WWE News, Punk Out (Final Entry): Punk Leaves, Doofus Returns, McMahon Fired?

Big Nasty will be keeping a running diary of what appear to be CM Punk's final days in WWE (for now).  Reports of Punk's reticence to sign a contract extension seem to point to the fact that he is gearing up to leave the company.

Fresh off of a pay-per-view and main event that lived well past the mountain of hype that preceded it, CM Punk is just as hot, if not hotter, as a topic of discussion despite his contract expiring at midnight on July 17, according to storyline. 

CM Punk's memorable victory in his hometown of Chicago, means he is the new WWE Champion, and John Cena is presumably fired. 

I received inquiries via twitter if I would keep a running diary on John Cena being "fired" from WWE, but that would last all but a week. 

Last night's electric Money in the Bank pay-per-view, widely regarded as the pay-per-view of the year to date by all but Dan Meltzer of the Wrestling Obnoxious Newsletter (who probably feels that the Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 should remain atop the list as the pay-per-view of the year),  saw CM Punk stick it to the establishment. 

The highly anticipated pay-per-view ended with Punk celebrating in his hometown crowd with the WWE Championship and literally leaving Chicago with the WWE Championship.

Punk did not leave Chicago, and honestly still may be in the city if you read into his tweets,  without celebrating the only way he can: with a Diet Pepsi, a refrigerator, and his indy buddies Colt Cabana and Ace Steel. 

Photos of Punk's defiant celebration surfaced on TMZ.com, continuing the mainstream coverage of an angle that is on pace to go down in history as one of the best ever. 

Ambiguity still surrounds CM Punk's status with the WWE.  While it was reported and confirmed by WWE up until last night that July 17th would be Punk's last date with the company and he would not be coming back, CM Punk lays claim to the richest prize in the WWE and is advertised to appear on RAW per WWE's website. 

This may mean that WWE did indeed work GLAAD in telling the sensitive civil rights group that CM Punk was gone and would not be re-signing with the company, which is just hilarious on all accounts.

If things go according to plan, and CM Punk does indeed leave the company, this would be a blessing in disguise for WWE because it will be a challenge to keep Punk this hot through WrestleMania season. 

Hopefully, at the very least, WWE could eat it by conceding to a CM Punk sabbatical, only to bring him back prior to WrestleMania for a more-likely-than-you-think dream match against fellow antihero Stone Cold Steve Austin.  

Back in the present, WWE intelligently positioned itself for what should be sizable RAW rating barring disappointment.  

WWE's sales pitch for tonight is simple:  Contrary to popular belief, CM Punk captured the WWE Championship in his last match and appears to have left Chicago as WWE Champion. 

This means the WWE is without its top imaginary brass ring and John Cena "appears to" be destined to join Chavo Guerrero as an unemployed and embittered tweeter.  Now what?  Tune in to find out. 

Anything resembling last week's ratings sham would be quite the indictment on our (anti) hero CM Punk as a ratings draw now wouldn't it?   WWE would be wise to curb its enthusiasm on a potentially huge MITB buyrate if that is the case. 

A popular theory regarding last night's finish to Punk-Cena was that CM Punk would defeat John Cena, only to have Alberto Del Rio cash in his Money in the Bank contract and capture the WWE Championship. 

What are the odds that, after seeing that disappointing 2.9 number from last week's RAW, WWE called an audible to have Alberto Del Rio's MITB cash-in attempt thwarted, thus once again delaying a would be ADR World Title Reign. 

Poor guy, Kharma will likely have her baby before he finally gets the ball. 

***

Green Bay, Wisc.: July 18.  The CM Punk "F the WWE Tour" figures to roll through Titletown for the first RAW since Punk's anti-establishment statement win over John Cena at WWE Money in the Bank. 

With CM Punk shown partying in Chicago on TMZ, it is a very likely possibility that Punk is "still in Chicago," meaning Cena should technically still be employed as Punk has not yet left Chicago with the WWE Championship. 

RAW kicked off as the Resch Center laid back, mouths open, ready for their helping of CM Punk which I'd imagine tastes a lot like tattoos and rebellion. 

Instead, they get an angry yet flamboyant Vince McMahon (fuchsia blazer and all) who announces that he will never mention CM Punk's name on television again, and that he planned on delivering on a threat of severe punishment against John Cena for failing to keep the WWE Championship in house.

McMahon went on to announce an eight-man WWE Championship tournament to crown a new paper champion.  It would only be fitting that Alberto Del Rio, who is scheduled to face Kofi Kingston in the first round, win this tournament only to have some unforeseen swerve cancel the existence of the hypothetical championship thus further delaying his destiny. 

Unfortunately, Del Rio was ousted in the first round, and when the dust settled, Rey Mysterio and the Miz reached the finals. 

The match, however, was halted by McMahon due to time constraints and an important announcement.

McMahon addressed the angry Green Bay crowd, which was chanting "CM Punk," by saying he always does what is good for business and he would not like to do what he was about to do.

This brought out John Cena, who snatched the microphone from Vince McMahon and said he was not about to go through what Vincemade Shawn Michaels go to.  Cena reminded the WWE Universe of the burden that Shawn Michaels carried for years due to the fact that "he screwed Bret."

Cena said he did not want to be the guy who screwed CM Punk, and said that last night was more than John Cena vs. CM Punk in a classic because it was about Vince McMahon and his precious company.  Cena said he didn't want to be McMahon's "patsy," and thanked CM Punk for an amazing match last night. 

Cena said that had McMahon have gone through with the screw job, he would have made the WWE Championship meaningless. 

He challenged Vince to find another opponent for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in eight months at WrestleMania 28 while he walks away with his pride and dignity.  Cena then said that he loves the WWE and he truly believes that he belongs there. 

Cena said that if McMahon makes him walk, he will walk onto somebody else television show and "keep doing this, brother!"

As McMahon prepared to rebut, teasing a John Cena firing, Triple H's music hit as the Game entered wearing a suit.   

Was he about to sign John Cena to a new talent initiative contract to teach him a lesson? 

Triple H said there was a board of directors meeting this morning, and the board asked him talk to McMahon because they are concerned about the current situation.  Triple H urged McMahon to talk about it in the back, which both the crowd and McMahon rejected. 

Triple H then said the board is concerned about McMahon.  He said while the board realizes that McMahon built the global empire of the WWE, they are concerned about his extremely questionable decision making as of late. 

Triple H said the board had filed an injunction against McMahon with a vote of no confidence, and the family agrees.  Triple H said that the board had appointed somebody to take over the day-to-day operations of the WWE, and that person was Triple H himself. 

The board promotes Triple H after going 0-for-2 in the new talent department, and they're questioning Vince's decision making? 

The Game said that Cena will not be fired, and that he was here to inform him that Vince McMahon is relieved of his duties.  They had better let their clueless stockholders know that this is a work.

Both McMahon and Triple H, who obviously got crying lessons from Shawn Michaels back in 1996, began to tear up as the crowd began chanting "Na-na-na-na..."

Calling McMahon "pop," Triple H said he loves him and he was sorry.  He then leaves the Resch Center crying in what appears to be another example of the WWE following up a hot angle with hot garbage. 

The Green Bay crowd applauded McMahon as he stood in the ring crying, and the RAW mercifully went off the air. 

Follow Big Nasty on Twitter @ThisIsNasty.