There is no denying that since the Summer of Punk in 2011, CM Punk has been one of the most entertaining superstars in WWE. For many fans, he has been a major if not the only reason to watch Raw the past two-plus years. In an era of PG programming, fans clamoring for more realistic storylines have looked forward to Punks vitriol-filled promos. So his departure was extremely frustrating because it greatly diminished our enjoyment of WWE. But no matter how much fans speculate and drool over a possible Punk return to WWE, there are a group of fans who feel slighted or cheated by him leaving unexpectedly. Those of us who enjoy Punk as a performer are upset that he is not on television, participating in angles and making WWE programming more entertaining. Punk left just as WWE was gearing up for the road to WrestleMania, and while he might not have been happy with the proposed storyline with Triple H, it clearly would have been a high-profile feud that had potential (witness the Daniel Bryan-Triple H storyline). The longer Punk stays away, the more fans grow weary of the rampant rumors of his return (the latest being that he will appear at next weeks Payback since its in Chicago). At some point, resentment sets in as superstars like Dolph Ziggler toil away on the roster and Punk holds out for whatever reason. Of course, even those fans who are ticked off about Punks departure and prolonged absence would still probably welcome him back with open arms if he shows up on Raw or at Payback. But theres no denying that Punk being away has p****d off some of the very fans who helped turn him into the megastar he is today.
Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.
