25 Shocking Events That Rocked WWE To Its Foundations

22. CM Punk Quits (2014)

CM Punk’s dissatisfaction with life in WWE had been building for years. He had intended to walk away in 2011 until a lucrative new contract and the promise of a main event run swayed him into changing his mind.

By early 2014, Punk was banged up, worn out and generally hating life in the company. He dressed alone in his private bus, continually clashed with management (he was vehemently opposed to plans for him to wrestle Triple H at WrestleMania XXX) and was generally fed up of wrestling.

The night after Royal Rumble ’14 – a match in which he received a concussion and butted heads with management again – Punk walked out of Raw and quit the company, never to return.

His name soon became the go-to chant of dissatisfaction used by WWE fans when they wanted to rebel against what they were seeing.

Punk spilled the beans about his departure on Colt Cabana’s Art Of Wrestling podcast, painting WWE and high ranking officials in a very poor light. That led to a protracted legal battle between Punk and WWE doctor Chris Amman, who had taken the brunt of some of Punk’s verbal blows.

Punk had the last laugh, winning the case earlier this year.

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