CM Punk was WWE's number 2 guy behind John Cena for the last few years. You might have expected his departure to be a blow, but far from it, he was replaced in the number 2 spot by Daniel Bryan, who straight away managed to do what Punk never did - closing WrestleMania as the main event champion. This undoubtedly resulted in fans forgetting all about Punk. Bryan was just as good in the ring and had became a more engaging character. He had naturally became WWE's most popular star. This marginalised Punk's departure, it was secondary to Bryan's rise, the gap Punk left on the roster was unnoticed. Furthermore, Bryan's story was used as an example of how Punk had been unprofessional. As noted in the last point, Bryan was portrayed as someone who never gave up. This influenced fans against Punk, it wasn't long before observers started noting on message boards that Bryan for real had been trodden on time and time again without ever giving in. He simply kept his head focused and kept working his hardest. Punk in contrast didn't like the way the wind was blowing and took off. The rise of Bryan and fall of Punk go hand in hand.
