nah I doubt he'd ever return after the way they treated his buddy Colt Cabana.

I bet he's just trying to work himself into a position of being a part-timer.

... Genius.

Kinda sucks. Punk is by and far one of their best workers, and not having him on the card is mess some things up a bit, I think. While I wasn't looking forward to a Punk/HHH match, I'm sure it would have been a solid Mania match.

I do get where Punk is coming from, though. Guys works a ton, has helped in getting a new guy over in Roman Reigns, and consistently pumps out quality match after quality match, while remaining over and selling t shirts. To have some never was like Batista come in out of nowhere, and win the Rumble and be pushed to the moon has to feel degrading. It's not like Batista is the Rock, who had older fans clamoring for a return and didn't really take a spot that could have gone to someone more deserving.

If Punk tries to strong arm his way into a part time schedule, more power to him.

So does this mean more Bray Wyatt? If so, bye C.M.

I wouldn't blame him at all if his turns out to be true.

CM Punk was at the UFC event this past weekend and openly talked about asking for time off to go to the fights in his home town of Chicago.

I posted an interview about it in 100k replies

I do enjoy that he doesn't much care about sticking it to McMahon.

Pretty much. I want to see how WWE will explain Punk's absence, if there is one at all before declaring it true/work.

This exactly. While the recent going ons concern me there was supposed to be some sort of McMahon family storyline to play out at WM and maybe this is all part of it. It would be nice to have them outsmart us all but the odds are slim.

If it's 'newz' it should be the final nail in the coffin of PWInsider.com and Dave Meltzer/Figure4 for running with it.

This was all so preventable. Jesus. The WWE is fucking up so badly. This has to be one of the biggest backlashes from a terribly booked PPV in a long time. If true.

I don't buy the part about Punk being upset about not being in a main-event program at WM that's being reported on various sites.

Who here honestly believes that a WM match involving HHH wouldn't get pushed to the moon on tv?

Punk wanted to main event a WM before he retired and it started looking more and more likely that it was never going to happen because he doesn't star in movies and he doesn't wrestle 3 times a year.

Cm Punk has a very open "throw toys out the pram" personality, so I guess this could have a hint of truth to it. But that article plus common sense just screams work.

If its a hissy fit he shoulda waited till after mania, get the payday at least.

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It's not a work if they don't work. Suddenly they really care about the IWC?

Can't blame Punk if its true. It sounds like he's saved up his money, so if he's as miserable with his job as reported it's fair play to him to quit.

It would actually be pretty hilarious though, that if after all the crying about Daniel Bryan not being used in a high profile match at mania, he gets one in the place of the other huge Internet darling in the company.

Fuck him. Sick and tired of hearing about him having little temper tantrums every time the world doesn't revolve around him.

Someone on twitter beat me to it:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfKPwvbCQAEteRl.jpg

Shocked but also makes some sense why he would do this considering he's been their most vocal guy in the lockerroom for the past couple of years.

Its been rumored that now he's gone, Bryan is going to benefit the most and probably Sheamus the least since the new Mania plans might end up as Bryan vs Triple H.

Austin has said many times that his one big regret in the business is walking out. He doesn't back off his reasons for doing it, but hes says he handled the situation like a selfish asshole.

This is the same situation. Actually this is worse because it's right before Wrestlemania. That's why I'm inclined to go with CSL that it's a work.

No matter how unhappy or dissatisfied CM Punk is, I can't see him doing this right before Wrestlemania. That's unprofessional on a ridiculous level.

Maybe I'm wrong and Punk is that much of a dick head. Stranger things have happened.

this is incredible. Let a main money guy go. That's smart business.

lol Austin walked out because he didn't want to job to someone. This is totally not the same thing. But ya- if this is true, it is unprofessional.

Michael Cole is not someone.

Can anyone explain to me what WWE have done to justify Punk's actions?

Austin walked out because he was unhappy the direction his character was going, just like Punk. The job to Brock in a throwaway Raw match was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

iMO, if this is true, he has every right to be upset. Another guy that hasn't worked for the company in 4 years comes in and takes another top spot again. Then you have Lesnar that does a couple of appearances a year. These guys are getting preferential treatment over the guys that work 300 days a year. It is ridiculous. It's understood why they do it, but if I was an active part of the roster, I would be really angry about it. And how much is Batista even going ro draw, especially after he got booed out of the building at Rumble. If this isn't a work, this is a disaster. Seriously a disaster.

Both Batista and Lesnar each worked 300 days a year not so long ago. They're also legitimately big deals.

I like CM Punk, the character and think he's a great wrestler in the same way that HBK was, but yeah I don't get this at all. It's like people getting mad at Hogan, Nash and Hall for coming back and wrestling Austin and Rock.

If I thought they were going to use these guys to put over younger stars, I wouldn't have much of a problem with it. They are just using them for paydays. It is so short sited and irresponsible. Having Batista win the Rumble does nothing for anybody and it denied a future star a spot. Again. And next year it will happen in some capacity again. And the year after. Again.

And no. You don't get to tell me Batista is a big deal after the Rumble. You just don't get to do that anymore. I'm sorry. I can't allow that to happen. You at least don't get to tell me he is a bigger deal than Bryan right now.

Nothing really specific but similar to Kaitlyn and others, just a growing sense of dissatisfaction with the WWE and/or Creative. Some of it due to how they've been handling him the past few years and some of it due to how its been affecting others he cares about.


The current rumor with the Network payouts are its either wrestlers are going to lose their PPV bonuses in favor of something a lot smaller or that royalties/bonuses done in the past with DVD/Blu-Ray and PPV sales are not carrying over with the Network.

Batista is the opposite of a big deal. Also, how can you compare it to people like Hogan, Austin, The Rock? There's no-one bigger than them, and there's a wealth of mainstream affection.

Brock cited the schedule as one of the main reasons he left, pretty much everyone does, but he was only active on the main roster for a couple of years. He's a draw because of his UFC stint, and he's booked to take advantage of his limited date contract to maintain his drawing power and really hasn't been booked as a main eventer but more as a special attraction. Batista has pretty much been booked in the top spot from the moment he redebuted, at the peak of the money making season with all the bonuses that entails, he isn't half the draw Brock is though.

I think Punk is completely justified in my opinion.

The WWE are obviously well within their right to push whoever they want.....whether that's Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, or part-time wrestlers that show up once in a blue moon such as The Rock, Lesnar, or a 45 year old washed up Batista.

On the flip side - CM Punk is well within his right to do what he wants if he feels that the direction of the company and/or his character is not to his standards.

Why shouldn't Punk be pissed if it actually is the WWE's intention long term to push a guy like Dave Batista ahead of himself?