Regarding Punk, this would be a very odd time to leave the WWE but maybe he doesn't believe things will improve. There have also been the reports that he's physically beat up from the last few months. Who knows, I'm not going to assume this rumor is true without some real confirmation.
I've said it before, though, that they're not going to let Punk get to the top as long as Cena is there, as Punk's popularity has a negative effect on Cena's. I've been convinced for awhile that Vince will do anything to protect Cena's image. That puts an effective cap on how high Punk can climb. If he really is highly goal driven then that knowledge has to hurt.
Could be that this is a negotiating maneuver or maybe the WWE is just giving him some time off due to physical or mental exhaustion. Wouldn't surprise me to see him back at work soon.
As for me, I'm getting burnt out on the WWE's fixation on Cena and Orton. Even when one of them doesn't have the belt for a little while you get the feeling that it's temporary and they're just loaning it out. All either one of them has to do is announce that they want the title and suddenly they're the number one contender, doesn't even matter if they're coming off a loss or not.
