Role models in wrestling are hard to find sometimes. One of the best things about CM Punk the man is that he is straight edge. No drugs and no alcohol for him. He's so proud of it that he has it tattooed on his hands and the "X" he marks on his wrist tape is because of that. If you're a parent that has a kid that's a wrestling fan, Punk's a guy that you can point to and say: "Here's a guy that does it without any drugs and he's not going to get in trouble drinking either." There are not too many people in wrestling you can say that about. That's the reality. If you're in your 20s, 30s or older you might see Hulk Hogan positioned as this role model. No offense to Hulk, but he used much more than vitamins to make his arms bigger, brother. He used steroids. He did anything he could to keep his image up. As a kid it doesn't matter, but when you grow up to learn the truth you lose respect for the guy. With Punk walking away, what message is he sending? It feels like he's saying if you don't like something then you should walk away. He should know better. He should be stronger. Maybe he got sick of fighting "the machine" and that's why he left, but some fans are going to feel let down by him walking away.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
