WWE: Self care does not make CM Punk or anyone in wrestling a sellout

For the first time in over 6 years, CM Punk returned to a WWE on the latest episode of WWE Backstage on FSI.

The reception was as electric. Fans had no idea that CM Punk would be back up on a WWE show. There was rumbling about Punk having a tryout with FOX for WWE Backstage, but nothing was ever confirmed about Punk being a part of the show.

The moment where Punk appeared on WWE TV has been met with a mixture of emotions. Everything from “Thank God he is back” to “He sold out” to “Everyone comes home eventually.” “He sold out” was the emotion that seemed to bring up the most vitriol.

This was due to the fact that CM Punk had stated to everyone that listened that he would never go back to WWE. He was always viewed as the one wrestler that actually may never come back to WWE. After all, everyone who left WWE with a bad taste in their mouth eventually came back (i.e. Bruno Sammartino, Ultimate Warrior, etc).

In multiple interviews, Punk has spoken about how happy he was to be away from WWE and how he didn’t miss it. Those statements mixed with his WWE Backstage appearance has led some fans to feel that Punk had sold out in coming back.

Until he speaks in depth on why he made the decision he made (if he ever does), we are left to our own assumptions as to why CM Punk returned to WWE. He very well may have a sit down interview and delve into the decision that brought him back to WWE. Till he does, many of the same fans who were chanting his name at WWE shows are the same ones calling him a sellout now.

Punk wasn’t the first or only wrestler to “take his ball and go home.” Stone Cold Steve Austin did so over being told to lose an impromptu match to Brock Lesnar on RAW. Sasha Banks took a hiatus after WrestleMania 35 due to emotional and mental health issues that needed to be address. Recently, ACH/Jordan Myles quit WWE over his frustration with the WWE’s selection of a signature shirt for him.

Social media was not around when Austin walked away in 2002. There was no social media platform for fans across the world to speak, indirectly, to Stone Cold Steve Austin. Fans couldn’t chastise him for his decision to walk away from WWE. There were no glimpses into Stone Cold Steve Austin’s mental health. All we know is what Austin told us after he returned that he was mentally burned out and having health problems due to neck injuries.

The reaction from wrestlers like The Rock and Triple H made it appear as if Austin “took his ball and went home”. This marginalized the issues that prompted Austin to leave WWE. That reaction could have been from multiple fronts. Both men and the rest of the WWE roster, may not have known the extent of Austin’s mental state.

There could have been a desire to use Austin’s absence as a way to further storylines. That is a trait that WWE has been known for over the last few decades. It also could be reflective of not only WWE, but society’s inability to have conversations about mental health 17 years ago.

Sasha Banks left WWE after WrestleMania 35. It was reported that she left over a frustration over WWE’s decision to have her lose at WrestleMania 35. Banks was active on social media, leaving bread crumbs for fans, who speculated on what Banks was doing. When Banks finally returned, WWE Network released an incredible documentary on Sasha Banks. Banks spoke about losing her passion for professional wrestling. She spoke about how, for her own mental health sake, she needed to leave the daily grind of professional wrestling.

There was blowback from Banks performing a move on Paige that prompted Paige to be forced to retire. Fans were relentless in blaming Banks for Paige’s sudden retirement. In watching the Banks documentary, she spoke about how that reaction from fans hurt her deeply. Banks stated that she needed time away from professional wrestling. The same professional wrestling that had saved her life was slowly destroying it.

ACH announced on Instagram he quit WWE due to the racist overtones from his signature shirt. He stated that he refused to work a racist company. The reaction to ACH’s departure was mixed between “it’s just a t-shirt, get over it” and “we are proud of you for standing up for yourself.”

The negative reaction over ACH’s quitting WWE was strong. A lot of fans did not understand why ACH needed to quit the company. Some have even accused ACH being overly sensitive to an issue that “shouldn’t be a big deal.”

We don’t know what the future will hold for ACH. Clearly, he felt frustrated with WWE and felt that for his own mental health sake that he needed to walk away from the company. It remains a mystery whether or not ACH will return to a WWE ring down the road. In the past, WWE has had a negative history in portrayal of minority wrestlers. ACH had the mental strength to walk away from his dream job over an issue that clearly disturbed him.

All four wrestlers walked away from WWE due to mental health issues. While not all of their situations are similar, there are similarities in all cases.

The challenge with professional wrestling fans deeming CM Punk a sellout or ACH overly sensitive ignores the root of the issue. They all had mental health issues and felt their best choice for THEM was to walk away from their dream job in WWE.

Fans often place these men and women on an unfair pedestal. Fans expect them to be super human because of their profession, yet we the fact that they are as human as everyone else. There is no shame in walking away from a job that you are unhappy at. That is an emotion that everyone can relate to.

The confusion is fans view wrestlers are entertainment properties. Fans expect wrestlers to entertain us whenever they are on television. Fans ignore the 300 days a year of traveling, the requirement to be at their physical peak at all times, and their career trajectory is based on the approval of one man.

Fans worship these professional wrestlers so much that they invest hours of television time, endless money to see them perform, and more. This level of emotional investment begs the question; why have a negative reaction when those same wrestlers need to take care of themselves.

Fans have unprecedented access to wrestler’s lives. 20 years ago, there was no instant access to how The Undertaker was dealing with his divorce, with how the “Die Rocky Die” may have affected Dwayne Johnson the man, or how Shawn Michaels, who has been on record stating how emotionally insufferable he was due to the pressure of him being WWE Champion.

Having the access to professional wrestlers at any time bring a responsibility for fans to understand that professional wrestlers are people, before and after they appear on Monday Night RAW or SmackDown.

It is heartbreaking listening to old stories of wrestlers in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. As these grizzled veterans discuss how being away from their family would lead to emotional distress that could only be soothed by vices claimed the lives of their friends. Now wrestlers can FaceTime with family or speak to loved ones at any moment. They are self-conscious enough to know when they need a break from the road. That level of self-awareness should be appreciated, not vilified.

The most important question that CM Punk or other wrestlers should be asked is; “Are you happy and healthy?” If that answer is a yes; that needs to be enough to satisfy fans.

We don’t know how being away from his family affects Kevin Steen, for example, on his 4 hour drive after Monday Night RAW to another city to perform as Kevin Owens. Please remember that those three hours you see of AJ Styles on TV, is three hours that Allen Jones is away from his family. Yes, professional wrestlers choose to be employed with WWE. As fans, we can choose to support the men and women that give up time with their family time or sacrifice their mental health to brighten our day.

Professional wrestlers are human beings with emotions. Before they are professional wrestlers, they are someone’s father, mother, wife, husband, grandson, daughter, son, sister and, brother. Next time you chastise a wrestler for “going crazy” or “taking his ball and going home”, ask yourself what got them to the point in their life where they felt their best option is to quit their dream job for the sake of their own mental health.

Wrestlers aren’t sell outs for prioritizing their own mental health before the fans enjoyment of watching them perform.

We love professional wrestlers for their perception of perfection. We can love them so much more if we accept their imperfections.