that is one of the best on the roster is just fed to part timers to make the part timers look good seems to be counter intuitive to the idea that the company is trying to make more stars to get more eyes on the product and therefore everyone makes more money. The fact that there is a culture of fear in the wrestlers about not arguing with creative is a big issue. Whether creative likes you or not shouldn't be the overall determiner of whether you are wrestling or not, being good at your job should. the fact that Vince seems to only worry about Cena shows that WWE still haven't got out of the regional wrestling theory that they had about the top guy being a face and heels are transitory champs. Elsewhere the Heel was on top and the face was built up to take them down (for those that don't know about that booking philosophy). I can see why names for who was under the ire of creative weren't mentioned since that could negatively affect them in future, but I suspect that it is the same list of names that will come up often (Ryder, Ziggler, Bryan, Cesaro, Kofi etc.).

I find that the ideas being taken and given to other people idea to be the height of arrogance, I can see it being Ok to take an idea and modify it to try and make it work better (The Shield idea being changed to be what it was rather than just being another faction for Punk being an example of that) But the idea of taking an idea and then giving it to someone else is plagerism plain and simple if the person is not kept in the loop. The idea that it is better to ask forgiveness than permission to do things outside of WWE seems to be a common one (Ryder with Z! True Long Island Story being another example that I can think of) but the thing that confused me was that a new source of income when brought forward and was ignored and then when Brock turns up the idea is allowed it seem odd.

Now onto what I consider to be the most important thing I took away from the interview. The outright unprofessionalism of the upper echelon of WWE management. The idea that some things changed like Randy Orton getting 12 Rounds 2 is normal, but the fact that it wasn't communicated properly is unprofessional in appearance. Punk being concussed in the Rumble on top of the injuries that he had sustained prior as well as that staph infection does allow a degree of leeway in tempers and everything in the infamous argument that happened on the post rumble Raw. I can see why he needed to take time off. I suspect WWE should have done that, suspending him is again something that I think is understandable, I think calling rather than texting would have been more appropriate but that is neither here nor there. the fact that they didn't call during the suspension to see how he was doing or to arrange something for after the suspension is another. The thing I find most unprofessional, is not the being fired on his wedding day (still a douchey thing but the mail is the mail) it is the fact that royalty cheques were not sent/resent and given the cold shoulder by them, it seems like it was directed from on high for that as even people without contracts with the WWE that have royalties owed to them get the cheques. It is blatantly unprofessional to not pay what is owed, yes Punk left money on the table in terms of his appearance payments, and from what I could gather from the interview he was fine with that, but Royalty cheques are what is made on the basis of his likeness and name. If they did not pay them it is basically theft.

Anyway this is the basis of my thoughts on the interview I am sure after next weeks show where listener questions are going to be answered my opinions will have a more defined tone to them than they are now.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Lol, you don't care what the guy thinks but you feel the need to call him names (who's 12 again?) and attack him because of *his low post count!* because apparently having 9,000 posts on a wrestling forum makes you better than someone else?

We don't have to take Punk's words as 100% fact, but most of it was just confirming things we already knew. We all knew he was banged up, we just didn't realize he had legitimate LIFE THREATENING things going on.

It's doubtful that Vince will address this on Austin's podcast because what point is there in directing attention towards someone that doesn't work there anymore? It is slightly more likely than him addressing Del Rio or Rey and their contract situations. If Austin is allowed to ask about it, expect a quick deflection or for him to say he can't discuss everything because of legal issues.

In listening to the podcast it sounds like Punk walked out because he didn't like where the storyline for him was headed and because he needed to get himself back into good health. It seems as if he was planning on coming back, but after the shit with getting suspended until after 'Mania and the royalty issues it got out of hand and ended with them firing him on his wedding day, basically ensuring that he won't be back anytime soon.

Or it's all an elaborate work and he's just that damn good. It is impressive that he usually gets one of the 3 loudest chants at each show with an active crowd and is still one of the most over guys in wrestling when he hasn't been on TV in 10 months.

No but again, someone with a lower count/time served here is starting their post dissing a "veteran" rather than making their point. JackHammer doesn't NEED your respect, but his level of posting here etc means he deserves it. It's sadly a symptom of the forums which I have pointed out in recent weeks and seems to be getting worse. Make your points, don't call out those who have been here years... when you've got the posts into the high 3 figures plus you might get taken seriously when you call others out... We're not like the WWE locker room here, but we do expect a bit of respect for each other... if someone has "9000" posts, then they are gonna be simply liked more than you dissing people to get up to 76.

In truth, it sounds more like this was a call Vince "let Hunter make" as he has to know how to make them if he's gonna take over...and he fucked it up royally cos he didn't like the guy and let every bad thing said become true if it wasn't already...ironically your post is exactly what Punk was talking about with some of the Ryback stuff...

 

[mancini999]

Health issuses aside. He comes off very full of himself, thinking he is better than everyone else. Talks about doesn't care about money but later says that he should be be paid like he was the main event at mania. Comes off bitter about not main eventing mania, complaining about Brock,Rock, Cena. Those guys are way bigger stars than Punk could ever be. Thats is why he isn't main eventing the big show.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Health issuses aside. He comes off very full of himself, thinking he is better than everyone else. Talks about doesn't care about money but later says that he should be be paid like he was the main event at mania. Comes off bitter about not main eventing mania, complaining about Brock,Rock, Cena. Those guys are way bigger stars than Punk could ever be. Thats is why he isn't main eventing the big show.

That part I can see... he did make money his "issue" in the end with them, but it's the same for us all... if you do the same work as your colleauge but get paid far less despite everyone thinking you're better... you'd kick off. Likewise if a simple "courtesy" like reissuing a lapsed cheque, that is done all the time is suddenly not afforded to you... it becomes a point of principle. The one thing Punk did get across is that he is a principled guy, he'd take them for the team, but he'd keep score and remind Vince... when it went horribly wrong and they fired him on his wedding day, he's gonna lawyer up, get every penny he feels he's entitled to for those "iou's" and some more if he can and not give them an inch...that's not full of yourself, that's being principled. If your boss stiffs you on your pay, you want every penny plus your inconvenience...if they mess with your WEDDING/wife while doing so, you're gonna want more...

The guy IS full of himself, it's how he got where he did and to where he did in the company...

 

[enviousdominous]

This was great for me, mainly because Punk hasn't publicly given his two cents in a long time.

I've been a die-hard Punk mark since '04, I like the fact that fame hasn't destroyed his perception of what's most important. He's at a point in his life where very few prospective pro-wrestlers get to be. He's been a world champion, he's been a top merchandise seller, he was allowed to rant on the people above him on live tv. He has a wife, a ton of cash and permanent celebrity status. As a fan of his I am thankful that he's doing well. I'm sad that he probably won't be a surprise entrant in any upcoming Royal Rumbles, but the fact that he's in a better place health-wise because he left far outweighs that.

Now then: Fuck these worthless pieces of shit who, whether they account for their successes and failures in life or completely neglect to consider them, choose to hop on social media (to include this forum) and call him a "quitter". If there was a character audit required for every fucking moron to put that kind of criticism on him, you'd find a lot of worthless piles of shit that are working some medial retail position as their fifth job in six months. I really don't care if he quit or if he was fired, it's his fucking life. Either you're a sadistic fan and you wanted Punk to work himself until his spine snapped, or you're just a fucking jack-ass with literally no other purpose in this world except to try to annoy famous people. He put in his time, he gave us the best of what he had, he delivered beyond anyone's expectations and he left when the time was right for him.

 

[Mudlup50]

I was so excited to see this was uploaded this morning and I sat down with breakfast to listen to CM Punk ramble for an hour and a half, I'd say it was a good morning.

So let's view the facts as stated by Punk, he was injured, injured, injured and injured again after the Rumble. So why should he stay? I'm not getting why anyone is saying he should have stayed still, at least give him a few weeks to recover(say Kane injured him at the Rumble and have him return at EC to reignite his feud with Trips). Which makes it seem to me, that Punk worked through injury before and the WWE was sure he'd continue working through them.

I don't see why he was so angry about the drug test, but I guess if you're in the company for 8 years and that entire time basically 50-100% of your gimmick has been "I don't do drugs" and they've never caught you with drugs, it is kind of stupid to ask for a drug test.

So the timeline: November-Has a bump growing on his back, doctor says it's no big deal
January-Gets a concussion in the Rumble which adds to his injuries.
The next day-Says he's quitting
Next week-Vince calls him asking him to show up on Raw(basically, Vince didn't believe him)
Soon after he gets suspended for 2 months(till post Mania) he doesn't seem mad about this, he must have expected punishment and/or wanted time off
Post Mania-Expects a call he doesn't get about when to return, so why return?
Few days before his wedding-Gets a call(or was it a text?) asking him if they can talk
Wedding day-Gets fired right near when his contract would go up

The whole time he isn't getting the paycheck resent from last year? I'm not saying the WWE is bad or that we should believe Punk 100%, because after 10 months I'm sure his bias as come in...but come on. He was wrestling with a staph infection! What kind of lazy doctor okays him? To the people saying Angle/Hogan couldn't pass the physical...apparently they could because CM Punk with a staph infection and multiple injuries passes it!


All that being said, I loved this interview. It wasn't a shoot or anything, it was just him talking about what happened and I think he didn't paint the WWE in as bad a light as he could have. He was trying to not burn the bridges(whether it was for AJ or him who knows). So I don't think it is so far off of the truth. Hopefully we get Trips side of it or maybe Vince's on Monday?

Also, I don't think it was about money when he mentions money. It's just a tangible number he can look at to say he's a main event caliber star in the WWE's eyes. He thought he deserved as much as anyone else at Wrestlemania 29(you can argue it) yet he doesn't think he was. It's not the money so much as it's how the WWE viewed him(I think). Granted, who knows why he was so offended...maybe it was about money to him? Who knows xP

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

A lot of theories I had about Punk's departure turned out to be true, including him not being in the main event at Wrestlemania, him being paired with HHH, and injuries mounting up on him.

My take on Punk is that he thought he was doing what was best for both the WWE and for himself. For once, Punk doesn't come off as selfish and self-serving. That being said, he was doing what was best for Punk, but at the same time, was giving sound booking ideas and logic behind his character's development to Vince and HHH, which was also helping the WWE become a better company overall.

It also seems like Ryback was used as 'punishment' for insubordinate wrestlers, like in the old-school territory days. If you were getting too big for your britches, there was someone there to put you in your place. Dick Murdoch, Arn Anderson, and other 'stretchers' were there to do that, and Ryback seemed to take that role, because no one can possibly be that unsafe and still keep a job in the WWE, no matter how over you are; i.e. Mr. Kennedy.

The scariest part about this is how Punk's Staph Infection was treated by WWE medical staff. Staph Infections can kill you, and Punk was hospitalized as soon it was found out how serious his condition was. Terrible negligence on the part of WWE and it's doctors. And I figured the concussion protocol was a damn joke, just like most of the WWE's protocol.

This also puts to rest that he was a 'quitter' and left the WWE high and dry. He left the WWE at the best possible time, because he was already not going to be on TV or didn't have a concrete plan in place for him storyline wise, so he got going before he felt obligated to go through more punishment for no reward.

Also, this needs to be clear: CM Punk will NEVER work for the WWE again, and there's a slim chance he'll even be in a wrestling ring again at all. He seemed happy and down to earth and not the asshole he's been for the last couple of years. So I'm glad he's done with the WWE and to be honest, I see the same thing happening to Daniel Bryan in a year or two.

Moral of the story: WWE gives zero fucks about you unless they made you from scratch. If you're an already made star, then they'll break you down until you quit or die.