Will CM Punk stay or leave WWE this year?

Machismo Fan

http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=57441

As we initially reported last night in the PWInsider.com Elite section, former WWE World champion CM Punk has not signed a new WWE deal and there's been a lot of talk that Punk is looking to exit the company when his deal expires in a few months.

Internally, that possibility has been discussed for some time but during the European tour, discussion of Punk's exit came more and more to the forefront.

According to WWE sources, Punk has been offered a new long-term deal but has balked at signing, citing burnout with being on the road for years and unhappiness with his position in the company over the last year.

As one source pointed out, Punk has been something of an "Iron Man" for the company, working full-time on the road with the exception of his hip injury needing to be rehabbed last year. At the same time, despite delivering with whatever was handed to him creatively, Punk has watched as other talents developed since he debuted ended up pushed as bigger names and treated as more important than Punk, including Miz and Alberto Del Rio.

"When you look at how the company brands it's characters, Punk is never among the top 5-8 names that are promoted or pushed," said the WWE office source. "It's Cena, Orton, Miz, Undertaker, Rey, now Alberto, etc. these days and Punk is sort of floating right under there. He didn't fit into the youth drive a few months back but he's not treated like a top veteran either. He's just there, doing his job and while everyone knows he delivers, he's never really treated like someone who does. He's never dropped the ball but we don't give it to him really, either. He's treated like a guy, but not THE guy. For a driven guy like him who's made wrestling his entire world, it's got to drive him crazy. Now, the excuse will be don't push Punk because he might be leaving, but the reality is the environment and situation is what is probably making him want to leave to begin with. Either it gets fixed or it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, just like it did when Batista walked out."

As is the norm with such situations, a new deal could be struck at any point, but as more and more sources discuss Punk leaving the company as a distinct possibility, time will tell. We'll have more when we get it.

Cianan2

No

Would be a HUGE loss, he has the potential to be one of the greatest heels in WWE history imo.

Bounty Hunter

Punk to get a much improved deal and a much waranted big push as he realises that the WWE feckin need him bad. Edge's retirement and the reception to WM, The Draft and the need for old stars like the Rock show the WWE is hurting right now and Punk always delivers (and the mic and in the ring) and is therefore reliable, is still young, straight edge etc and the WWE wont want to lose him now. This is the perfect time for Punk to negotiate a new deal and to play hardball while doing so.

Wouldent imagine Punk exactley wants out of WWE, just WWE to be better to him when/if he resigns

starviewadams

Wouldn't do his career any harm if he took a Jericho like sabatical,and came back in a year or so's time.

Can't see many original feuds for him on Raw tbh,though I would love to see a feud between him and Danielson.

Bounty Hunter

starviewadams wrote: »

Wouldn't do his career any harm if he took a Jericho like sabatical,and came back in a year or so's time.

Can't see many original feuds for him on Raw tbh,though I would love to see a feud between him and Danielson.

I'd say there are a lot of potential feuds on Raw for him especially when you consider that since being on comentary he has only really feuded with Cena & Orton. Orton is gone to SD and tbh i'd like to see more of Cena/Punk as it was only really getting going when the WM stories engulfed it starting at the Rumble, it never even went 1 on 1 at a PPV.

Balasubbie

This one gained steam quite quickly. If there's any merit to this, I imagine it'd similar to likes of what Mysterio did a while back, actively floating the rumour in order to squeeze a few favours for himself.

starviewadams

I hate seeing any wrestler that I like feud with Cena because they always come out second best so I really don't want to see another Punk/Cena feud!

Edit:With the exception of Edge a few years ago!

irish_stevo815

I really don't want to see Punk go, he deserves to be in the hunt for the WWE Title. Having Cena win the title at Extreme rules coukd reignite theri feud, but it will more than likely be Cena v Del Rio.

Once Punk's feud with Orton is over, I can see him being thrown into a story with Rey Mysterio or something pointless again. Hopefully he sticks around, but maybe a break of like 6 months to a year would do wonders for him.

grames_bond

Punk leaving could be a MASSIVE loss! I thinkwwe should throw anything and everything at him to convince him to stay!! he should be main event level constantly!!

Diabhal Beag

He won't leave unless its for the indies. He openly hates TNA and he's too smart to leave WWE on bad terms.

GavRedKing

He's one of only a few guys I enjoy watching when hes in ring or on the mic, would be a big loss for WWE an done I dont think they can afford really, IMO, he has the potential to be top drawer if hes given a proper push in the next few months.

JP Liz V1

No

starviewadams wrote: »

Wouldn't do his career any harm if he took a Jericho like sabatical,and came back in a year or so's time.

Can't see many original feuds for him on Raw tbh,though I would love to see a feud between him and Danielson.

He is without a doubt the current best heel WWE have so a huge loss if he does leave

I wouldnt mind him being drafted to SD and feuding with Christian or a returning Jericho

starviewadams

Huge loss for the WWE but not for Punk personally,Jericho was treated far more seriously after he took a break then he was before he left and I'd imagine Punk would be too.Absence makes the heart grow fonder!

Furious-Red

Yea must say that Punk being let go with be stupid , he has become the new Jericho , great on the mic , great in the ring and has great feuds but gets no reward and treated terribley.
He should have been drafted to SD to since SD need a top heel.

krudler

He basically is Jericho circa 2005, has the talent, the mic skills and the ability to be huge, yet flounders at upper mid card and comes across as a whipping boy for some of the main eventers. Him and The Miz are the only things worth watching on Raw at the moment so it'd be a huge loss.

parker kent

A few months off would do him the world of good. He actually needs time off, not getting surgery was not the wisest move given he wasn't used in a topline match at Mania anyway.

sky88

it would a huge loss if he left with the wrestlers leaving lately it seems like all the ones i keep watching wwe for would be very bad for wwe if he left

RosyLily

Nnnooooooooooooo!!!
But I can see his point. He's been working non-stop for years without a significant break. He's constantly being underused and seeing other guys get promoted ahead of him. Hopefully, WWE will realise what a huge loss he'd be before it's too late.

Right, back to my original reply....nnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooo............:P

Furious-Red

sky88 wrote: »

it would a huge loss if he left with the wrestlers leaving lately it seems like all the ones i keep watching wwe for would be very bad for wwe if he left

Thats why the ball will be in his corner since as people have said wwe have lost Edge/HBK/Taker(bar his odd appearance)/Jericho and wont want to lose another

rossie1977

if wwe got by with hbk leaving they will get by without punk

wwe have alot of strong heels coming through so if punk left they wouldn't be badly hit as some here think, financially he doesn't bring in anything like the money rey, cena or even jeff hardy (before he left) was bringing in

wrestling wise they could just call up tyler black to the main roster

lulz at people saying punk has been booked terribly, if punk has been booked terribly then what has swagger been booked like, outside the big four (orton, cena, taker, trips) and mysterio, punks been booked the strongest remaining guy on the roster this past 3 years, like miz is only recently been booked at punks level

Cianan2

No

I think the Nexus story with Orton would have been much better off had there been a title involved. Apart from the obvious superman moments for Orton (and Cena before, for that matter), its been a good stable. It just shouldn't be midcard!

Lord TSC

Reason for Beth's move to Raw?

Beth Phoenix's move to WWE Raw may not be all about her and could involve her real-life boyfriend CM Punk. With Punk considering leaving WWE, the company may be trying to put Beth on the road with him to change his mind about not signing a new contract.

The big story out of this week's TVs was that Punk's WWE contract is coming up and he recently balked at signing a new deal because of burn out and frustration with his role in the company. Punk has been dating Beth Phoenix for the past several months and the two are actually living in each others respective homes.

In a similar situation, WWE has always tried to please The Undertaker by making sure his wife Michelle McCool is able to travel with him.

- WrestlingNewsWorld

JP Liz V1

No

^ Punk and Beth a couple :eek:

MitchKoobski

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

^ Punk and Beth a couple :eek:

Kinda makes you wonder who wears the pants in that one...

glenjamin

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

^ Punk and Beth a couple :eek:

I thought he was banging Lita and Beth was with Cody.

sky88

punk is like the new batista

JP Liz V1

No

glenjamin wrote: »

I thought he was banging Lita and Beth was with Cody.

:eek:

Handsome Bob

sky88 wrote: »

punk is like the new batista

The difference being that Punk has my support! Legend.

Lord TSC

glenjamin wrote: »

I thought he was banging Lita and Beth was with Cody.

Afaik, Cody and Beth was rumoured back when they went to the HoF one year together, and pics are online of the two together in Disneyworld, but I didn't think it was ever confirmed.

Punk, on the other hand, goes through the divas like there's no tomorrow....

GTR63

Punk must be running out of Divas at this stage.He peaked when he was with Kelly Kelly.

ayatollah

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

^ Punk and Beth a couple :eek:

in fairness i always thought beth was kinda cute

starviewadams

He was with Maria before he even got to the main roster,some boy!!

Charisteas

He was with Daffney too, and Tracy Brooks (which is a coincidence because they both have the same last name) years ago though before he was with the WWE. This promiscuous life-style isn't very straight edge is it?

G-Money

starviewadams wrote: »

From PWinsider.com

'On the WWE PPV calendar, the WWE Night of Champions PPV concept has been officially dropped from the schedule. The date is still scheduled for a PPV on September 18th at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY, but is now listed at "TBA" for the name of the show.'

Wonder if this is related to rumours of them unifying the titles...

The Sun seems to be saying something similar too.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/3552942/Could-WWE-be-set-for-a-new-era.html

G-Money

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Punk, on the other hand, goes through the divas like there's no tomorrow....

Well I don't know if he really sticks to that Straight Edge lifestyle of no drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. But it's obvious he's really sticking to something else though :pac:

Charisteas

G-Money wrote: »

Well I don't know if he really sticks to that Straight Edge lifestyle of no drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. But it's obvious he's really sticking to something else though :pac:

Just my opinion and it may ruffle feathers, but I think that straight-edge thing is just a gimmick. He's had plenty of women, which as far as I know is against the straight edge lifestyle. And judging by the size of his arms, i'd guess that he has also taken gear in earlier days of his career (before the wellness policy came about)

Pentecost

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

^ Punk and Beth a couple :eek:

Probably would in fairness. She's attractive enough in a way bigger than me kinda way. More understandable than say Chyna ever was.

Lord TSC

Charisteas wrote: »

Just my opinion and it may ruffle feathers, but I think that straight-edge thing is just a gimmick. He's had plenty of women, which as far as I know is against the straight edge lifestyle. And judging by the size of his arms, i'd guess that he has also taken gear in earlier days of his career (before the wellness policy came about)

I really don't think its a gimmick but then I guess I have no more proff than you

As for the whole sex thing, my understanding is that the staight edge lifestyle frowns on promiscious sex, not sex in general. My understanding is that sex in a stable relationship is perfectly acceptable (presumably because you have more of an idea of what possible long term and short term effects could arise as a result...). Just no one night stands, random nights of passion with strangers, etc.

parker kent

Charisteas wrote: »

Just my opinion and it may ruffle feathers, but I think that straight-edge thing is just a gimmick. He's had plenty of women, which as far as I know is against the straight edge lifestyle. And judging by the size of his arms, i'd guess that he has also taken gear in earlier days of his career (before the wellness policy came about)

His arms don't look like the arms of a man on anything. He has lean, natural muscle. The chest area is always the tell-tale sign.

Degag

AFAIK the straight edge thing is totally legit.

parker kent

Yeah it is 100% legit.

grames_bond

He has it tatooed on his stomach AND his knuckles! of course its legit!

jaykhunter

No

You've heard the stories -- Punk's contract is almost up, WWE's offered a new deal but Punk's neglected to renew so far.

Consider the following bits of info :

• Punk's contract is almost up
• WWE's offered him a new deal
• Punk's neglected to renew (so far)
• His reason why is cited to be "burnout with being on the road for years and unhappiness with his position in the company over the last year."
• Punk's generally been overlooked by WWE when they look for new talent to lead the company (Sheamus, Miz, Barrett etc all pushed ahead of him in 09-10, even now in 2011, Del Rio, Truth and Morrison are in better spots, obviously Orton, Christian on SmackDown)
• Punk generally loses all of his matches and feuds
• Punk's an indy darling (i.e. massively talented wrestler/promo/unique look but smaller size)
• Could Punk be just lobbying for a better position in the company?
• There's talk of WWE wanting Punk to sign his name away (which Punk owns)
• He's started in a little twitter feud with KENTA (originator of the GTS) ...might Punk be eyeing the exit and laying the groundwork for a feud in ROH/Japan etc? Or just fuelling discussion?

Long story short - go out on a limb - will CM Punk re-sign with WWE or leave? We'll know for sure come later in the year.

D2D

No

I'd say he'll sign a new contract. Neither that or he'll go the Jericho root, taking time off then going back again

McCann_Man

As much as I would like to see Punk go for one more run in ROH & PWG,
I simply cannot see that happening, it's no secret that Punk is currently being underutilized he went from being a shoe in for the main event at WM 27 with Cena to being randomly thrown into this new nexus storyline which I really don't like at all.

Many wrestlers have been stating on twitter that Punk deserves better and for me right now he is my favorite on the roster but I agree with Dare_2_Defy, if he doesnt resign it will be to take time off

ayatollah

i think he's just playing hardball to be honest - plus the E know what an asset he is i dont see vince letting him go.

GTR63

He should take a break for a few months ala Jericho shouldn't take wwe long to realise just how much he adds to their product.I just hope he doesn't sign a extension and then get a short title reign to sweeten the deal. Like what Mysterio got when he wasn't allowed to take a break after smashing Taker's orbital bone in.

Nody

No

ayatollah wrote: »

i think he's just playing hardball to be honest - plus the E know what an asset he is i dont see vince letting him go.

I do, Vince like his guys big and beefy, indy background, small, popular on the internet are all things that is against him for Vince as Vince did not build him up.

I'd say he'll not sign, do the odd RoH show or two and then return with in a year; I'd very surprised if he went to TNA though.

Diabhal Beag

I personally feel he's lost the spring in his step since S.E.S split up. He was thrown into a ****ty Nexus.

I'd love to see him freshen up the indy scene but he'll probably end up resigning with the WWE.

jaykhunter

No

I answered yes. I think he'll stall for about 2 months after his contract runs out (extending it by a month, twice); and he'll re-sign, WWE 'caving' and having much bigger pay and keeping his own name.

He's a smart lad and WWE will realise that he's saved his money, he doesn't need WWE, he'd rather work the indies as CM Punk than getting the boot down the line and having to wrestle as CM Walker.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Id say he physically needs to take time away from the ring. If he were to say ask for 3 months off when his contract ends Im sure WWE wouldn't have a problem with it. Its not as if he's going to be going back to TNA.