CM Punk has allegedly quit the WWE, just weeks before the sports entertainment franchise’s biggest event, Wrestlemania.
The beloved wrestler, who hails from Chicago, is one of the WWE’s biggest stars, is believed to have retired from the company with immediate effect.
He reportedly told his bosses that he was “going home.” Speculation also increased after he thanked his myriad of Twitter followers for their “support.”
On Monday morning Punk mysteriously tweeted:
Thanks for all the support. Keep being you guys, it’s pretty cool.
— Coach (@CMPunk) January 27, 2014
It’s been reported by F4WOnline.com that Punk had one final run-in with WWE chairman, Vince McMahon, on Monday evening, which lead to this decision. Punk, whose real name is Phillip Jack Brooks, is believed to have told McMahon that he wouldn’t be at the weekly show RAW, because he was going home instead.
This lead to a furious bust-up between the pair, and Punk has since missed his scheduled appearance at a Smackdown recording in Toledo, Ohio, on Tuesday too. The WWE have now removed his name from all of their future events on their website.
Punk’s contract with the WWE is set to expire in July. Many pundits believe that he won’t renew it, and will instead leave the company to work with another wrestling corporation. Punk previously admitted “everything is up in the air” regarding a new deal, because the WWE feel that he is on the precipice of burning out after battling severe injuries for the last few years.
Of course, there is a good chance that Punk’s decision to walk out on the WWE has actually been orchestrated to build anticipation ahead of Wrestlemania 30. Some fans have predicted that he will eventually make a triumphant return just before the colossal event, which take place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on April 6.
However, Punk’s previously robust relationship with McMahon and the WWE has made his departure appear more legitimate. At the height of his popularity, Punk was part of a storyline that saw him reveal numerous home-truths about the company during a series of promotional speeches that he called, “Pipe Bombs.”
If it is true though, it comes just days after another WWE legend, Mick Foley, took to Twitter to criticise the company for their Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
He told his legion of fans:
Wait… @WWEDanielBryan isn’t even IN the #RoyalRumble ? That just kind of sucks.
— Mick Foley (@realmickfoley) January 27, 2014
Does @WWE actually hate their own audience? I’ve never been so disgusted with a PPV.
— Mick Foley (@realmickfoley) January 27, 2014
He then took to Facebook to write a lengthy post on the matter too.