10 Big-Time Wrestling Debuts That Were Totally Wasted

2. CM Punk (WWE)

Will Ospreay AEW
WWE.com

When: 12 November 2019 (Backstage).

Why It Was A Waste: CM Punk's departure from WWE in 2014 created headlines around the world. He'd been unhappy with the system for a while, and the former World Champ wasn't afraid to let everybody know it. Generally, fans were split into two camps. Some supported Punk, whereas others mocked his 'woe is me' whining.

Those folks united in 2019 to roundly bash the man's WWE comeback.

How did Punk return? On Raw as part of a big-time angle? Right at the end of a pay-per-view? Nope and nope. The then-biggest free agent in pro wrestling made a comeback on the 12 November episode of Backstage. As in...the FS1 talk show nobody really paid much attention to.

Granted, Punk's contract was with FOX rather than WWE, but he had to know this was a disappointing way to appear on company-led television for the first time in over five years. Thank f*ck for AEW's hype two years later - no-one wanted to remember Punk for this low-key tripe.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.