CM Punk quits WWE

There has been alot of discussion as reports suggests that former WWE champion, CM Punk quit the company prior to Raw and he told Vince McMahon he was going home. Punk didn't appear on Raw and was subsequently removed from live events that he was previously advertised. As with almost anything in pro wrestling, you have to consider, is it a work? It's possible that the "walk out" could be an angle to set up the rumored CM Punk vs. Triple H match at Wrestlemania, but considering that Punk almost left the promotion three years ago, I doubt they would try to use the same situation again for a storyline because it wouldn't generate the same type of buzz after he returned. So, if it's not a storyline, why would Punk quit just six months before his contract is set to expire?

Last week, there was an MMA Fighting interview where Punk mentioned that he didn't know if he would resign when his current deal expires and he also said that one of his remaining goals is to main event Wrestlemania. One of the possible scenarios is that Punk decided to quit after the Royal Rumble because Batista won it and as a result, Punk wouldn't be in the main event of Wrestlemania. If Punk wasn't going to resign, Wrestlemania 30 would have been his opportunity to headline the show before he retired and if he wasn't booked for his remaining goal then maybe he didn't think another six months on the road was worth it. Punk might have a reason to quit, as he has been a work horse during his time in WWE and he has worked injured in recent months, but a returning former star that will promote a movie is booked in a title match at the biggest show of the year. This is really similar situation to when The Rock sporadically returned to the WWE and it was one of the reasons for the infamous "pipe bomb" promo from a few years ago. After the promo, Punk said he wanted to change the WWE and it seems like he tried, but three years later, it's basically the same situation, as a former star was automatically given a top spot. Punk's attempt to better the sport is notable, but if recent events prove anything, it's that the WWE will book their product based on seemingly trying to tell the fans what they should want to see and unless there's competition for them or the fans don't watch Raw, the WWE will probably continue to book similar storylines.

The other aspect of this situation is if Punk wasn't going to resign later this year, why would the WWE book him in the top spot of the biggest show of the year? If Punk wasn't going to resign then from a business prospective, why would the WWE want to promote him in a top spot when they could invest the TV time for another star that will still be under contract after Punk left the company? Also, if Punk wasn't going to resign, it wouldn't be too surprising if he was booked to job to Triple H at Wrestlemania, considering that he was jobbing at almost every PPV prior to him almost leaving the company a few years ago.

If Punk actually quit, you can't really blame him, as he has been injured and if a Wrestlemania main event was his only goal before retiring, there's no reason to risk further injury. At the same time, the WWE has the right to book their product how they want and if it continues to draw money, why not? However, it's certainly a statement about the company when one of the top performers would rather quit and decline a major pay check for Wrestlemania than work for the company for another six months. There were some fans on Twitter that mentioned TNA or ROH as options for Punk after his WWE contract expires, but I think Punk will retire. Punk made major money in the WWE and there's really no reason for him to wrestle for a different promotion. TNA is bush league and ROH probably couldn't afford to sign Punk so it's possible he will retire after the WWE contract expires. Regardless, Punk had a good run in the WWE and he provided the audience with some good TV during the past few years. It should be extremely interesting to see if the WWE acknowledges Punk's decision on TV and if it will be used for a storyline.