Best in the world is what CM Punk would proudly call himself ever since his epic pipe bomb promo. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, simply youtube “CM Punk’s pipe bomb promo”. But Punk leaving WWE during Wrestlemania season has left a lot of fans wondering, if it’s a part of the story or it’s the actual case here. Well frankly, it seems like Punk did leave and he won’t be returning any time soon. Or at least that is what makes sense.
Why? Quite simply, CM Punk was one of the most popular and talked about wrestlers in 2011 and for the most part of 2012 but his momentum started to stall after the end of his 434 day Championship titlereign and that never brought him to the same heights in 2013. On the other hand he opened up the path for guys like Daniel Bryan. However, in doing so he also became a victim of his own success.
See, what Punk did was show that if you have the in-ring credibility, regardless of size, and connect with the crowd, with your mic (promo) skills, you could make it. Punk is among the best in the history of pro-wrestling when it comes to speaking. Problem is, when he says he is the best “wrestler” in the world, things get tricky, because he isn’t.
Moreover, when Daniel Bryan, who in his Ring Of Honor (ROH) days used to call himself the best wrestler in the world – and most wrestling pundits would agree with that – started gaining major popularity with his “Yes Movement”, Punk’s “Best in the world” line started to feel hollow. Punk will be the first to tell you he has not been playing a pro wrestling character, but rather, mostly his own self since his pipe bomb promo.
But Bryan’s consistent surge in popularity along with his character, which essentially was/is a character, which is exactly in line with the new PG WWE, must have deterred Punk even more. Punk’s character was more favourable to the older audience whereas Bryan’s has been connecting with both the older and the younger, PG audience.
Why? Because Bryan’s character, with his simple “Yes!” chantsis catchy enough to keep the casual follower interested while his in-ring acumen appeals to the usually older, more solid, pro wrestling fans. Punk’s character, because it had so much more sophistication and depth to it, more-or-less went over the casual followers. Not to mention, the more hardcore fans could also see him clearly not being on the same level, in-ring, as Bryan.Punk has gone on record to say that he left because he felt like Daniel Bryan and not Batista deserved to be in the main event at Wrestlemania 30.
So in the end, why did Punk leave? Punk is a guy that is always looking to do something new. He’d already won the Championship, multiple times, along with a record reign in the modern era. But he did not, even when he was at the peak of his reign as Champion, get to main event Wrestlemania. He knew he didn’t deserve the main event over the less-than-stellar year he’d had in 2013 and so he packed his bags and he left.
Whenever it is that Punk returns, you can rest assured that the main event at WrestleMania will be on his mind. Question is, can he deservedly get it as a crowd favourite with Daniel Bryan around?