WWE News: Former WWE Superstar CM Punk Finally Opens Up About Why He Left WWE

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk has remained quiet since he left the WWE back in January of this year. Many wondered why he left the company. What caused the man with the longest WWE Championship reign in nearly 30 years to suddenly quit? CM Punk finally sat down to talk about it with his good friend Colt Cabana on Cabana’s podcast, Art of Wrestling.

Punk was very open in the interview, discussing various details of the departure.

A few things he claimed was that he left the WWE after The Royal Rumble mostly due to his health. He had a concussion, broken ribs and a bad knee all the same time during his last few months with WWE. That wasn’t all; he actually got so sick on WWE’s European Tour last November that he was throwing up and dry heaving every night after his matches. He claimed to have a fever for months and almost no appetite. He claims that WWE doctors doped him up on so many antibiotics that he had an “accident” in the ring on a SmackDown taping. He claimed the entire time he watched his paychecks shrink down. Punk stated that this was the worst he had felt in his entire life.

The concussion Punk suffered actually happened early during the Royal Rumble match, but he still worked through his time. It didn’t seem to be a terrible one as he was able to pass a concussion test the next day. Punk called his concussion test “bull—t.”

He said that WWE informed he passed, but they wanted him to run the ring ropes and evaluate him. This is usually done with wrestlers to test how they’ll operate in the ring after running around and getting tired, as well as how they adapt to movement and things of that nature. Punk then claims he demanded that WWE just decide he has a concussion. Punk admitted that he had been trying to deny he was hurt for a very long time, and he tried to just tough it out.

The very same day, the day of the WWE RAW after the Rumble, he was being pressured about taking a drug test and signing visas for future tours instead of listening to his requests for help. He said something was obviously wrong. Apparently, WWE didn’t think of it as a big deal, and Punk was definitely not happy about that.

Punk then told Vince McMahon and Triple H that he was going home.

Punk said he told off The Game about cutting off his momentum in 2011 and complained to Vince for stifling Punk’s creativity. He says he told them both it was garbage how Daniel Bryan wasn’t being considered for the WrestleMania XXX main event. Punk says he told them he didn’t want to do this anymore and was done. Punk said Vince was in tears when he hugged Punk goodbye and told him he was family.

For those that do not know, Vince and Punk have been relatively close for a while. Vince cares about Punk a lot, which is most likely why the tears came about. Daniel Bryan, of course, ended up going on to compete in the Mania main event and won the WWE World Heavyweight Title. So, it appears that Punk’s final words had some effect.

Punk said he was actually fired from WWE.

After he had left WWE the way he did, he was told a few weeks later by Vince McMahon through a text message that he was being suspended for two months. This just so happened to be the day before Vince told WWE shareholders that Punk was taking a sabbatical. Punk claims to have heard from no one in WWE once the suspension was over. He received his termination papers for breach of contract on his wedding day in June. Which is sort of like a knife in a leg wound to many.

Punk said that he hired a very vicious lawyer to go after WWE and fight their claim of breach of contract. This is why we saw a 20 page letter to WWE in regards to what he wanted from WWE.

Punk mentioned that in the end, he got a settlement that gave him everything he asked for and more. Punk’s not allowed to talk about the settlement, of course.

He said he and WWE are done and will never have a working relationship again. Punk said WWE wanted to issue a joint statement with him, but he told them to “f–k off.”

WWE was originally worried he would go to TNA, but Punk’s lawyer told WWE that he despises wrestling now and will never wrestle again.

Punk then spoke about Ryback, saying he took “20 years off his life” and described him as “steroid guy.” Ryback was considered still very green in the ring at the time he got in the ring with Punk in 2012. Punk ended up hurt in the program with Ryback, which is a good reason why Punk feels he did so much damage to him. Ryback has been rumored to have taken steroids before coming to WWE, but no one could prove it. Obviously, due to WWE’s policy currently, he isn’t on any steroids. However, WWE does have an issue with HGH testing that could be the problem.

At the end of the day, Punk, at least, finally added clarity to what was going on. Some of the material was a bit jarring as we heard rumors of what happened with Punk and WWE, but a lot of this is interesting information. While it is never good to say “never” in the wrestling business, Punk has various projects that he has worked on since leaving WWE and will most likely take on more. He seems happy away from the ring. He may never come back to WWE, which is his right. While fans will want him to, this may give them a reason to not expect as much of him.

To listen to the entire interview, you can go to iTunes and download it for free. I guess it is perfect as it lines up well with WWE’s free November month.

[IMG Credits: stillrealtous.com, wrestlingmedia.com, Bleacher Report]