Analyzing the Impact of CM Punk's Absence from WWE

WWE isn't barren without CM Punk, but he has certainly left behind a void.  

With Punk gone, WWE is short one of its best talkers, a consistent producer of great matches and a valuable top-tier member of the roster. The Superstars performing in his absence have done well to make up for the loss, but WWE's depth suffered greatly when Punk walked away.

The former world champ hasn't competed for the company since the end of January.

There were rumblings, courtesy of TMZ.com, that his abrupt exit was due to displeasure over his proposed WrestleMania spot. Paul Heyman later painted a picture of him as a man whose passion had long since faded on Chris Jericho's podcast.

He has since been moved to WWE.com's "Alumni" section.

That's as official of an end to this story as we're likely going to get. It makes Punk's absence more real as well.

Just what is WWE missing now that Punk has shifted to a life with a lot more TV and a lot less getting kicked in the ribs?

Let's begin with his ability to enthrall with a mic in his hands. Verbal talent like his is rare, and that's evident in a Punk-less WWE.

A Pipe Bomb Deficiency 

Regardless of what feud or storyline he was entrenched in, WWE could send Punk out in front of an audience and have him fill 10 minutes with words alone.

He is a fantastic storyteller who emoted at just the right times, snarling when he laid out a challenge or cackling when mocking an opponent. 

Last July, Punk called out Brock Lesnar before SummerSlam. He built up Lesnar's destructiveness as well as his own fighting ability. By the end of his tirade, he had the crowd chanting his name. 

This isn't one of Punk's very best promos: It was the kind of performance he had regularly. 

WWE could ask him to be the angry, vengeance-seeking warrior he was here or ask him to dive into a variety of roles. Before this feud, he was a marquee heel with a penchant for whining. With Paul Heyman at his side, he bragged about his lengthy title reign in quality promo after quality promo.

Punk showed off a more heartless side during his feud with The Undertaker leading up to WrestleMania 29.

In an uncomfortable angle where he toyed with the late Paul Bearer's ashes, Punk hit all the right notes. He was brash, callous and irreverent. 

Punk's range had him thrive in any role—as a rebellious babyface or a straight-edge would-be messiah. WWE could put him in a verbal clash with John Cena, Vince McMahon or Heyman and count on top-notch results.

His controversial outbursts, or "pipe bombs," are the some of the recent moments that fans treasure the most.

He was arguably the best mic worker on the roster and one of the best in WWE history. In a WWE.com list of wrestling's best talkers ever, Punk landed at No. 16.

Other wrestlers and managers now have a major gap to fill. WWE now has to lean more on Heyman, Stephanie McMahon, Cena and Bray Wyatt for stellar mic work. 

While those characters can all entertain with a mic in hand, WWE has lost a go-to option for feuds and for its weekly programming. 

Thanks to Punk abandoning his throne, Wyatt has become the most proficient talker of all the wrestlers. While he's a worthy substitute, he has yet to show he can play both a heel and a babyface. 

Besides, WWE would be better if it had both Superstars at its disposal, giving the booking team far more options.

Having to Replace an All-Pro

Losing Punk meant losing a major piece in the booking puzzle.

WrestleMania 30 could have had one more money match had he been around. He would have been a great addition to the WWE title Ladder match at Money in the Bank and would have been an upgrade over Christian at this year's Elimination Chamber.

As good as Christian is, he hasn't had fans chanting his name since he's been gone.

Excellent wrestlers are valuable, and WWE has several of those. It's the men worthy of the marquee that are rare.

That's why WWE brings in guys like Chris Jericho, Lesnar and The Rock. 

When WWE wants to find a veteran for an emerging star to benefit from feuding with, it now has one less top wrestler to turn to. A Seth Rollins vs. Punk feud would help propel the former once he's done with Dean Ambrose. Imagine Cesaro or Big E taking on Punk in a long program.

They would all walk out of a rivalry with Punk with the boost of having battled a top star. Instead, WWE has Cesaro in a semi-feud with Kofi Kingston, when in an ideal booking scenario, he would be headed toward a SummerSlam collision with Punk. 

SummerSlam is going to miss him and his star power. The company has one less option when figuring out how to make Survivor Series and the Royal Rumble momentous as well. 

Punk's absence also means that the big pay-per-views won't have a man who thrived at making his PPV matches the highlight of those events, often stealing the show.

Reduction in Masterpiece Production 

In the tradition of Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, Punk made just about all of his opponents look great.

Brodus Clay had one of the best showings of his career against Punk on Jan. 14, 2013. The same goes for Fandango when he took on Punk last August.

When The Rock returned last year, Punk led him through bouts that exceeded expectations. 

WWE doesn't have that same go-to person to turn to, especially with Daniel Bryan out recovering from neck surgery. When the company wants to assure it maximizes one's talents, Cena, Randy Orton and Alberto Del Rio are all options.

None of them produced as consistently in 2013 as Punk, though.

Of WWE.com's top 25 matches of 2013, Punk was in five of them, including three of the top six. He also boasted six matches that year that Dave Meltzer rated four stars or higher in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t ProFightDB.com).

Event	Opponent	Star Rating
Royal Rumble	The Rock	4
Raw (Feb. 25)	John Cena	4.5
WrestleMania 29	The Undertaker	4.5
Payback	Chris Jericho	4.5
Money in the Bank	Randy Orton, Sheamus, Rob Van Dam, Daniel Bryan vs. Christian	4.5
SummerSlam	Brock Lesnar	4.5

Take Punk out, and Raw in 2013 wouldn't have had as many standout bouts and the year's pay-per-views wouldn't have had as many classics. 

In 2014, Wyatt has stepped up at Royal Rumble and Payback, and Cesaro has been a part of great TV matches against Orton and Cena. It's not as if the classics aren't going to keep coming, but WWE is out a man who reliably delivered in the ring, who told engaging stories with a variety of opponents.

Were Bryan healthy, he could counterbalance Punk's absence. As it stands, two of the company's top ring wizards are not available. 

One man's exit equals another man's opportunity, though. Minus one of its best, WWE has to charge forward, its emerging stars looking to prove they belong in the spot Punk once stood.