My thoughts on Punk's leaving.

[Legacy54]

I have been wondering and pondering on what to believe. I believe he needed time off, but I also believe that this is all a work. His merch is still on the shop website and as are his profiles, etc. So if he walked out, why would they still be holding this stuff up for us to play off of? WWE has disappointed me but also has kept me interested in past months...I'm waiting to see how this goes. Any other thoughts? (I know I''ve been gone for quite some time and I know I may be totally wrong, but these are my thoughts. )

[Big Red Machine]

Great to have you back!

There are definitely a lot of arguments to support the "this is a work" argument, but with the events of tonight's Raw (specifically the stip that if Bryan beats Hunter at Mania, he gets added to the WWE Title match), I don't see it happening (unless Punk is looking for a lot of time off and he has already resigned and they set up for him to main event next year's Mania.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but one reason I have heard for why they still have Punk's merch for sale is that it sells well and if they don't sell it, it just sits around gathering dust, so they really have no reason not to sell it.

[Legacy54]

like i said, I may be wrong. Butttttt....it seems odd to me that they are doing this...I mean it seems like they want us to hate them...

[Bob-O]

Great to have you back!

There are definitely a lot of arguments to support the "this is a work" argument, but with the events of tonight's Raw (specifically the stip that if Bryan beats Hunter at Mania, he gets added to the WWE Title match), I don't see it happening (unless Punk is looking for a lot of time off and he has already resigned and they set up for him to main event next year's Mania.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but one reason I have heard for why they still have Punk's merch for sale is that it sells well and if they don't sell it, it just sits around gathering dust, so they really have no reason not to sell it.

This. All of it. (Great to have you back!)

Anything could happen, but even I think it's safe to say he's gone after the last two weeks of Raw.

Punk merch spiked huge when word got out he left, and ttbomk he's still #2 behind Cena and ahead of Daniel Bryan. Sales are sales! They'd put "Don't Piss Me Off" shirts back on the website if they thought they could sell them. Besides, returning or not, they're cool shirts! Punk shirts and such have always been designed well, I don't think any of them are dated.

As for his profile still being on the website, he's still employed, whether he asked for his release or not, he's still under contract. That's just protocol.

like i said, I may be wrong. Butttttt....it seems odd to me that they are doing this...I mean it seems like they want us to hate them...

Why would anyone hate them? To the casual fan, he just disappeared. To those in the know, he quit. Walked out. Went home on his own terms. All against WWE's wishes. Until the laundry goes out on the line, Vince and Co are the good guys here - trying to do everything and anything to get him back!

[Legacy54]

The hating them was hypothetical.. and all i know is that Punk was one of the things that kept me interested in RAW.

[kirbs2002]

Given what I've absorbed from being inside the business for how long I was, I sincerely hope for his sake that it is kayfabe.

Just "walking away" from a promotion, especially when you're easily one of the top guys and you have commitments, is just as dangerous as doing it in the working world.