8 Wrestlers That Visibly Hated Working For TNA
3. CM Punk
Though he'd do a far worse job of obscuring his displeasure while working for other organisations in the years that followed, CM Punk didn't have much of a poker face when it came to performing his (relatively limited) roles in the early days of TNA, and when push came to shove between Total Nonstop Action and his other base in Ring Of Honor, the choice was easy and obvious for the 'Second City Saint'.
After a run alongside Ace Steel in 2002, Punk's main stint in the weekly pay-per-view era came as a member of Raven's Nest/Flock-adjacent group The Gathering alongside Julio Dinero. Punk and Raven were in the process of setting ROH on fire at the time, but it wasn't the need to overlook that rivalry that caused problems. TNA sought to sever ties with ROH talent after the Rob Feinstein scandal, whilst also feeling that both Punk and Dinero hadn't connected as expected during their middling run. The 'Voice Of The Voiceless' remained loyal to ROH as it attempted to rebuild, refuting the claims but proving it with actions rather than words.
That's not to say the door was always closed - this is TNA after all. There were so many rumours about Punk signing anywhere and everywhere either side of his 2023 AEW exit and owners Anthem would have been only too happy to take one of the biggest stars and draws in the game to bolster their ranks ahead of an industry-altering business agreement with WWE.
A TNA return would have shocked the world, but Punk ultimately cut out the middle-man and returned to WWE for the real never-say-never outcome.