Representatives for WWE are denying rumors that the world’s leading wrestling promotion has granted CM Punk an early release from his contract.
F4WOnline.com, which cited an anonymous WWE source in condemning the rumors, now attributes its perspective to an “official” WWE comment.
“WWE has officially stated that C.M. Punk has not been released,” wrote F4WOnline.com.
PWInsider, which noted there were rumors of a Punk release earlier this weekend, is also reporting that “there has been no release issued, according to several people in the company we spoke with tonight.”
According to multiple backstage reports, CM Punk departed the WWE lockerroom shortly prior to the January 27 edition of RAW. Neither Punk nor WWE has provided a formal explanation for the departure.
Sources close to Punk, however, have attributed his exit a combination of factors, including general burnout and ongoing frustration regarding his position in WWE’s booking hierarchy.
While Punk, whose contract extends through this summer, has yet to resurface on television, he has not been removed from WWE’s official website. And if official and unofficial comments from WWE personnel are true, he remains under WWE contract.