Casual Reminder: CM Punk Never Headlined a Wrestlemania

CM Punk

It’s always been a sore spot that I only rediscovered my love/hate relationship with WWE just before the 2014 Royal Rumble. I had fallen by the wayside as a fan for many years, neglecting the entertainment I adored as a kid because I wanted to pretend to be a cool person.

Even though it wasn’t a perfect PPV by any means, I saw enough at the Rumble that year to know that I would be invested in the predetermined testosterone ballet we all know as pro wrestling. Daniel Bryan had an unforgettable match with Bray Wyatt, which did enough to distract from how poor the rest of the card was. The crowd reaction to Bryan was infectious, a unanimous tidal wave of support that reminded me of my worshipping of The Rock as a youngster.

Daniel Bryan’s non-appearance in the Royal Rumble itself caught all the headlines and the ire of fans, but the most significant event to come out of it wouldn’t be revealed until much later.

It was the last appearance of CM Punk, who signed off his wrestling career by being chokeslammed through a table by Kane, which would have continued a misjudged feud between the pair. The story has been written a thousand times elsewhere: Punk left WWE under a cloud and shows no signs of ever coming back.

Citing his health, poor pay relative to other stars, and being put in dangerous matches, Punk turned his back on the company after losing all passion for wrestling. Even with those reasons alone, Punk couldn’t be blamed for wanting to move on, but there’s one that might have been the catalyst for it all crumbling down.

He was never given a main event spot at WrestleMania.

CM Punk

That’s crazy when you consider how rabid the fans were for the Chicagoan through the majority of his tenure, especially during the now legendary Summer of Punk, itself cut too short for the sake of a mainstream match. Even crazier, Punk was the WWE Champion at WrestleMania 28 and he still didn’t get to the very top of the card. John Cena vs. The Rock: Twice in a Lifetime may have appealed to a wider audience, but it’s another example of WWE being too scared to look ahead, playing it safe by leaning on the past instead.

Punk’s overall WrestleMania record also speaks volumes for WWE’s reticence to give him the right platform for his undeniable popularity. Apart from the win against Jericho at Wrestlemania 28 and two Money in the Bank ladder victories, Punk lost to Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, and The Undertaker, as well as failing to claim the MITB briefcase at his first WrestleMania showing. Three wins, four losses. Compare that to John Cena who has nine (nine) WrestleMania wins to his name compared to just three losses and you can see where some of Punk’s frustrations were borne from.

It’s easy to say that Punk’s lack of mainstream appeal is what stopped him from getting to the zenith of WrestleMania, but that just isn’t true. He overtook John Cena for merchandise sold in 2011 (despite WWE reportedly trying to put a stop to it), which was the first time in five years that Cena hadn’t been the most prolific shirt shifter. Punk always made headlines and when you’re obsessed with PR as much as WWE are these days, that’s priceless.

CM Punk
Image Source:
wrestlestars.com

So why didn’t he ever make it to the main event of a WrestleMania? WWE undoubtedly never showed him the full respect he deserved, but it might also come down to Punk himself. Notoriously short-tempered, grumpy, and impatient, Punk was seemingly always at odds with the top brass at the company. If you spend half your time complaining about your bosses, should you really expect a promotion? That being said, however, there are far more disagreeable wrestlers who went to higher places than Punk time and time again.

While it’s disappointing that CM Punk never had the chance to headline a WrestleMania, it’s symptomatic of WWE’s lack of forward thinking. For the past two decades, they’ve been obsessed with nostalgia, depending on it to sell tickets and provide the pops. By the time WrestleMania 40 rolls around, they may find themselves without any old faces to depend on. Thanks to their own short-sightedness, CM Punk (and many talents like him who were overlooked) will not be able to save them.

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