5 WWE Superstars who were removed from big matches (and the reasons why)

#4 CM Punk (Championship Scramble, WWE Unforgiven 2008)

CM Punk was scheduled to defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a Championship Scramble match against Batista, Kane, JBL and Rey Mysterio at the Unforgiven pay-per-view in 2008.

At the time, Chris Jericho was involved in a heated rivalry with Shawn Michaels, and WWE’s decision-makers wanted the two men to face off in a ladder match in the main event of the next PPV, No Mercy.

This meant that Punk got kicked in the head by Randy Orton earlier in the night at Unforgiven, ruling him out of the Championship Scramble match, and Jericho went on to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship in the Unforgiven main event to set up his ladder match with Michaels.

Bruce Prichard, who worked on WWE’s creative team at the time, revealed on his Something to Wrestle With podcast that he did not agree with the storyline development.

“CM Punk was confused. Really confused, and when you look back, to me Jericho and Shawn did not need that title. They needed a prop for a ladder match, okay, but they sure as hell didn't need the Championship. I thought CM Punk needed the Championship.” [H/T Wrestling Inc.]

Punk unsuccessfully challenged Jericho for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on RAW one week later and he did not return to the title picture for another eight months.