This guy is a rumor mill all unto himself. He's been rumored to be retiring soon, he's being rumored to head to Wrestlemania...but here's my prediction on that. The guy's beloved by fans online and in arenas because he 'lives his gimmick'. Punk's attitude gets people riled up, and makes them love him. He's beloved. But here's why Punk's got a shot -- he's playing ball. Look at it this way, he loses his strap to the Rock, who loses it to Cena. He then gets put in a program with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman -- which is actually pretty good for Punk and phenomenal for Lesnar. Wins over a champ still look good. Yeah, Punk is driven from the top bracket, but he then gets into a feud with The Authority and the Shield, and dominates WWE TV on Monday Nights. And he's taking losses, he's selling, and he's selling the feud with the Shield, AND his attitude towards the business? You can see that he is having fun again. He doesn't need the World Title to be the Best in the World, but you watch the show and see that he's taking losses and changing his look. Yeah, more tattoos, but fewer facial piercings...his hair's short, he's smiling in the ring. He's building his relationship with WWE, and that puts him in a good position. I swear, Bret Hart's gotta be in his ear, because it's like watching a post Hart Foundation Bret coming into the 'Land of the Giants' and changing the landscape. Things against him? He's injured, and doesn't do a lot of medication from what sources are out there, and the Shield feud hasn't had a proper blowoff, unless the Rumble's the place CM Punk dismantles the Shield. Keep an eye on SmackDown and Raw, you're gonna hear an Authority change to the Rumble, adding slots or something, bet on it. Odds of Punk going out of the business on one champ run as a face with a Wrestlemania win? Odds are 10 to 1.
Dan has taken a chairshot to the face from Ballz Mahoney. He grew up in Tampa, mere blocks from the Sportatorium, watching wrestling and taking it all in. He's a writer, and a professional illustrator.
