WWE News: CM Punk Merchandise Now Being Censored By WWE
The CM Punk situation will likely never go away. Even if he’s simply going to the grocery store to buy milk and eggs, his name will always be synonymous with WWE and never left alone. If Punk doesn’t return to the WWE, the age-old question will simply be, “Why didn’t you return?” Regardless of whether he answers the wrestling journalist or lifelong fan, Punk’s answer will remain the same.
Do I find it odd to see Punk’s continued involvement in the “WWE News” category, regardless of his employment status? It doesn’t shock me in the slightest. Just like many others before Punk, the height they reached in the wrestling industry will carry on forever.
Weeks ago, CM Punk was officially announced for the WWE 2K15 video game that will be coming out next Tuesday for current-gen consoles. His involvement in the highly-anticipated “Showcase mode” made it official, after many thought he would be deleted from the game when his lawyers filed a lawsuit against the WWE. Luckily for fans and gamers alike, he will be in the game.
Speaking of WWE 2K15, the WWE began an act that will most likely continue, if the relationship between CM Punk and the WWE gets worse. A fan sent this next passage to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter about his or her experience with WWE 2K15.
The fan, with a nickname of Rabarberium, wrote: “Don’t know if this counts as news, but someone managed to get hold of the Playstation 3 version of WWE 2k15, and CM Punk‘s ring entrance is identical to how it is in WWE 2k14, except the CM Punk merchandise hoodie he used to wear in WWE 2k14 has now been replaced with a completely gray hoodie. They don’t usually censor merch that is no longer on sale; for instance, Cena is going to have his now old neon green merchandise in the game.”
The fan is correct when he says that WWE usually doesn’t censor merchandise that technically doesn’t belong to the company anymore. A possible reason could include the lawsuit that is pending between CM Punk and WWE. The WWE Universe may never know the true reason for the exclusion of his hoodie, but it is fairly obvious why they did it.
As a business, the WWE can’t continue to advertise his merchandise that doesn’t exist anymore. There is no CM Punk in the WWE as of this writing. He’s a part of history, like Bret Hart or Kevin Nash. Both men aren’t exiled from the WWE, but they aren’t mentioned in everyday promos.
Even though I’m a huge CM Punk fan, his constant carelessness and stubborn nature is burning bridges left and right at WWE. There will come a time when he does want to return and finish what he started. No matter what the man says, he wants to main event a WrestleMania. Something like that just doesn’t go away. It would be like the Cubs quitting while saying they don’t want to win the World Series anymore.
As Punk continues to lose every friend in the wrestling business, a return will get harder. Remember when I said CM Punk’s name will be in the news and we can’t do anything about it? The WWE realizes that too. Deleting him from history won’t solve the problem.
[Image via mmafighting.com]
