(Images culled from the Wrap Ups of 2014)

What an absolutely bats*** year. Long-lasting, hardship-enduring gratitude to all of you Wrap Up faithfuls who've kept this column alive for the past seven years. I love you all and wish you nothing but the absolute best for 2015.

Punk's Not Dead

Before Daniel Bryan swerved/switchbacked/Mark Henry'd us all last night on RAW , it looked like 2014 was on the verge of sucking right up until the last possible moment - as sort of eleventh hour f*** you that would have been the icing atop a very complicated crap cake.So that tweet, the one above, sent us all into a desperate, anxious tizzy yesterday just a few hours before the final RAW of 2014. Could we really lose both Punk and Bryan in the same year. Was Bryan retiring? If so, why would he be "looking forward" to telling us?There were a lot of signs that this was a work/set up, but the tweet was enough to let us all entertain the worst case scenario. But the fact that the announcers (even Alex Riley on the RAW pre-show) were all dropping hints that Bryan could retire seemed to indicate it'd be good news instead. Plus the fact that his segment came in the middle of the third hour, which meant there wasn't even an opportunity for Brock to come out and attack Bryan, meant things would go down smoothly. Now, being that I don't know if Bryan is actually cleared to wrestle means that Brock could certainly come out sometime in the next few weeks and maul Bryan, setting up a an even bigger Cena-revenge PPV win, but for now it looks like Bryan's just in the Rumble.Which, if Bryan is capable of wrestling and does indeed compete in the Rumble, spells out bad news for Roman Reigns. And considering that they just chose to raise the stakes on the Reigns/Big Show feud (and hype it over Reigns' own bad blood with Rollins, in fact) instead of getting it over quickly means that the WWE might be shuffling the deck before the new year and taking Roman out of the Mania main event equation. Because Bryan being in the Rumble is a great thing. And a way to sort of make up for their big mistake last year. But to have him in the Rumble match and then not have him win it might be an even bigger mistake. I'm not saying "Reigns for Bryan" is as IWC-insulting as "Batista for Bryan," but it'd cause major backlash.Reigns' rise through the ranks was more palatable when Bryan was actually sidelined. Now, if Bryan is good to go and doesn't get taken out by Brock beforehand, only a Bryan win will take us home. Because not only is this Mania season, it's subscriber season. Bryan actually being in the Rumble will hopefully bring people to the Network. But you also have to keep those people watching now that there's a month-to-month plan in place.So if Reigns is out, this either means that Brock faces (and loses to) someone else at Mania, for the title, or he drops the belt to Cena at the Rumble (with hopefully an immediate Rollins cash-in to follow). Which then opens up Mania wide. I don't mind having The Authority back. I don't. RAW guest GMs suck. Plus, they had to come back before Mania. Triple H is set to face Sting. Randy Orton's coming back and, aside from Rollins, he'll need The Authority to attack. Also - eyes on the prize, guys - this might help set up an Steph vs. AJ match. Maybe they came back a bit too soon one could argue, but it's still fine with me.But look, I'm here to talk about the year that was. But just one final check in here. As of now, for Mania, Sting might face Triple H (or even Rollins), Bray might face Undertaker (if he wrestles), Brock might face Reigns or Bryan (if he's able to), Cena might face Rusev or Reigns, and... well, that's it. Nothing's truly a lock.So much of this year's past news happened during the first three to four months. On the Road to WrestleMania. The first giant, ground-shaking bit of business was CM Punk walking out on the WWE. Just flat out leaving. He was hurt, unhappy (ier than usual), and didn't like the way he was being used. Whether you think he should have been a more of a gratified team player or think his ego was out of control, he specifically re-signed after that "pipe bomb" to be on top. With explicit instructions for both Vince and himself that he be let go should that not pan out, on either party's end.Rumors circulate now that the locker room is upset that Punk wasn't satisfied with the role he had when many others would have loved that spot, but - devil's advocate - perhaps part of the problem with the current roster is that they are too complacent. All of them being so enamored with their "dream job" that being any part of the mechanism will do.So for months and months, speculation rained down on us like a Biblical toad monsoon. He'll be back. This next PPV is in Chicago. It's all a work. He'll show up. Punk's in the Bunny costume. He's not gone. Then hope turned to sour, as our love often does in the internet-age. We become angry about feeling vulnerable and demand reparations for the time we've put in as fans. So then Punk became the enemy to some. Because he cared more about himself than us - an enormous "no no" in the biz.Then on Thanksgiving, almost a full year later, Punk told his side of the story during a two-hour podcast with Colt Cabana. The confidence-boardering-on-arrogance that we all once revered him for was on full display. It was glorious. Not only did it help give closure to his run in the WWE (which, I believe, is what we really craved above all else), but it was filled with juicy backstage political gossip that worked to help reinforce all our dark suspicions about the industry.It's also wrestling. So, in the end, it's a story. To be taken how ever you'd like.

IGN Talks to CM Punk About UFC and WWE

To that point, there are some who believe, and will always believe, that this is a work. Even Punk joining the UFC - an announcement that came two weeks after the Cabana podcast. He'll fight a couple of times there and then return to the WWE with even more star power (and sponsors?). You know, because, that's the easiest, straightest line to one's goal. UFC. Which must stand for Utopian Friendly Cakewalk.

Vince, Warrior, and more on Page 2...