The big debate in professional wrestling right now is whether or not new World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk is going to turn heel or remain a babyface.
CM Punk Heel Turn
At Extreme Rules, CM Punk shocked Jeff Hardy (and the wrestling world) when he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase for an immediate shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.
Within minutes of the unscheduled bout, he was able to wrest away the title from Jeff Hardy.
With Jeff Hardy being one of the most popular figures in the entire wrestling universe, it was pretty obvious that message boards were going to be filled with angry wrestling fans because CM Punk had "stolen" the title away from their hero.
Many were quick to call CM Punk a heel even though it wasn't something that was officially established yet.
The heel turn could still happen, though.
Testing the Water
Word coming out of the locker rooms is that WWE is still testing the water on a potential heel turn for CM Punk.
Management right now has been adamant about keeping his status a major question mark. They don't want to come out and say whether he's a heel or a babyface just yet.
Not only have the announcers been kept quiet about his status, but the creative has made sure to book him against both heels and babyfaces at the moment.
At the Bash, CM Punk will be defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Jeff Hardy.
Management will decide after that match whether or not to go with the full blown heel turn. The reaction from the audience will play a major part in that decision.
Heel or Babyface?
Even if the audience jeers the hell out of CM Punk at The Bash, management still needs to carefully think out which direction would be best for him.
The best way to do that would to be to look at the potential programs that he can be involved with.
As a babyface, CM Punk could potentially work with the following wrestlers.
As a heel, he has the following people that he could work with.
- Jeff Hardy (if he stays)
- John Morrison
- Rey Mysterio
- Undertaker
See the dilemma?
Guys like Chris Jericho and Edge are superb mic worker. Their skills could help to really establish CM Punk as a bona fide main event wrestler.
However, the babyfaces on the roster present CM Punk with fresh new matchups to work with. The feud with the Undertaker especially could put him on the map.
Closing Thoughts
WWE dropped the ball the last time they tried making CM Punk a main event wrestler. They need to be especially delicate this time around to make sure that it doesn't happen again. The current decision is easily one of the most important ones for CM Punk's entire career. |
