I have loved pro wrestling since I was a kid, but I have to acknowledge that The Dark Side of The Ring exists for a reason. There's a lot the business isn't proud of, and WWE has had to get really good at editing its history. The story of WWE, and CM Punk for that matter, can't completely be told without including Vince McMahon. But because McMahon was rightfully cut out of WWE due to a lawsuit alleging all kinds of bad behavior, he can't appear in its games. Brock Lesnar only recently returned in 2025 after being named in the same lawsuit.
McMahon's larger-than-life character has dominated the landscape for decades, so he's hard to write out. Reports from Insider Gaming's Mike Straw say CM Punk will be the star of its showcase mode. If so, you'd figure it would have to include his 2011 Money in the Bank WWE Championship victory over John Cena. For my wrestling fans who weren't watching back then, it was a glorious time. Punk's contract was up, and he was threatening to win the title and leave the company with it. Problem for WWE 2K, this storyline includes three whole persona non gratas.
McMahon and his henchman John Lauranitis both tried to help Cena win. WWE always thought Lauranitis, a former wrestler, was far more over with the audience than he ever was. He's part of the sexual assault lawsuit, so he can't be included in a showcase mode either. Rounding out this unholy trinity is Alberto Del Rio, who in 2020 was charged with both kidnapping and sexual assault. He tried and failed to cash in his Money in the Bank contract after Punk's win.
While Del Rio was somehow still popular enough elsewhere to be working for AAA up until WWE purchased it, I feel safe in saying he will never again set foot in a WWE ring. Through no fault of CM Punk's own, one of the biggest wins of his career contains several moments that have aged terribly.