WWE: 5 Potential Reasons The Rumble Broke CM Punk
4. The Exclusion Of Daniel Bryan
This is not to be misconstrued, as its unlikely CM Punk is concerned at all with the welfare of Daniel Bryan and his promotion in the company. However, the Daniel Bryan Royal Rumble incident is indicative of the blind eye that the WWE turns to a performer that is building momentum, but is not part of the companys grand vision moving forward. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Punk mentioned that Daniel Bryan is experiencing a connection with the crowd that he had been gaining back in 2011 with the Cult of Personality gimmick. It seems an odd coincidence that Daniel Bryan now assumes the role that Punk played almost three years ago, complete with the WWE half-heartedly getting behind Bryan, but shying away when the opportunity is presented to drive the character home to the viewing audience.
It could be that Punk is experiencing some kind of vicarious déjà vu, or at least seeing the writing on the wall for how much the WWE will actually invest in guys like him and Bryan. The Pittsburgh crowd was piping hot for Daniel Bryan, only to see their beloved wrestler be beaten by Bray Wyatt and later not appear at all in the Rumble match itself. Rey Mysterio, the 30th and final entrant into the match, was met with a chorus of Boos, and the remainder of the contest was met with a blending of groans and Daniel Bryan chants.
During the height of Punks angle to break down the 4th wall in 2011, there was a segment that featured an open debate between Punk and Triple H over Punks grievances with the WWE. Triple Hs point about Punks accusations of not being given a chance in the company was that he hadnt won over the crowd until that summer. He went on to note that thats what WWE does; they listen to the crowd, not to the performers. In response, Punk mocking asked Triple H if thats what the company decided it was doing that week. The faith in emerging talent may be best described as selective at best.