During the question and answer session of today’s
WWE 4th Quarter Earnings Report conference call, Vince McMahon was
asked about the status of CM Punk. In
response, McMahon said, "He is taking a sabbatical. Let's just put it that
way." With investors concerned
about the absence of one of WWE’s top performers, his answer was political and
ambiguous. It was also perfect.
To everyone outside of the company, the CM Punk
situation is a mystery. Neither Punk nor
WWE had made any statement about the performer’s status with the company
outside of an official denial by WWE on Monday that he had been released. As such, it was expected that there would be
some sort of inquiry during the call as to what his current status was.
McMahon clearly found himself in a tough
situation. If Punk is, in fact, gone
from the company without any plans to return, he had to find a way to spin the
loss of his second biggest star. If Punk’s
absence is part of some elaborate creative angle, McMahon didn’t want to give
it away. And, of course, if the
situation is entirely up in the air, with Punk’s imminent return or permanent
exit still to be determined, McMahon would want to be careful with how he
described it, lest he accidentally concede any leverage he may have.
All that being said, I think McMahon’s use of the
word “sabbatical” to describe CM Punk’s absence from the WWE was the best way
to sum up a situation that is apparently, as of now, unresolved. He gave nothing away and didn’t lie. As a business move, I don’t think he could
have handled the question any better.
Now, of course, a lot can be read into his tone of
voice when he gave his answer (I thought he sounded frustrated and almost
annoyed), but that would only be more speculation. That being said, here are my thoughts.
I simply cannot buy into the idea that CM Punk’s absence
and apparent deletion from current WWE television programming is a
storyline. Punk was in a similar
situation in 2011 and I find it very difficult to believe that the company
would go to that well again not three years later. CM Punk’s authenticity has played an enormous
role in making him the star he has become, and that authenticity would take a
huge hit if he was a willing participant in such a similar angle so soon after
the first one. I also find it difficult
to believe that WWE’s creative team is capable of the sort of complex,
intricate and multi-faceted storytelling that would be required to work not
only the majority of WWE’s audience, but the thousands of writers, internet
smart marks and dirt sheets. I’m not
saying it’s impossible. WWE has shown
its ability to keep a secret before, with Chris Jericho’s 2013 Royal Rumble
appearance being a shining example. It
just seems highly improbable here.
As of right now, I believe CM Punk is gone from the
company with no plans to return at any point in the near future. I don’t think, however, that this necessarily
implies he will stay away. It is very
possible that Punk could return to WWE television and creative during the build
up to WrestleMania, but if this happens (and it is a very big if), it means
that something or someone managed to change his mind. Perhaps a month or two away will be all he
needs to clear his mind. Perhaps Vince
McMahon will work his famous Jedi mind tricks to lure Punk back. Perhaps he just misses being on the road with
his girlfriend. Whatever the case may
be, I believe Punk’s current status is in his own hands, and not some group of
writers’. Vince McMahon said nothing
today to change my mind.
