5 incredible similarities between Jon Moxley and CM Punk's WWE exits

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Dean Ambrose had requested his release from WWE. He joined a string of disgruntled wrestlers who weren't happy with their positioning in the promotion, and wanted out to try and look for greener pastures. A majority of fans speculated that the arrival of All Elite Wrestling was a major factor in these decisions. These speculations couldn't be truer, as the likes of Dean Ambrose and Tye Dillinger are now a part of AEW.

Ambrose' exit from WWE was heavily publicized by the company, and he became a part of a bunch of "final Shield reunions", with the first one being their match against Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, and Baron Corbin at Fastlane 2019. Coincidentally, the actual final Shield reunion saw the trio take on the same villains they initially faced upon Roman Reigns' return.

A little over a month after his exit, Ambrose debuted in AEW Double Or Nothing as Jon Moxley, the persona he donned in his indie days before joining WWE. Recently, he appeared on Talk Is Jericho and answered a lot of burning questions. The situation with Ambrose has reminded some fans of the time when CM Punk left WWE in 2014. Let's take a look at 5 startling similarities between the WWE exits of both Superstars.

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#5 Both Superstars spilled the beans on their exit on popular podcasts

Punk and Cabana

When CM Punk left WWE, fans clamored to hear him talk about what had happened that led to him leaving the company on such a sour note. Although it was a long wait, Punk finally spilled the beans on his issues and how that led to his exit. He appeared on his best friend Colt Cabana's popular podcast, "Art of Wrestling", and talked about what had actually happened.

Ambrose did the exact same thing here. He appeared on another hit podcast, "Talk is Jericho", and talked in length about his final days in WWE and why he decided to leave the company.

#4 Both Superstars had storyline issues and creative differences with WWE

Moxley wasn't a fan of his heel run

Punk's exit was the result of a string of issues he had with the company. One of the major problems he had was the fact that he wasn't thrilled with Triple H going over him in 2011, when he was the hottest Superstar in all of wrestling. While speaking with Cabana, Punk talked about how he once went off on Triple H and Vince McMahon in a backstage meeting. He told them that the push Bryan was receiving was something he should have gotten two years ago. He was also not happy with not being able to main event a WrestleMania in his entire WWE career.

Ambrose had similar problems. He didn't like his heel run one bit, and was also uncomfortable doing his promo on Roman Reigns, who was out to pursue his battle with leukemia. Moxley revealed that he refused to go on with a promo on Reigns, which was so distasteful that it would have resulted in a PR disaster for WWE.

#3 Both Superstars took the pro-wrestling world by storm by debuting in other promotions

Punk in UFC

Punk was on the sideline for a good while after his exit from WWE. Little did the fans know that this was the calm before the storm. In December 2014, Punk appeared at UFC 181 and shocked the wrestling world by announcing that he had signed a contract with the promotion. Although he went on to lose both of his matches, his decision to join UFC had received a polarising reception.

Recently, Ambrose posted a video promo on his Twitter handle that saw him embracing the Moxley persona. At AEW Double Or Nothing, he came out through the crowd at the end of the show and confronted Chris Jericho, as the capacity crowd went into a frenzy. Ambrose debuting in AEW genuinely shocked a lot of fans, even though the writing was on the wall.

#2 Both seemed miserable during their final days

Ambrose wasn't his usual self in his final days

While talking with Cabana on his podcast, Punk said that his wrestling career was a failure and he didn't love it anymore. He was one of the most popular wrestlers on the indie scene at one time, but his WWE run changed everything. The creative differences and the constant pain his body endured was enough to make him unhappy to the extent that he refused to go on and beat Triple H at 'Mania that year, and instead opted to leave.

Moxley's situation isn't any different. one look at him during his final days in WWE is enough for a fan to realize that he was just waiting for his contract to expire. Every time he came out for those Shield reunions, his face lacked the kind of emotion and intensity the WWE Universe had become accustomed to.

#1 WWE's doors seem to be open for both of them in the future

Punk and Vince

After CM Punk's comments on Colt Cabana came out in the open, Vince McMahon apologized to the disgruntled Superstar and said that he is willing to work with Punk. 3 years later, Dave Meltzer stated that WWE is willing to have Punk back and would welcome him with open arms. Recently, it was reported that WWE is stil open for Punk to return. It's no secret that WWE has reconciled with Superstars we thought we would never see again, and the same seems to be the case with CM Punk.

As far as Ambrose goes, he was a part of hands down the greatest faction in modern history, The Shield. WWE can't possibly reunite The Hounds of Justice if there's no Dean Ambrose in the picture. The group has been a mainstay on WWE's main event scene for a while, and has made the company tons of money. An Ambrose return would open up a bunch of possibilities for feuds, merchandise, and dream matches. This is the major reason WWE will welcome back Moxley if he is interested.