WWE and CM Punk: Political Backstage Perks for CM Punk's New Contract

Make no mistake about it—CM Punk wanted a lot to re-sign with WWE. Also, make no mistake about it, he is a smart man. With those two things combined, Punk got exactly what he wanted and maybe even more...

I have touched on this topic a little bit before, but I will run down my thoughts on what it took to get Punk to stay with the company. I am sure most will throw this off as merely speculation, and that is fine, but there are too many signs out there to dismiss them.

1. Colt Cabana returning? It is not official by any means, but WWE is showing interest in him once again. Sure seems a little fishy after all the years of being available, now WWE suddenly cares about bringing back Mr. Scotty Goldman.

Hmmm, seems to me Punk asked for a buddy to be hired or at least given a shot (dark match tryout). Yeah, nobody can deny Punk is behind this one.

2. Beth Phoenix heel turn/push. Let me ask you all a quick question—what has Beth done the past six months? Go ahead...I'll wait. Anything? No? Nothing?

Okay, we all know Beth and Punk are dating. Two wrestlers dating is not shocking, but what is shocking is all of a sudden, Beth is receiving a nice little push.

Is it a huge monster push? No, but certainly more in the past month than the past year combined. Coincidence? I doubt it. Thanks Mr. Punk for this one as well...

3. More money. This one needs no long drawn out reason. I have no doubts Punk asked for a raise and got it. Good for him, he deserves it. Nothing more needs to be said.

4. Kings of Wrestling to WWE? Again, it is not official, but it seems likely. Are they friends with CM Punk? I have no idea. Could be, guys who worked with ROH and the indie scene strike me as the type that "stick together." I have said this before and will again:

If Colt, Kings of Wrestling and Punk form a stable and call themselves the "Cult of Personality," I want full credit. Until then, let's just wait and see...

5. More TV time/creative input: This one all balls together. Punk can now speak his mind. If he has a storyline he wants to propose to Vince (or Triple H or whomever) he can now do so without much worry. Think of it like HBK back in the '90s.

He started pretty low on the totem pole, until one day he said "Screw it, I wanna be a top guy!" and he went right to Vince and let him know. For the next 10 years, HBK was one of Vince's go to guys (now retired).

Punk just earned himself a great deal of stroke backstage. Almost like he turned a corner with his peers in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

Don't believe me? Re-read this column...