The wrestling world will not have to wait until July to find out if rumors of a future CM Punk departure are true.
According to multiple sources, Punk, viewed officially as the second biggest star on WWE’s roster, walked out prior to Monday’s RAW. Though WWE has not removed Punk from its official website, it has removed his name from upcoming event advertisements.
Rumors throughout Monday suggested that the script for Monday’s RAW underwent significant re-writes late in the day, and it now appears that Punk’s departure fueled at least some of those changes. PWInsider says that Punk informed WWE management of his decision to leave late Monday afternoon.
Nothing definitive has been confirmed regarding the wrestler’s departure, but significant speculation suggests it was due to frustration with his role and the general company direction. PWInsider notes that anonymous WWE sources are also attributing the decision to the more abstract notions of burnout and fatigue.
In its commentary on the matter, F4WOnline.com offered a perspective that explains why Punk’s recent years of success might have actually contributed to the tension. Insofar as Punk is reportedly very good with his money, he does not feel tied down to WWE and has thus never been inhibited from voicing frustration. That he departed in the middle of WrestleMania season, which is typically the most lucrative for WWE’s key wrestlers, says all one needs to know about how much fear of lost income concerned the wrestler.
On the other hand, some within WWE, while certainly high on his talent, find such frustration troubling given the fact that after years of thankless work in smaller promotions, CM Punk finally parlayed his WWE opportunity into significant wealth and international fame.
With Punk apparently out of the picture, it appears plans are shifting in favor of a Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H match at WrestleMania.