WWE: Why CM Punk Is the Right Man to Represent the Company

CM Punk is, bar none, the best all-around individual talent on the wrestling scene today.

He didn't become the "Best in the World" overnight, though.

After years of toiling on the independent circuit honing his craft, Punk gradually worked his way from humble beginnings to superstar.

His time in the IWA and ROH taught him invaluable lessons, offering him platforms where he could ply his trade. Soon, the practice of performing night in and night out, away from the mainstream scrutiny, afforded him the right tools to be signed by the WWE.

Done paying his dues, a vociferous "underground" following then supported Punk as he entered the ring on programs like ECW, Raw and SmackDown.

Subsequently, within the next few years, the ECW and world heavyweight championships fell into Punk's grasp.

It wasn't until he captured the WWE title at Money in the Bank 2011, however, when the Chicago native finally rose to prominence as the man to represent the company in the coming years.

It's not difficult to see why Punk has been the right person for the job since June 2011, either.

His attributes include the fact that he is credible, a compelling speaker, a great wrestler, dependable and, lastly, represents a successful break from the status quo.

Perhaps more important than everything else, Punk has the credibility to be featured in main event storylines.

While much of it can be attributed to the reputation he has earned from the time he arrived on the wrestling frontier, a lot of it is a direct result of how he's been portrayed in the WWE.

Luckily for Punk, he had an advocate in Paul Heyman who made sure the "Cult of Personality" was presented in a favorable light since day one at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom.

With an ace in his corner, Punk could do no wrong as the WWE's hottest new act since Rob Van Dam. In the fall of that year, Punk had built so much momentum that his popularity even eclipsed D-Generation X's at Survivor Series 2006.

As the accolades began to pile up—such as the ECW championship, back-to-back Money in the Bank victories and successful world heavyweight title cash-ins—fans could expect to see a return on their investment.

In pro-wrestling, where perception is reality, Punk has proven himself to be a winner.

Next, Punk is probably the WWE's most gifted performer on the microphone.

More than just the actual words he says, "The Voice of the Voiceless" exhibits great timing, correct tonal shifts, a flair for humor and has a well of words to choose from at any given moment.

The actual content of his interviews, too, are unlike any of his contemporaries. There are layers of unpredictability between Punk's words that keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Whether he's having a war of words with John Cena, Kevin Nash, John Laurinaitis or Triple H, "The Straight Edge" superstar has the innate ability to make you believe he's above them all.

Although some may argue it's a consequence of Punk being given the proverbial green light to say anything he wants, it is the passionate manner in which he breaks from "script" that separates him from his peers.

The fans live vicariously through his every breath in a way we haven't witnessed since arguably The Rock and Steve Austin.

Additionally, Punk is one of the best—if not the best—in-ring worker in the company today.

When was the last time he didn't perform up to his standards on TV, let alone on pay-per-view?

Just last year alone, he had one classic encounter after another with John Cena, Alberto Del Rio and Triple H.

At this past Royal Rumble, he had another amazing outing with Dolph Ziggler to add to their memorable series of bouts.

What makes Punk a great wrestler—who insists on calling himself just that—is his undying love for the business, an acute understanding of ring psychology, an array of moves, fluidity of movement and, most importantly, his willingness to mix it up once in a while.

Unfortunately, the majority of wrestlers tend to rely on the same formula of maneuvers and mannerisms in every match.

Punk, on the other hand, not only strays from his template, but does so in admirable fashion (i.e., paying homage to "The Macho Man" Randy Savage).

Moreover, the dependable Punk can be counted upon to show up at every scheduled appearance.

Like John Cena, the current WWE champion is the consummate professional.

That is, if he's asked to wrestle four to five nights a week, he does so without any (reported) complaints. Similarly, if he is asked by the company to make public appearances for signings, charities and the like, he does so without any questions asked.

Even if he is pulled from a presumably slated appearance alongside Chael Sonnen, Punk gracefully gets past it without making a fuss.

Taken further, dependability is not just about strength of character, but durability.

If you're constantly injured, you become a liability to the company, which, in turn, becomes reluctant to set long-term plans into motion for you.

Fortunately, up to this point in his career, Punk has been able to remain relatively injury-free.

As a commodity, Punk's value would be drastically limited if he wasn't reliable from a physical standpoint.

Lastly, Punk represents an effective break from the WWE's cookie-cutter programming.

To state it in other terms, CM Punk bears no similarities to John Cena.

He is a novel character with fresh motivations (i.e., to be the "best wrestler") who single-handedly infuses the company with a rebellious edge.

And more than just being in direct contrast to the players before him, Punk exemplifies a successful break from the status quo.

For instance, it was reported not too long ago that Punk was the first man in five years to unseat Cena atop the WWE merchandising charts.

Punk has demonstrated that differences should be embraced by the WWE because it makes the product more exciting and is financially rewarding for all parties.

Not to mention, one of Punk's unique characteristics—his keen intelligence—can (and has) bucked prevailing stereotypes in the media of what a wrestler "is" and how he should conduct himself.

A notable example of this is a positive piece on Punk in Sports Illustrated, which endorsed his relatively recent rise to the very top.

Overall, CM Punk has everything it takes and more to represent the WWE for the foreseeable future.

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