WWE: 5 Potential Reasons The Rumble Broke CM Punk
3. I Am Iron Man
After an absence from the event in previous years, Punk was saddled with the prestigious spot as the first entrant into the Royal Rumble. Its the standard in WWE for the first entrant to be the work horse of the majority of the match and Punk was given the responsibility to handle that load. In a sense, its an acknowledgment of praise for the level of worker that Punk is regarded as. Hes regarded as the load bearer of the company, but hes still left short of the throne when the time comes to make a choice between him and performers like Cena or Orton.
Punk isnt just the Iron Man in the Rumble. Hes the Iron Man for the entire WWE. For almost a decade he has performed at every television show and live event imaginable. He has endured years of non-stop travel and consistently put on some of the best matches that fans have seen. He truly is a treat to watch, but his talents could be argued as being taken advantage of.
This isnt to say that every single wrestler that performs these tasks is entitled to a World Title run and their faces on 7-11 cups. However, Punk has been teetering on the cusp of breaking through the barriers set before him, but is never quite thrust full steam ahead into that echelon. Meanwhile, as he works away and performs night in and night out, he witnesses other wrestlers from the past or with clout, that are arguably not as over as he is, be quickly shoved into main event pictures and title runs. It must be incredibly discouraging to slave away and be entrusted as the backbone of the higher card performers, yet have to consistently bend to the whim of other personalities.