CM Punk’s sordid connection with wrestling and ‘the voiceless’
Last week, CM Punk shocked the wrestling world when he announced he would be a guest at Starrcast 3, which unsurprisingly reignited speculation on when he will return to the ring.
CM Punk has been one of the most elusive and enigmatic figures in wrestling ever since he retired in 2014. The 40-year-old Straight Edge star has kept himself busy over the last five years, but fans still clamor for the day he returns to the squared circle. The announcement that he will appear at Starrcast next month triggered a new crop of theories and impossibly high expectation.
All the signs seem to suggest Punk doesn’t want to wrestle anymore. He has flatly denied any involvement with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) or the Elite since rumors surfaced that he would be a part of All In last year. However, fans still hold on to any new piece of information as a new clue, in hopes that he’s merely playing coy.
Of course, this begs the question: Why would someone who speaks so poorly of his last few years as a wrestler take part in Starrcast, knowing full well what fans would think? Punk even admitted he knows AEW likes to use his name to tease and create buzz. So, he had to know everyone would think this is a positive sign.People might think he may be warming up to the idea of coming back, or he’s just working us.
Still, Punk reiterated that he isn’t signed with the new promotion and there is no working business relationship. Cody Rhodes added more ammunition to the ongoing conversation over the weekend when he said, “I think he was misquoted. I know one of us had met with him in person and yes, I texted him plenty when we couldn’t connect on the actual phone, but not a contracted offer. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went back to WWE.”
It’s so hard to tell what’s really going on and how much of this is just publicity for All Out and Starrcast 3. If it’s just the latter, it’s working.
In truth, part of the reason so many fans won’t let this go is that CM Punk masterfully played us all so many times before, including his notorious departure from Ring of Honor in 2005. Since he dropped infamous Pipe Bomb promo and took on the moniker “The Voice of the Voiceless,” he has taken on a mythical status with a sect of wrestling fans. He made mainstream wrestling feel special again for some people, including me, and that adulation never died down.
In fact, one could argue the precedent Punk set with the pipe bomb and the two-part episode of Colt Cabana’s Art of Wrestling podcast is the precursor to AEW’s movement today. Jon Moxley’s exodus and interview with Chris Jericho even drew comparisons. If nothing else, the Elite seems to be targeting the same fanbase Punk initially gave voice to.
So, is it any wonder that some of those fans want to see him become a part of the promotion and create an alternative to the company that spurned him?
It’s kind of the crux of this whole situation, isn’t it? For some, AEW presents the most feasible and satisfying end to the CM Punk saga. Some fans want to see him get one up on WWE for one last time when in reality the guy probably just moved on.
It’s possible that some of us still want to see Punk get a happy ending in wrestling that just doesn’t exist. By all accounts, he seems to be happy without wrestling and he isn’t looking to renew his grudge match with WWE. Continuing to write a fantasy for him to fulfill our own needs is selfish.
At the end of the day, Punk reached unbelievable heights with WWE, but he fell short of his personal goals for tenure with the company. It’s tough to achieve your dream and find it’s not exactly what you thought it would be. It’s not hard to see how that may sour someone’s opinion of the industry.
Next. Chris Jericho should beat Hangman Page for the World Title. dark
CM Punk may very well come to grips with that and return to wrestling someday. But he isn’t the face of anti-WWE sentiments and we can’t continue to project our grievance on to him. We shouldn’t heap our hopes or expectations on him either.
In short, it’s up to him to decide what the conclusion to his journey will be and that may not include wrestling.