There is no denying that during his time with WWE, there was no Superstar who had the passionate following that Chicago's CM Punk did. The Straight Edge Superstar was phenomenal, both as a heel and a babyface, and became one of the biggest names in the industry despite a system that tried to keep him down. The longest reigning WWE champion in a quarter of a century, he proved to have a connection with the audience and skills inside the squared circle second to none. That is why fans still chant "we want Punk" and "CM Punk" in arenas across the country, almost two years after he walked out of WWE. Anyone who criticizes WWE for not doing enough to bring Punk back into the fold, or wanting Punk back in the fold, make no damn sense. Would it be great to see Punk back in a Vince McMahon-owned ring, mixing it up with the likes of Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns? Hell yes, but anyone thinking that he would somehow reverse the fortunes of the company and change everything wrong with the current product is simply fooling themselves. Punk is a phenomenal performer whose pipebomb promo sparked interest in the industry. But it was short-lived, WWE Creative failing to follow up on it. His return may pique interest and drive fans back to WWE but it would last only a brief moment in time before writing failed him again. So chant for Punk all you want because he is not coming back and in the grand scheme of things, it would not matter anyway. You cannot help someone too stubborn to heed your advice.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
