CM Punk WWE
CM Punk holds the record for the longest WWE title reign in the modern era. wwe.com

One of the WWE’s biggest stars has reportedly left the company. According to The Wrestling Observer, CM Punk informed Vince McMahon before the most recent episode of “Monday Night Raw” that he was going home.

Punk has not publicly commented on the situation, but wwe.com has removed him from all live events over the next couple of weeks, including “Raw.” He’s still being advertised for the Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View on Feb. 23, though that may change soon.

“Thanks for all the support,” Punk tweeted on Monday. “Keep being you guys, it’s pretty cool.”

It’s not yet known why Punk has chosen to leave WWE. His contract was scheduled to end in July, and there had been speculation that he might not re-sign. However, an early departure from Punk has come as a surprise.

"I have no idea what the straw was that broke the camel's back in the last couple of days other than it happened,” Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio, according to cagesideseats.com. “But it wasn't one thing, that I can tell you. It's been building up for a year, maybe a little less than a year maybe even more than a year. What I do know obviously is he wanted to be the top guy in the company and as long as John Cena was there it was not going to happen. “

The news comes as the WWE begins its most important stretch of the wrestling season. On Sunday, Punk lasted longer than any wrestler in the Royal Rumble match. There are rumors that Punk’s dissatisfaction with the creative department may be one of the reasons why he chose to leave.

A recent report by TMZ claims that recent booking decisions influenced Punk's decision to leave. After nearly four years away from wrestling, Batista won the Royal Rumble match in just his second day back on WWE TV. A source tells the gossip website that the 35-year-old felt he earned a spot in the main event at WrestleMania, not a returning Batista. The source also says that Punk was angry when he discovered he was set to face Triple H at the company’s biggest PPV.

In the summer of 2011, Punk made news when he announced that he would be leaving the WWE, though he ended up signing a new deal. Now, he might not be coming back any time soon.

As with anything in professional wrestling, this could all be part of a storyline. Only time will tell.