19 Things WRESTLING Wants You To Forget About CM Punk

14. Leaving WWE In 2014

Vince McMahon CM Punk
WWE

CM Punk was at the end of his rope by January 2014.

Years removed from the "pipe bomb" that transformed his career, Punk had seen the top of the mountain but had been knocked from the summit once too often. Physically and mentally, he was suffering the consequences. Broken promises and - arguably worse - intended ones about his upcoming booking plans were the straws that broke an already knackered camel's back.

Unhappy with just about every aspect of working for WWE he elected to...not do that anymore. Though his Royal Rumble mistreatment (Punk went 49:12 in the match from the Number One spot only to be dragged out of the match by an already-eliminated Kane) wasn't the only bit of promotional malpractice that night, it was the one that directly impacted his present and future. By leaving everything behind on the following night's Raw, he at very least secured Daniel Bryan's WrestleMania XXX push, such was the groundswell for both to be the forces of good against the storyline (and real) Authority.

To make matters worse, he was formally fired on his wedding day. And we found that out when...

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett