Fans of ex-WWE Superstar CM Punk shouldn't be holding out any hopes of his return to WWE, despite the inclusion of the five-time WWE world champion into the roster of the WWE2K15 video game coming out later this year.

After much speculation on whether or not the controversial wrestling megastar -- who left the WWE in January after the Royal Rumble under reportedly bad terms due to health issues and alleged disagreement over the direction of his character and the company -- would be included in the WWE video game, developers have basically confirmed this week that Punk will not only be included in the game, but he would be featured prominently in a new gaming mode that depicts and details his legendary feud with John Cena that began in the summer of 2011.

Coincidentally, Punk tweeted a cryptic laugh this week not long after the news of his inclusion in the game was announced, though whether the tweet was in reference to his being featured in the game is still up for debate, as the Straight Edge Superstar has remained tight-lipped on anything regarding wrestling or his departure from WWE since he left on Jan. 27.

Despite the positive news for gaming and WWE fans of Punk’s inclusion in the game, don’t read too much into this. Nothing has changed from either Punk’s or WWE’s perspective. Both sides look like they’re ready to move on from one another, and given their icy way of either blatantly ignoring one another or taking not-too-subtle public pot shots at each other during the last few months, it appears that Punk’s return to the WWE is still a long way off, if not permanently off the table.

That being said, Punk’s departure left a pretty large hole in the WWE’s weakening roster, and with the injury to Daniel Bryan that has left the popular former WWE World Heavyweight Champion’s future in doubt, that’s a hole that WWE needs to have filled out sooner rather than later. But replacing a Hall of Fame-level talent and one of the top five stars in the industry is no small feat. Punk was not only a master ring general, but he was an exceptional talker on the mic, having an ability to cut riveting promos -- a rare skill-set these days. To find that combination of high-level charisma and superb in-ring skills in one person is not easy to find.

But there are a few promising stars in WWE’s employ that have potential to rise to the occasion and take that spot left vacant by Punk. With a little polish and the right push, these guys could potentially be one of the top stars in the industry:

Dean Ambrose
On the microphone, Ambrose has been on fire. Fiery and unpredictable when he needs to be and icy, calculating and sarcastically clever with a “Bad Boy”-esque cool at other times, Ambrose’s mic work has drawn parallels to another legendary stick man: the late Brian Pillman.

Ambrose was easily the best talker on The Shield and his charisma is off the charts, as evidenced by the growing support he’s been getting from the crowd for months. In the ring, he’s solid, though he’s not quite as gifted as Punk or his friend-turned-foe Seth Rollins. He could tweak his repertoire a tad to add a little more flair to his offense, but he’s on the right path, and handled right, Ambrose could be a main event star on the horizon.

Seth Rollins
Of The Shield, Ambrose had the promo skills, Roman Reigns has the look and apparent marketing appeal WWE is seeking, and Rollins was flat out the best wrestler. Combining high-flying theatrics with solid technical skills, watching Rollins at work in the ring is a thing of beauty. He's easily up there with Punk and Bryan in terms of ring work, as can be seen here:

His promos are not bad -- certainly better than anything Reigns can say on his best day -- but he doesn’t have the kind of mastery that Punk had on the stick or the knack for evoking feeling that Ambrose possesses. Yet, Rollins can fix that. If he is being billed as “The Architect,” a cerebral, diabolical mastermind, why not embrace that? A slow, methodical delivery on the mic, some way to deliver a promo to let the viewers almost see the gears turning in his brilliant wrestling mind could make Rollins into a conniving heel in the mold of a Triple H or a Chris Jericho. All Rollins needs to do is figure out exactly who he is on the mic and find the best way to express it and he could certainly fit the bill as the next big star.

Bray Wyatt
Wyatt's rise in the WWE has been meteoric since his arrival in the summer of 2013. His promos border on the surreal, and he's backed it up with a solid, stiff ring style that has made him one of, if not, the best heel in the industry. So over is Wyatt that he even started to get a few cheers despite his creepy cult leader shtick. And his feuds with Daniel Bryan and John Cena drew rave reviews with some of the best promos and segments of the year thus far. Of all the stars on the roster, Wyatt is the one that looks the most ready right now to take on a bigger role in the company. As long as the company continues to push him in the right way and give Wyatt quality competition to work with, he could be a prominent figure in WWE storylines for years to come.

Sami Zayn
He's been drawing parallels to Daniel Bryan in regard to his ring work, which is never a bad place to start with. And NXT fans have been taking to Zayn's athletic style and fine-tuned mat work. And as it turns out, he's actually pretty good on the mic without his "El Generico" (The Generic One) masked luchador gimmick.

While highly skilled, at 6'1", 200-some-odd pounds, he's not the tall, muscular physical type that WWE prefers to promote. He'll have to break through by being an unbelievable talent in multiple facets. But Zayn has the tools in his arsenal to be able to shine and break through the glass ceiling the way Punk and Bryan did before him. And the longer he has to continue to hone and perfect his craft on NXT, the more likely that Zayn may be the next WWE breakout star when he gers the call to the main roster.

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