CM Punk Fans Far from Over the Former WWE Star's Abrupt Departure

The wound that CM Punk's exit from WWE caused has clearly not scabbed over despite it now being over a year-and-a-half old.

What he says and does in his new life still creates a stir and brings about strong feelings of resentment. The amount of buzz Punk still generates in a world he left behind is a testament to the connection he made with the audience—one that fans have been unable to let go of.

Punk remains in the WWE news cycle and the center of heated discussions. Fans still pine for him. They're still angry with him.

Marc Serota/Associated Press

This is all despite his last match coming in January of 2014 and the fact that Punk has made it clear that he's done with the industry.

On Monday, word emerged that the road to Punk's UFC debut would have to take a detour. Coach Duke Roufus told ESPN that Punk tweaked his shoulder during training and that his first fight would be "slightly delayed."

Even as Raw unfolded that night, Punk's injury was a hot topic among WWE fans. 

The conversation, not surprisingly, veered toward what this means in terms of his future in the squared circle rather than the Octagon. Would his UFC debut never actually happen? Would this lead to his making a WWE return?

This is the pipe dream some still hold tight to.

Never mind that Punk told Chris Van Vliet (interview contains NSFW language) that he was "never ever" coming back to wrestling. Never mind that during a Q&A session at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, Punk said (h/t Ringside News) that he thought going back to WWE would be like going back to high school.

Punk soon made comments online during Monday's Raw that incited the part of his fanbase still acting like a scorned lover toward him.

The former WWE champ took a shot at Susan G. Komen during Raw:

The f-bombs started flying but not as much as when explaining his comments, as he referred to the industry that he once called home as "fake wrestling":

The same arguments one heard when Punk first left emerged once again. Spite rose to the surface. The online response made it clear that much of his fanbase is still bitter over Punk's breakup with WWE and, as a result, them.

Some came at him with the "we made you; wrestling made you" argument:

Others believe Punk to be a brat. In their minds, his exit was not justified but instead the climax of a tantrum:

And again, there were those who clearly feel abandoned by Punk's actions last year:

One would think that time would have quelled some of those feelings, but it doesn't take much looking around online to find that many fans are still seething. Throwing around the word "fake" certainly didn't help things, but this isn't about that. This is the result of the nasty divorce between him and WWE. 

While some fans are the angry children holding on to a grudge, others are the blindly hopeful kids waiting for a reconciliation that will never come.

Chicago will host Raw next week. Those fans who haven't given up on the idea of Punk wrestling again see that as hope for a return to the ring:

A retired pro wrestler knee deep in UFC training, Punk is still on many a WWE fan's mind. He is currently No. 9 on the "Who's Trending" list on Wrestling Inc. He finds himself on many wrestling sites without wrestling anymore.

He is the sailed ship some still wait for on the dock.