WWE News: WWE Never Wanted CM Punk From The Start, Nearly Got Fired In OVW
People will always remember CM Punk as the one who left the WWE and vowed never to come back. While that is still up in the air, his reputation is near-broken after the infamous departure of one of the greatest wrestlers in WWE history. The odd part about his whole career is that, at one point, he was supposed to be fired before this WWE tenure began.
Paul Heyman sat down with the Kidd Chris Show and talked about Punk nearly being fired in OVW.
“They never wanted CM Punk to begin with. When I was in Louisville, doing WWE Developmental, they sent CM Punk down to me so I could fire him. Every week I would send memos to guys who were in charge of the ‘Raw’ and ‘SmackDown’ rosters saying: ‘You have a main eventer down here; someone scoop him up’ and no one would take him for a year—to the point when we launched ECW in WWE, I brought him with me because no one else on Raw and SmackDown even wanted him.”
If it weren’t for Heyman’s incessant bragging about Punk and his man crush with the Chicago-born superstar, there wouldn’t be a famous pipebomb, an incredible feud with the Undertaker, and no Money in the Bank 2011 moment that will last a lifetime.
Heyman believes that Punk will never wrestle in a squared circle again. He may be the only one to hold that opinion in the wrestling industry. Two WWE legends, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mick Foley, both have different takes on his departure. One thinks he’ll return, just like he did, and the other’s viewpoint is quite different than most.
“You gotta make hay while the sun shines. He ain’t making hay right now. You can only make hay so long,” Stone Cold explained.
“If he becomes that guy collecting the part time check than he gets the last laugh but he does it at the expense of his ideals,” said Mick Foley
Both have valid points on the potential CM Punk saga. Bret Hart, WWE Hall of Fame wrestler, just wishes he would return. As a fan, I can’t agree with Hart more. Most wrestlers, or former WWE personalities, often try to justify somebody’s opinion by using their own experiences. Thinking about Punk as a fan is more accurate than anybody’s educated guess.
Hart has the right idea about Punk. He won’t try and predict the man’s inevitable return; all Hart wants is to see the “Best in the World.”
Whether WWE wants him back or not, eventually they will. Remember, Heyman had the same mindset as Punk did. He vowed to never return. After his run with the WWE ended, the thought process was identical to Punk. Then, one afternoon, the WWE roped him back in. If Heyman came back, so will Punk.
[Image via What Culture]
