So...About This CM Punk Thing...

When I started this blog, I never intended for it to become an exclusively pro-wrestling/sports entertainment opinion page. It's not now, and it won't be but I feel like that needed to be acknowledged before I got into this entry. I also feel it necessary to state that I am a CM Punk fan.

Judging by the number of views this has, there are quite a few of us...

That being the case, I've had a thought or two on the current events of the WWE. For those that don't know, CM Punk, one of the biggest stars of professional wrestling, recently left the WWE during its lead up to Wrestlemania XXX, the 30th anniversary of unquestionably the most important event for the company and the industry. To put things into a more general context, this is in the same ballpark as Marlon Brando not accepting an Academy Award. It's a huge deal. Ever since his departure, there has been tons of speculation as to why he would leave, did he really leave, when and if he will come back, and what we as fans should say or do as a response to these developments. Fans have been oddly split into factions since day-one of the news breaking that has boiled down to these generalized responses:

"Screw Punk! He walked out on the fans!!"

"WWE sux!! I don't blame him for leaving."

"Batista sux so hard!! This is all his fault!!"

"Hijack RAW!!"

Well, allow me to add to the discourse. First and foremost, just about everything about these responses are completely off-base and lack any full understanding or perspective. They're each wrong for their own reasons, and that's what has helped me reach an assessment of my own. To state it as simply as possible:

CM Punk left the WWE, and that sucks. But as much as I hate it as a fan, he doesn't owe me anything.

I'm a big believer in the mentality that we ultimately have no one to answer to but ourselves. That's why when it gets right down to it, I can't be mad at a guy for making a decision concerning his life as well as physical and mental well-being just because it means he won't be around anymore to entertain me. He never owed me that in the first place. Phil Brooks started wrestling because he loves it. That much can be said of anyone that ever began a career in professional wrestling. And in the back of just about everybody's mind is a perfect "Wrestlemania Moment" that they envision and aspire to throughout their careers. Punk is no different in that respect. Anyone listening to the subtext of that landmark 2011 promo can see that clearly. But to fully understand everything he had to say in that promo as well as his general thought process, you have to get past what is seen on Monday and Friday nights. You have to take into consideration what fueled that "pipebomb" in the first place.

Punk described the motivation behind that promo as "an entire WWE career of frustration" manifesting itself. To understand that, we have to look back at the trajectory of his career in the WWE. We could spend time looking at the OVW and WWECW years, but really things didn't begin to take off for him until his first Money in the Bank victory. From there, he won his first World Heavyweight Championship...which ended abruptly without him even losing it in a legitimate match-up. After a kayfabe (in-story) injury, he loss the title and was pushed back to mid-card status. Unfortunately, this means indeterminable stagnation in the WWE as the mid-card talent are not nearly as visible. Ask yourself when was the last time you saw Damien Sandow, then shed a tear for his nonexistent momentum. So, this is an uncomfortable spot for anyone to be in. But it's even worse if you're the type of person that *wants* to succeed, and CM Punk is that kind of guy. He is regularly described by his peers as a guy that wants the chance to do 20-30 minute matches. He even said himself that the contract negotiations that became a part of his Money in the Bank 2011 story arc were never about meeting special demands or money, but rather "being placed on the card where I deserved to be." And the man has proven himself worthy of main event status as both a face and a heel, but that path was hard-fought. Even after two reigns as World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk was still kept at mid-card level and shuffled from one dead-end angle to the next. Not because there was no room for growth or development, but each hit a wall that there seemed to be no plan to traverse. Despite the possibility to build up to a grander stage in his career, time and again that momentum faltered until June 27, 2011. That's when the clip above happened, and that ushered in a revitalization to both the career of CM Punk as well as the WWE as a whole.

In the 5-6 minutes he spoke, CM Punk effectively challenged the WWE model of superstar. Simultaneously putting himself on the chopping block, he proceeded to live up to his claims of being "the best in the world" by maintaining a consistent work-rate in every capacity. He transitioned from being a top face in the company to being the top heel while also having the longest title reign of the past 25 years (434 days). In doing so, he also made it possible to shine a spotlight on other mid-card talent that had yet to gain any upward mobility. Guys like Dolph Ziggler and, most notably, Daniel Bryan were in high profile matches for the WWE title that gave them the opportunity to showcase their talent on flagship broadcasts and Pay-Per-Views. He also brought forward a new scope through which fans would view the WWE from that day forward. It would seem that Phil Brooks accomplished everything he ever could've dreamed of, and truly changed things for the better. Well, yes...but not quite as the past few months have shown.

There are many fans complaining that Punk turned his back on them, on *us*. To that I present perspective. After a feud with Paul Heyman and his camp that lasted far longer than it should have, Punk was once again left adrift. He wasn't in pursuit of any championship. He wasn't involved in a feud of any kind with any real direction. The only semblance of a story with any fuel behind it sprung up just prior to Royal Rumble...and...well...

Pictured here: Not The Rock

The following night, Punk left. He left knowing that he was slated to collide with "The Authority" in the form of matches with Kane, and eventually Triple H at Wrestlemania XXX. He left knowing that the launch of the WWE Network was right around the corner. He left fully aware that the road to Wrestlemania had begun, and that as a major player, his presence was greatly valued. So why? Because after the title run, the pipebombs, the triumphant returns, literally making professional wrestling interesting and engaging again, what would that image say to you? That guy never headlined a Wrestlemania until he came back after a lengthy hiatus with a movie to promote. Meanwhile, you and every other person that has worked week after week for the past year will once again watch stars from generations past waltz right into the opportunity you were never offered. It's one thing to see it happen once, but this will be the 3rd year in a row that has seen a wrestler return for a limited time to headline the biggest show of the year. Couple that with the lack of direction, the "Authority" angle that was much better suited for Daniel Bryan, and the increasing fatigue and wear that comes with the lifestyle. That's how you get responses like this...

I don't like that CM Punk aka Phil Brooks is no longer performing. He is legitimately one of the best to ever do this, and at the very least I wish the guy could've had the classic "Road to Wrestlemania" story that culminated in a world title win just once before it was all over. He certainly deserves that moment. As things are now, that doesn't look like something that will happen. But one thing is clear: His decision wasn't done out of spite. You don't start wrestling in backyards at the age of 15 and push yourself to get better until you reach the apex of this business unless you love it and everything about it with every fiber. Something was lost here, and that's tragic. So, I'm gonna hope for the best as time moves forward. But for what it's worth...Thanks, Phil.

If for no other reason than wearing THAT shirt, you will always be the Best in the World!!