WWE News: CM Punk Retirements Opens The Door For New Generation Of Superstars
The WWE news was bad this week for anyone hoping against hope that CM Punk could some day return.
First the WWE placed him in the Alumni section of the website, which is reserved for retired wrestlers, and then CM Punk himself broke his silence on his decision to walk away from the WWE early this year.
In a brief interview with CBS-19 at the AP Music Awards Show at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, CM Punk seemed to close the door on a possible return.
When asked if he could one day wrestle again, Punk replied:
No. No, never. NEVER EVER! NEVER EVER EVER [laughs]. They’re going to go crazy about that on Twitter. They’re going to like, hold me to it, but whatever.
The retirement of one of the WWE’s biggest superstars may be difficult to overcome, but the organization appears to be moving some of the younger, up-and-coming talent through the pipeline to replace him.
To usher in this new generation of superstars, the WWE is taking advantage of a new development system. With the completion of the WWE Perfomance Center and elevation of NXT, more young superstars are able to get a direct line to the WWE, rather than having to prove themselves through independent circuits and constant touring; a brutal formula that led to CM Punk’s numerous injuries, and ultimately, his early departure.
There are now many young and talented wrestlers who appear to have the potential to contend for the Heavyweight Championship — including Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze, and Adrian Neville. One of the brightest young stars, Roman Reigns, is already on schedule for a major feud with Triple H.
As Bleacher Report columnist Joseph Zucker pointed out, the WWE has a knack of taking advantage of unforeseen injuries and retirements to introduce new young wrestlers.
Zucker wrote:
“Think back to 1998, when Shawn Michaels was forced to take an indefinite hiatus from the company because of a back injury. He was one of the biggest stars in wrestling at the time. Losing him could have been a crippling blow, yet WWE rose to unforeseen heights off the backs of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.”
It remains to be seen whether CM Punk and his unique appeal can truly be replaced, but the WWE has proven many times before that there is no such thing as bad news, only new opportunities.
