12. He Talked About Changing WWE, But Didnt Follow Through
WWE.comIf the Second Summer Of Punk in WWE in 2011 had a buzzword, that word would be Change. Beginning with Punks now-infamous worked-shoot promo at the end of Monday Night RAW on 27th June, everything he said and everything he did revolved around a final, exasperated frustration with the storylines he was involved in, the feuds he was presented with and the opportunities he was being given. More than that though, Punk kept shouting for change in WWE as a whole. He dressed down John Cena, company man and face of the WWE, as a corporate shill. He slagged off Vince McMahon to his face, and insulted the family members that maintained a stranglehold on the creative aspects of the WWEs business. He demanded better booking for himself, for friends and colleagues. He kept going on about bringing back WWE ice cream bars. A lot of this struck a chord with WWE fans, whod become disenchanted with a product that was beginning to feel stale and repetitive. Even though it must have been obvious to most that Punks ranting and raving was as scripted as the rest of WWE television, it felt like a breath of fresh air, as if there was a real person behind the fake anger. As if maybe the anger was genuine, just being channeled and focused within a pro wrestling angle. 2014s WWE is significantly different to 2011s product, in no small part due to the advancement of the training facility at Full Sail and the NXT developmental product being so much more focused than it was. But theres no CM Punk on hand to take a role in it to put over the new guys and strengthen the reform so far. He left, apparently in frustration, just as things were getting good. Its almost as if the heated, angry promos of 2011 that inspired so many lapsed fans to return to watch WWE were a scripted storyline on behalf of a wrestler who wanted a better spot in the company. It might not be at all fair but a great many fans feel cheated, and likely a fair few superstars on the roster as well.