WWE News: Why CM Punk Must Not Be Allowed To Leave

I'm as shocked as you, but the quotes make sense. The excellent PWInsider reports that CM Punk has not signed a new contract with WWE (at the time of writing), citing burnout and unhappiness with his position within the company as his reasons for holding off.

If true, Punk's unhappiness is unsurprising. With new signings being pushed ahead of him, and getting less and less to do, he must feel frustrated. We all know that Punk is one of the best and most charismatic wrestlers around, and I use the word "wrestler" advisedly. Before WrestleMania, he tweeted: "No stupid coats. No pyro. No dancers. No bells, no whistles. Never needed it. I am a wrestler." When followers wondered if he meant to say "entertainer", they were met with typically Punk responses.

And perhaps significantly in the light of today's news, he also commented on the WrestleMania posters in response to his fan group's question as to why his image hadn't been included: "I'm not poster material apparently."

Punk's apparent desire to get back to basics suggests perhaps that he may consider moving to one of the smaller franchises, where he'd be a much bigger fish in a tiny pond, and would certainly be treated as a main draw.

And though it may be best for him personally, I cannot help selfishly thinking that if WWE genuinely allow this man to leave under such circumstances—this man who is one of their best performers on a daily never mind weekly basis, this man who has made a rather dull run of Raws worth watching—they deserve to be GTSed until they learn the error of their ways.