Despite rumors to the contrary, CM Punk was still absent from WWE when Monday Night Raw rolled through his hometown of Chicago two weeks ago. Last night, Punk returned to television for this first time in several weeks, but as Phil Brooks on AMC's Talking Dead. If you were looking for any signs as to the prospects of CM Punk returning in time for WrestleMania 30, there they were. He's not coming. CM Punk is gone from WWE. If he ever returns, it will not be for a long while. This leaves us with those same "why" questions we had back when Punk first left the night after the Royal Rumble. Injuries, burnout, and dissatisfaction with the current product and his place in it have all been cited. The truth is that there is probably a combination of all these factors behind Punk's absence. What is also true is that this didn't happen overnight. Injuries aside, there are numerous events that have led us to where we are now, many of which are the fault of WWE and its mismanagement of talent. This list looks at 10 big steps out the door taken by CM Punk.
10. December To Dismember (2006)
One week before December to Dismember, the first pay-per-view dedicated solely to WWE's revived ECW brand, something special happened at Survivor Series. As the ever popular Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Matt Hardy, and Jeff Hardy stood in the ring, the Philadelphia crowd began chanting very loudly for their fifth, should have been less popular teammate, CM Punk. Paul Heyman was listening. Heyman was in charge of creative for ECW at the time and saw an opportunity to catch lightning in a bottle. Punk was part of the Elimination Chamber match in December to Dismember's main event. Punk had not been built up as a favorite leading into the pay-per-view, but Heyman wanted to surprise the crowd and give them something special. Heyman's plan was to have CM Punk begin the match with the current ECW Champion, Big Show, and actually choke the giant out with the Anaconda Vice. Big Show was willing to put Punk over and the Straight Edge Superstar would have rode that momentum to a victory over the rest of his chamber opponents and an ECW Championship. Vince McMahon wanted Bobby Lashley as his champion and scrapped Heyman's plan. A compromise could have been worked out for Punk to still have a strong showing and setup a title chase for a later time, but instead, Punk was the first man eliminated from the contest. Punk was ready and the crowd was ready for Punk, but WWE apparently was not. This would not be the last time WWE's bias toward big bodies would cost the company an opportunity to create, or simply allow another major star to emerge.