The Besong Beat: Don’t Blame CM Punk; Blame Yourself

In June of 2013, CM Punk was reportedly penciled in as the 2014 Royal Rumble winner, culminating in Punk receiving his first ever WrestleMania main event against the WWE Champion. However, his name was then erased. Instead, WWE penned ‘Dave Batista’ in that position, presumably sometime in late 2013 or early 2014.

Now, not even a full calendar year later, it looks like CM Punk is no longer with World Wrestling Entertainment. Punk walked out on the company the day after the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Jan. 27, putting WWE in a precarious position heading into its biggest event, WrestleMania XXX. Punk’s actions were applauded by some, but verbally thrashed by many, for putting the company in such a difficult position at such a marquee time.

But can you really blame Punk for his actions?

Many will say that Punk’s actions are not ‘proper business,’ as Punk is not honoring his contract with WWE, set to expire in July. However, it is WWE that sets the precedent on honoring contracts. On a yearly basis, the company chooses to release talents before their contracts expire. If WWE chooses not to honor its contracts, why should its talents not do the same?

Not only is Punk handling business similar to WWE; he also had legitimate beef with the company. In addition to possibly being penciled in as the 2014 Royal Rumble winner, Punk was rumored to face Randy Orton for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXX. However, these plans from October were also shot down because of Batista. Instead of main eventing, Punk was slated to face WWE COO Triple H. Punk still had a marquee match on the card, but not what he wanted.

The same thing happened to Punk during WrestleMania season in 2013. Punk was arguably the biggest workhorse of the company, holding the WWE Championship for 434 days, until The Rock showed up. Similar to this year, Punk was cast-off the main event, instead getting a streak match with The Undertaker. Punk and Taker stole the show, even though Taker was not Punk’s dream opponent, as he once told IGN.

Yes, Punk could have easily ‘sucked it up’ and put on a stellar match with Triple H, stealing the show once again at WrestleMania, but perhaps the man reached his breaking point. For the second year in a row, he was denied his main event, putting him in yet another situation in which the company could rely on him to make up for a lackluster main event. This time it would be Batista vs. Randy Orton.

Speaking of past stars stepping into WrestleMania main events, The Rock and Batista are part of a history, a history which demonstrates that if Punk indeed wants a WrestleMania main event, walking out was the right way to go about it.

In the case of Batista, he ripped the company on his way out and turned to other ventures like MMA and the film industry. Yet, four years later after his departure WWE came calling, wanting him to headline WrestleMania XXX. Batista, a superstar whose peak was nowhere close to that of The Rock’s, closer to CM Punk’s, was gift-wrapped a WrestleMania XXX main event.

At first, Batista was not at fault, as it was just another case of how WWE handles business nowadays. However, it was quickly evident that Batista indeed put little to no preparation towards his return. The man continues to look gassed in his matches, and has failed to put on good matches with tremendous workers like Alberto Del Rio and Daniel Bryan.

If an out of ring-shape 45-year-old has-been, with a rocky relationship with WWE in the past was handed a WrestleMania event, what says the same won’t happen to someone like CM Punk in the next couple of years?

If Punk is not to blame, then who is? Perhaps it is WWE for the way it handles business nowadays, but can you really blame them?

Despite a continued reliance on part-time talents and no long-term booking, WWE has never been bigger. Sure, WWE is not as popular as it was during the Attitude Era, but it doesn’t matter. WWE keeps improving its stock and revenue, as it continues to reach historic milestones in business. Why change something that is working?

If not Punk or WWE, then who? It’s simple. Paul Heyman said it best on “Monday Night Raw.” WE, the fans, are to blame.

I was part of the highly esteemed 2014 Royal Rumble crowd in Pittsburgh, which “hijacked” the event, but none of it mattered. As the fans, myself included, voiced our displeasure with the 30-man Royal Rumble match, WWE still came out on top. They had the money out of our wallets. They had us jammed-up over the product, knowing we would all tune in the next night anyway. We changed nothing. Daniel Bryan is still not in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match, and is likely facing Triple H at WrestleMania, only because CM Punk walked out. If he hadn’t walked out, Bryan, arguably the top babyface in the company, may very well be facing Sheamus at WrestleMania XXX.

For WWE to change, the fans need to change first. If you are truly upset that WWE has not given Bryan a legitimate title run, or CM Punk left, or Batista was handed a main event, or whatever it may be that upsets you with the current product, then don’t invest. Don’t order the WWE Network or purchase any pay-per-views. Don’t watch its weekly programming on television. Don’t attend WWE events. Don’t tweet your dissatisfaction. Don’t give WWE your time or money.

However, similar to Chicago’s attempt to “hijack” “Monday Night Raw,” not enough people will get on board to make such a drastic change. The “IWC” is such a small part of the WWE Universe that even if all members got on board, WWE would still have its casual fans that shell out money to the company.

I myself have already subscribed to the WWE Network, and continue to watch “Monday Night Raw” on a weekly basis. I am one of WWE’s pawns. Maybe it’s time to change that.

CM Punk was not on “Monday Night Raw,” likely signifying that he will not be in a WWE ring for awhile. So, if you want to blame CM Punk, go right ahead, but it’s not his fault. CM Punk simply did what many other WWE employees and fans don’t have the balls to do. He quit. He had enough of WWE’s way of doing business

Perhaps, sometime in the next couple of years, WWE will give CM Punk a phone call. He will then have a choice to make. Answer and undergo one last run, or sit back and send it to voicemail, as he continues to enjoy life without WWE.