10 Ways CM Punk Changed WWE FOREVER
3. His Departure Helped Daniel Bryan
At the time of CM Punk's departure, WWE's plan for the main event of WrestleMania 30 was to have the returning Batista go one-on-one with Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. Punk, meanwhile, was in line to face Triple H in the co-main. Needless to say, Punk hated both of these ideas.
Not only did he feel that he was once again being overlooked for a main event spot that he felt he'd earned, but he specifically did not want to wrestle Triple H, as he'd harbored some serious resentment towards him for not putting him over back at 2011's Night of Champions PPV. Furthermore, he didn't think it made sense to shoehorn a returning Batista into the main event instead of giving the nod to the white-hot Daniel Bryan. Of course, being CM Punk, he voiced each and every one of these frustrations to Vince McMahon and The Game on his way out the door.
So, with Punk gone and the fans turning on Batista instantaneously, plans had to change.
Crumbling under the immense pressure to actually give the fans what they want, WWE decided to finally strap a rocket to Daniel Bryan's back. Defeating not only Triple H, but also Randy Orton and Batista in the same night, Bryan's World Championship victory at the end of the show is etched in history as one of wrestling's best ever feel-good moments.
And it never would have happened if CM Punk hadn't left.