CM Punk ditched the WWE shortly before launch of the WWE Network, and despite fanboy rumors that he’s coming back as well as the more broadly held hope among fans that a comeback is even possible, he remains off the roster.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop fans from starting up at random events throughout the country.
“C-M-Punk! C-M-Punk!”
Usually (but not always), the words are said when WWE appears in Chicago, Punk’s hometown. More often than not, they’re said whenever AJ Lee, his wife and a still-active member of the roster, shows up to work a match or promo.
Naturally, this is a nightmare for AJ Lee. Even though most of the fans who participate in it are attempting respect for the man she calls her husband, they’re actually disrespecting her in the worst way possible.
First of all, they’re saying that she’s not good enough through her in-ring ability to be worthy of respect. The reality: AJ is one of the best female workers that the WWE has.
Secondly, they create a tense situation for AJ Lee with her employer. After all, CM Punk walked out on his contract because he basically wanted to book himself, according to columnist Eddie Gobbo .
That’s been a bit of a recurring theme for Punk throughout his career. Things don’t go his way, he takes his ball and goes home. While he’s a talented worker, this type of attitude has kept him from being in the same dialogue with the WWE greats.
For example, when the company brought in Steve Austin, they gave him a crappy gimmick known as “The Ringmaster.” Rather than giving up, he used it as a foot in the door and then kept working on his craft until “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was born. CM Punk, in contrast, would use this as a reason to no-show events.
It’s natural that his controversial personality wouldn’t sit well with WWE, and it’s always possible they could end up taking that out on AJ Lee.
For now, she shows up and continues to get booking attention because she’s one of the only Divas the company has that is worth anything. But with NXT stars like Charlotte coming up , it’s only a matter of time before the company has enough talent to make Lee replaceable.
At that point, the CM Punk chants will serve as an ever-ready reminder that they no longer need the aggravation of keeping AJ Lee on the roster.
Do the CM Punk chants have to stop for AJ’s sake?