When CM Punk walked out of the WWE (and, indeed, the wrestling industry as a whole), he left behind a void which has yet to be filled. Fans clog messageboards with rumours of his return and his name is shoehorned into completely irrelevant discussions. Fantasy bookers put him into their perfect WrestleMania cards, despite the actual chance of his return being incredibly slim. Certainly, if the WWE were to bring him back it wouldn't just be one of the most shocking returns in wrestling history - it would also be one of the greatest works. The sudden and legitimate nature of his departure, and subsequent legal struggles, seem to have finally convinced us that it's for real; we're not seeing Punk in the WWE anytime soon, but it doesn't stop his legion of supporters clamouring for his return. In short, the spectre of Punk is everywhere. Countless wrestlers have split from the WWE over the years - either permanently or returning at a later date - including many big names such as Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and Brock Lesnar. None of them have maintained such a consistently fanatic level of support so long past their departure (it's been almost a year now and Punk receives daily mentions in conjunction with the WWE). But what's the reason for this? Punk is hardly the biggest name in WWE history, nor the most appealing crossover star. He'll likely go down as one of the greats, but certainly isn't in the same league as Hogan, Austin, or Rock in terms of sheer superstardom. A combination of particular factors have created a (rather one-way) bond between Punk and his fans which looks unlikely to be broken any time soon. Some of these reasons are entirely in the hands of the man himself, others completely beyond his control, but all have blended to cast Punk as almost a Messianic figure of the wrestling business. Here's eight reasons he maintains such fanatical support.
