First of all, you can't compare RVD to Punk. RVD was just a great in ring talent. Punk is 10 times better than RVD in every aspect of it.
Are you joking?
I need to make sure I'm not dealing with someone so infatuated with CM Punk that they can look at history in a somewhat realistic matter.
I'm don't drink RVD Cool-aid, but Rob Van Dam and CM Punk have VERY comparable careers... RVD and Punk both came up through independent-style wrestling, with RVD coming in as a far more established name (which is actually a bad thing when dealing with the WWE). This hurt RVD for years. However, both clearly faced the "outsider" label within the WWE booking community.
But as far as RVD's Career, it's much longer and far more accoladed in the WWE, while Punk's is pretty short and sweet.
RVD
- his ECW Television Championship reign of almost 2 years is quite legendary in the overall wrestling universe
- fueded with Austin within the alliance and HHH after during his early WWE run for the WWE Championship.
- 5 time Intercontinental Champion
- 3 time WWE Tag Team Champion
- 1 time WWECW champion
- 1 time Money in the Bank winner
- 1 time WWE Champion with a giant asterisk next to it. He won the WWE title off John Cena and was planned for a lengthy title reign and long-term main even status. Unfortunately for him, the WWE can put up with Orton being busted for steroids on 4 seperate occasions, but if RVD gets pulled over with a marijuana pipe it's over. You probably know the story, he was stripped of both titles quickly and buried.
- RVD's main event profile was from approx 2001-2006, with a giant "what if".
Punk
- 2 time WWECW Champion
- 1 time WWE Tag Team Champion
- 1 time WWE Intercontinental Champion
- 2 time Money in the Bank winner, the only person to win it twice.
- 2 time Heavyweight Champion, with of course, the notorious 434 day title reign.
- Fueded with big names such as Cena for the WWE Championship.
- Punk's main event profile was approx 2008-2013 with a giant "what if".
As far as wrestling and skills? RVD is far more athletic than Punk, and just about anyone for that matter. RVD is far more innovative in the ring. Punk is definitely smoother in the ring (RVD has always been known to work stiff), and Punk's microphone work is far superior to RVD's, although to be fair Van Dam never got a chance while in WWE on the mic. He's no Punk, but he can sure shoot and give a great cocky gimmick promo.
Punk's career isn't tarnished. The only people who talk trash about him are his haters and the trolls. Everyone who knows pro wrestling will never say "oh, he was an ok guy, but he walked out". They will say "he was the greatest of his era". When people talk about Austin, then don't mention him quitting, they mentioned about how he was the catalyst of WWF beating WCW.
It is "tarnished" in a way that it didn't get a chance to truly pan out. It's "tarnished" as far as those who make absolute greatness claims. Austin was great for a solid 5 years of being "The Guy". Punk is not in Austin's league whatsoever. Punk was "The Guy" for less than 2 years. Punk's claim of being "the greatest of his era" is extremely fragile. He is absolutely considered "one of the greats of his era", but John Cena, Randy Orton, and now Daniel Bryan could easily also make the claim during Punk's short reign.
I'm not a hater or a troll, one doesn't have to be to question those who make claims as you do, claims of absolute greatness when history and non-emotional responses leave clear openings to say otherwise.
I'm not employed anywhere
That doesn't surprise me.
but even if I was, if I was in need of the money, I would keep my job no matter what. If a new opportunity came up though, that seemed way better, or if I didn't need the money so much, I'd definitely piss on my boss (I also wanna be my own boss for that reason too).
Punk doesn't need the WWE NOW. Sure, he needed it before he became rich (DUH!), but not anymore. Through it, he became rich, became the "best in the world", getting an awesome woman etc etc. He got what he needed from it, so yea, he doesn't need it anymore, so he won't sit there and take all the crap that is given to him.
I wonder how you would feel if you were working hard, away from your home for 90% of the year, with injuries and all, proving that you belong on top and wanting a reward for it, then some guy who hasn't been seen for 4 years walks in and steals everything you worked so hard for. Not so good when you put yourself in Punk's shoes, eh? Not to mention the paycuts due to the Network and the overall direction the WWE is taking and the way they treat their employees....
Cry me a river.. please, stop. Was Batista a clear inside-job by HHH? Absolutely. While I can't stand Batista, Punk should "Deal with it", because everyone else on the roster did. Punk still had plenty going for him, future main events and title reigns (just as RVD did). Punk had a spot that nearly the entire roster would LOVE to have.
However, My suspicions are that Punk's ego truly got the better of him. Once Daniel Bryan caught fire, Punk was no longer the "outside guy" who was the underground favorite. He certainly had his cult-following, which you clearly are a party of, but Bryan's YES movement is one of the most powerful establshed wrestling norms in the History of the business. "YES" will be chanted forever throughout Wrestling History, like Ric Flair's "WOOOO", Austin's "WHAT".. "CM PUNK" will not, and is rarely done so not even a year since Punk walked out.
Who knows, Punk might come back and really truly earn all of the true greatness claims you're making. I'm fine with him doing so, he just hasn't done so yet. He's been great, but not for nearly a long enough time to be considered a Steve Austin, The Rock, or John Cena type of character.
So until then, he's clearly a short and sweet guy, in the class of RVD, Bryan (so far), Sheamus, Del Rio.. NOTHING to sneeze at. Definitely a huge name in all-time wrestling history.