5 Reasons Why CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins Is the Ultimate WWE WrestleMania 40 Match

CM Punk and world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins captivated the WWE Universe Monday night on Raw with a promo that pointed toward a showdown between the two in the near future.

Rollins attacked Punk on the mic for abandoning WWE and then calling it "home" when it was Rollins and the rest of the locker room who kept the company at full steam while the Chicago native did all that he could to tear it down.

In response, Punk warned The Visionary that was his one pass to talk disrespectfully to him before he targets him.

It was a masterfully executed promo segment that was reminiscent of a similarly tense confrontation between Punk and "Hangman" Adam Page in All Elite Wrestling that started his downward spiral in that company, culminating with his firing in September.

The difference? Both men appeared to understand there was business to do and money to be made.

On the heels of that promo and the tease of a WrestleMania 40 showdown between the sworn enemies, here are five reasons why a one-on-one contest between Punk and Rollins is worthy of that grand stage.

An Underdog Story Befitting Philadelphia

Neither Punk nor Rollins were what one would consider typical WWE Superstars when they first arrived in the company. They were too small, too "indie," and they did not have the look of a real-life superhero that other top-tier competitors possessed.

Through hard work and determination, though, both were able to shed all labels and achieve genuine superstardom in WWE.

Theirs are stories in the same vein as Rocky Balboa, a fictional character so beloved for his tenacity, ambition, drive and belief in himself that a statue is dedicated to him in Philadelphia, which is where WrestleMania 40 takes place on April 6-7 next year.

Putting Punk and Rollins together in a major championship encounter in a city that is all about celebrating the underdog is a recipe for a hotly anticipated main event at The Show of Shows.

Testing the Best

To say Punk's run in AEW was without triumph because of the way it ended does a disservice to the work he did with the likes of Darby Allin, MJF, Powerhouse Hobbs, Daniel Garcia, Wardlow, Eddie Kingston and Dax Harwood.

To say his work at the tail end of the run was his finest would, at best, be bending the truth. He was beat up, disenfranchised and distracted. While his match with Samoa Joe was a fine opener at All In London in August, he would likely be the first to say he wished it had been better.

Punk the professional wrestler has an opportunity to shake off the injury-riddled conclusion to his AEW run and remind fans why his "Best in the World" moniker is more than a nickname.

A great performance on a stage such as WrestleMania carries a different weight. It can silence any doubt among critics that the 45-year-old is still that guy.

And a match against Rollins, who picked up the mantle of the most consistently excellent wrestler when he left WWE, makes it that much more significant.

Not to mention the fact that it would also be one of the greatest tests of Punk's career.

Pro Wrestling Workhorses

For all of the differences that exist between Punk and Rollins, they have one major attribute in common: They have established reputations as workhorses.

Between his jump to the main roster in 2006 and his departure in 2014, Punk wrestled 1,231 matches for WWE, according to CageMatch. In 2009 alone, he wrestled 190 times, meaning he worked nearly every other day of the year.

Conversely, Rollins arrived on the main roster in November 2012 and has competed in 1,492 contests since then, with his single-year high coming in 2013 via an astonishing 214 bouts.

There are other Superstars with similar numbers, who were relied upon to carry WWE, but few have done so at the level of Punk and Rollins.

At different points, they have been the lifeblood of WWE and set the standard between the ropes, even when the creative may not have backed them up.

The fans in Philadelphia would eat up a match between two men who were responsible for establishing different styles and showed an increased dedication to work rate.

A Legacy Builder

For Punk, a return to WrestleMania provides him an opportunity to do something he has never accomplished in his career: Main-event the most prestigious show of the year.

It was the one accomplishment that eluded him in his first run with WWE. No matter how popular he became or how much his match with Undertaker should have headlined the 2013 event over the ice-cold John Cena vs. The Rock II, it never happened for him.

It is a wrong that should be righted. Punk has done it all, against odds that he overcame so that wrestlers with similar backgrounds could thrive on a major stage.

Like fellow Ring of Honor alumnus Daniel Bryan, Punk proved that a guy who got his start in barns and high school gyms around the country could be a top star for wrestling's No. 1 promotion. In doing so, he laid the foundation for someone like Rollins to find success in WWE.

He has earned a date in the premier spot on the 'Mania card.

For world heavyweight champion Rollins, a potential dance with Punk on The Grandest Stage of Them All would confirm his place among the top names in modern wrestling history.

Often overshadowed by returning stars (like Punk) or a former Shield teammate (Roman Reigns), a match against a defining star of the era would cement his legacy as one of the foundational players of WWE in the 2020s.

His WrestleMania dance card has already featured the likes of Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Sheamus, Big Show, Triple H, Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul.

Putting him in there with Punk would do wonders for a man who has occasionally slipped into the background amid lackluster booking for someone of his caliber.

For both men, a showdown in Philadelphia would enhance what are already Hall of Fame-worthy legacies.

A Dream Match of Bitter Rivals

Above all, the fact that there appears to be legitimate heat between Punk and Rollins only enhances the situation and makes it that much more intriguing.

Monday night, we witnessed the tension that exists the moment they share the ring:

Rollins has not hidden his disdain for Punk, famously pulling no punches during an interview over the Royal Rumble weekend in January with Nick Hausman.

On the December 8 edition of the SI Media with Jimmy Traina podcast, Rollins said:

"I just think he's been really selfish when it comes to his perspective on the industry. I think he's been extremely self-serving, has played the martyr role to a tee, and has for someone who, when I met the guy, and look, I got a lot of good things to say about parts of my relationship with him.

"He helped me in places when he didn't have to; whether that was for his own good or not, I'm not entirely sure, but regardless, it helped me get where I needed to go and do the things I needed to do. And for a guy who, when I met him, kind of made it seem like he was all about giving back to the business. He really turned into a pretty selfish guy and really wanted to take more from the industry."

It remains to be seen how much of the disdain between Rollins and Punk is genuine, but the fact that there is perceived hatred between two guys with a knack for speaking their minds makes this program an electric one.

What they say, how they say it and how much each person knew about the words before they were uttered all creates genuine interest that cannot be scripted in a writers room or manufactured by a booker.

A program that plays to internet truths and intensifies based on perceptions of how one feels about the other, it only serves to generate more buzz and excitement for a match that should be one of the biggest draws of WrestleMania weekend.

Expect that personal edge, with digs and deep cuts, to continue through to April 6-7.