Sure. Even if it only lasts one week, having the entire Authority in the ring to kick off a celebration, dropping a Daniel Bryan face from the ceiling, announcing that WWE is "going green", banning red meat from the concession stand, etc. Going WAY over the top with it would be great.

 

They should totally put a new spin on that. Love Vince motioning to Austin not to climb the ropes like he always did so Austin just raises an arm in the corner.

It's not even so much that he "left on good terms" as that it's not like when Steve Austin left and it was a big huge deal. It was like "oh CM Punk wants to go home? Ok, tell someone to rewrite Raw." It's not like they aren't rewriting it 2 hours before the show every other week anyway.

I don't know, I just don't think Vince would be fine with a guy like Punk leaving with the Network and Wrestlemania just around the corner. So for him not to be pissed my only guess is that he reached some kind of agreement with Punk.

 

They should totally put a new spin on that. Love Vince motioning to Austin not to climb the ropes like he always did so Austin just raises an arm in the corner.

Stephanie, HHH and Kane need to wear the horrible beards!

Didn't they already try making him more corporate by attempting to cut his beard on one of those RAWs?

I see people mentioning Punk leaving won't really affect the Wrestlemania plans. Where Punk not being around will hurt initially are B show ppv's to an extent, and of course houseshows where he's always the main event or the 2nd most hyped match on the show. Not having Punk around will that hurt subscriptions? I'll say no.

Stephanie: On behalf of all of us, I would like to congratulate the new ...

 

... Pause while everyone puts on the beards ...

 

Authority in unison: FACE OF WWE!

 

Then awkward yes chants that get drowned out with NO.

 

Gold.

For what it's worth all the normal media types I follow on Twitter that are wrestling fans all believe this is a work and that Punk will be back for Mania.

Stephanie: On behalf of all of us, I would like to congratulate the new ...

 

... Pause while everyone puts on the beards ...

 

Authority in unison: FACE OF WWE!

 

Then awkward yes chants that get drowned out with NO.

 

Gold.

I kind of doubt it because what's the "work?" How do they bring Punk back and address him going home? He was just really mad at Kane?

I wonder if they will take out any anger they have on AJ? Ten years ago there would not be a doubt. Now I think she will be okay. Still has to be awkward for her

Stephanie must present Daniel Bryan with a Whole Foods gift card. Ok now I really want this segment to happen.

Does Vince appear on air any more?

 

If not, as I think he doesn't, I kind of feel like he could be their Deus Ex Machine / get out of jail free card that they might use at any time.

 

Vince McMahon: I have held the reigns of this company since 1982. Wrestlemania, Summerslam, Survivor Series. And yes, ROYAL RUMBLE. Each and every major event in wrestling has been down to me. Hogan. Austin. The Rock. Each and every major star in wrestling has been down TO ME. I am, and I don't want to brag, a wrestling genius. I built this company from the ground up. My father and Bruno Sammartino can take some credit. But it was ME, I made this company great. I made it resonate with .... 500 million people around the world! And do you know how I did it? I did it by listening .... to the fans God dammit. To the fans! And what I saw the other week at the Royal Rumble, at MY event, in MY arena, was one of the lowest things I've seen as a wrestling promoter in all my ... FORTY YEARS in this business. Enough of this "The Authority" crap. What authority. I'm Vince McMahon dammit and this has gone far enough. It's going to Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan for the Unified World Championship TONIGHT. Tonight.

 

YES YES YES

 

And if I see so much as one other person at ringside, they will be firrrrrrrrrreeeeeedd_--aaacchhrfghfhafhhfhfhhf_--ddDDDDDD

 

Punk is the one that comes during the match out and is fired. Bryan goes over and the fans can stop moaning.

 

Done.

I threw this question on twitter, but I'll repeat it here for a larger audience (and perhaps some discussion): Assuming that Punk walks away now and stays out until WON HOF balloting time, does this affect his chances of getting in?

 

I have to believe that it may hurt him, at least on the first ballot. The idea that a 35-year old who had a significant position in the largest pro-wrestling company in the world decided to leave could rub some (perhaps older wrestler) the wrong way. Then again maybe they love standing up to Vince. I don't know.

 

I'm reviewing his career via match statistics from CageMatch and I am struck at how he essentially got to work with so many legends and top people along with so many great workers in the past 15 years. On paper, it's a pretty satisfying career and certainly impressive. No doubt he's hurt and burnt out. I'd also suggest that he's also been quite withdrawn from the rest of the locker room for awhile now.

prowrestling.net

 

 

I was at Punk's Portland Comic Con and I didn't feel the need to relay the information until he departed from WWE. There are two key parts of his Q&A that stand out in retrospect.

 

1. He was very upset about Batista getting the WrestleMania main event, which pretty much spoiled the Royal Rumble. He clarified he was friends with "Dave" and that "they" would not be happy, but he wanted to be honest and it was Daniel Bryan's year. Actually, he said Bryan Danielson but corrected quickly.

 

2. He was very disinterested in the current product. Asked about promos he defeatedly made comments like "I show up. Someone tells me what to do and I just go out do it and leave." He implied his recent work was not good and was down to only using two moves a match.

 

Punk was very nice, engaged, and happy with his fans but in regards to wrestling and WWE he was definitely despondent and unhappy.

There's a RAW in Chicago on March 3rd. If this is legit, will we have another highjack? It seems it's the hip thing to do nowadays and a smark crowd like Chi-Town might want to take over.

There's a RAW in Chicago on March 3rd. If this is legit, will we have another highjack? It seems it's the hip thing to do nowadays and a smark crowd like Chi-Town might want to take over.

He is their Flair

I'm likely going to that show but what would be the need for hijacking? Seems pretty silly if this was the guys decision and he's happier doing it. It's not like chanting "CM PUNK!" the entire time is going to do anything...

I'm likely going to that show but what would be the need for hijacking? Seems pretty silly if this was the guys decision and he's happier doing it. It's not like chanting "CM PUNK!" the entire time is going to do anything...

There isn't a point in doing it. It just feels like Chicago would be the kinda crowd to do it just because

Yeah, perhaps, I don't know if Chicago is ever smark to be smark if that makes sense. Then again, it's 2014 and smark is more mainstream than ever.

Stephanie must present Daniel Bryan with a Whole Foods gift card. Ok now I really want this segment to happen.

The RAW after Elimination Chamber begins not with a match or in-ring segment, but with an infomercial rallying against Monsanto and animal slaughterhouses.

Narrated by Stephanie and Corporate Kane!

Worth noting that Bryan is not a vegan anymore & only did it for a while due to health concerns, which in-turn caused further complications...

That would in some ways make it funnier.

TMZ with the CM Punk scoop:

 

WWE superstar CM Punk is QUITTING the organization, TMZ Sports has learned ... and sources tell us it's all because he's PISSED over the way the company wants to use him at "WrestleMania."

 

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ Sports ... Punk was livid when he learned officials scripted Batista to win the Royal Rumble ... because he feels Batista isn't in great wrestling shape and shouldn't be featured in the title match at the upcoming WrestleMania (the biggest event of the year).

 

We're told Punk feels he earned the right to be in the main event at WrestleMania -- because he's been wrestling tirelessly over the past year from house shows to overseas events. Punk was angry when he found out he'd be wrestling Triple H at WrestleMania instead of squaring off in the title match.

 

Sources say ... Punk -- whose contract is up in July -- made the decision to leave WWE after "Monday Night Raw" -- and we're told that right now, he's very serious about his decision and has no plans to return.

I think I called that.