WHEN CM Punk stood in the ring on Monday Raw and confirmed his impending departure from WWE, my heart sank.
Over the previous 24 hours he had demonstrated why many industry experts consider him to be best all-rounder in wrestling today.
A cracking match with Rey Mysterio which was the highlight of an ordinary Capitol Punishment pay per view event was followed on Monday by an excellent Triple Threat involving the same two men, plus Alberto Del Rio.
As well as consistently providing the best in-ring entertainment — his match with Randy Orton is still my favourite match from this year's Wrestlemania — Punk is totally at home on the microphone and frequently supplements his matches and feuds with excellent promos.
The fact that he is leaving is a huge body blow to WWE. Not just because they are losing a major talent, but because it reinforces the image that WWE is no longer a hugely desirable place to work.
Within the last eighteen months, Chris Jericho, Batista and MVP have voluntarily walked away from the world's No1 wrestling organisation.
Add to this Shawn Michaels' and Edge's retirements, as well as Triple H and Undertaker taking a more withdrawn role, and Vince McMahon's company have lost a huge amount of star power and talent.
They have added to their ranks Del Rio, Wade Barrett and Daniel Bryan in that time, while the likes of R-Truth, Christian and The Miz have stepped up, but it is hardly a fair trade.
The top tier of talent in WWE hasn't looked so thin in over a decade.
But the most worrying thing in all this is that so much seems to be WWE's doing.
The punishing schedule surely has to take the vast amount of the blame. Talents are asked to work relentlessly throughout the year.
Yes, they are well paid for doing so, but the mental and physical toll the constant touring and bumping has on the body and mind is huge.
At some point you have to feel that WWE will look at their roster and realise they have to do something to protect their future.
If bright lights like Punk — who is only 32 — have to take a breather, then something must be wrong.
WWE talents do not get mandatory time off — indeed it is often frowned upon should someone want to take some time to rest and recover.
But that is now really proving to be detrimental to the company. Mind you, this isn't a new phenomenon.
In 2004 Brock Lesnar turned his back on a lucrative contract and top position in WWE because he could no longer stand the schedule. He has gone on to a sterling career in MMA, becoming UFC champion and a major drawing card.
Lesnar has even said that he would consider a return to wrestling were it not for the schedule. So why have WWE not learned in the seven years since Lesnar, 33, walked away?
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CM Punk will be fine. After a bad experience in TNA it is unlikely he will resurface there. But if he did he could command a decent wage.
There is also a chance that someone like Punk — who values the craft higher than the financial rewards it brings — could turn out occasionally for his old 'home team' of Ring of Honor.
In all likelihood he will take several months away from wrestling and rejoin WWE eventually — but that will not hurt his stock. If anything, WWE may well realise exactly what they have been missing.
A saving grace might be that he is being pushed in a prominent role at the moment.
When the rumours of his contract expiry surfaced, many jumped to the conclusion that he would be jobbed out before leaving.
But the opposite has happened, and Punk has won matches and earned a main event slot on his last show.
So enjoy Punk on WWE while you still can. He deserves your attention and the PPV bonus he will receive after July 17.
As far as WWE go, it remains to be seen when they will take a step back and assess their policies which keep leading to big stars walking.
Of that, I have substantially less faith.
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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...
Should be a good one.)
His real name is Mark LoMonaco, and, "His favorite sport is soccer and he is a fan of the Italian First Division, the Serie A"
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