WWE Elimination Chamber Results: On to CM Punk vs Chris Jericho at WrestleMania?

CM Punk retained the WWE Championship on Sunday night at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Punk started the match and was the last man standing, to remain the top dog on Monday Night Raw.

So, the Chamber is over. On to WrestleMania. Assuming Punk keeps the championship, who will be the superstar to challenge him for the gold?

As if we have to ask.

Who doesn’t want to see Chris Jericho versus CM Punk, at this point? It may not be Ric Flair versus Ricky Steamboat, in terms of fan anticipation, but if booked correctly, the hype around this match could be pretty impressive.

In other words, make fans want to see it.  

A few verbal jabs here, a minor physical confrontation there, is nice, and definitely gets the wheels turning in the minds of fans, but I’m ready for something more. I’m ready for it to get personal. I’m ready for it to get intense.

I’m ready for CM Punk to drop a pipe bomb on Y2J.

That’s what we’re missing here. That’s what this budding rivalry needs to really get kicked into high gear. After all, with this latest version of Punk, the feud has basically not begun until he rips on the man he’s set to face.

There’s nothing like getting the cold, hard truth, from a well-spoken worker who can generate heat and get the crowd going. And, no one in WWE history, with the exception of Roddy Piper, can do it like CM Punk.

I can just imagine the way Punk would tear into Chris, poking fun at his band Fozzy, taking jabs at his electric jacket...let’s face it, there’s a lot of material there for Punk to use.

The fact is, both of these men are very good on the mic, and the real fun of this feud would be the verbal war they would engage in every week on WWE TV. It’s what sets them apart from other talent, and it’s what will only add flavor to this rivalry.

Of course, their ability to talk is not the only similarity that exists between these two. They can each get it done in the ring on a high level, and to see them duke it out for the WWE Championship would be what every pro wrestling fan would want from Vince McMahon’s company.

So, if this match indeed goes down, as most of us suspect it will, and if it’s for the WWE Title, as it likely will be, then the next question is, who should go over?

At first glance, it seems that Punk should retain the championship. He has been WWE Champion since October of 2011, and in that time, he has brought a certain level of credibility back to the belt, mostly due to the fact that he is so good in the ring.

He’s not an over the top character that fans cannot identify with; he’s just a good worker, who’s paid his dues, and is now seeing a return on his investment.

But—and this is a big one—a major criticism of Punk as WWE Champion has been that many fans do not feel he can draw.

It’s not a small thing, to be sure. If you’re going to be on top, then you have to be able sell tickets. That’s part of the deal, and is the way the business has always gone.

If you’re going to be the man on top in WWE, then you have to able to bring ratings. That’s the way it is, and Punk is no different.

So far, it’s not exactly been a guaranteed sell out, or even a steady climb in ratings, with Punk as champ. He’s caught a lot of the heat for this, and even though I personally feel it’s unwarranted, the truth is, Punk’s a big boy.

He knows the deal, and understands how WWE works. For him to continue to reign as the man with the top prize in the company, he will have to keep working at proving he’s the superstar to beat.

The only way to do that is to beat the best. And, Chris Jericho is one of the best Vince McMahon’s company has ever featured.

So, a decisive victory over Jericho would put another notch on Punk’s belt, and give him even more bragging rights.

But, should Chris go over for the belt?

It’s an interesting thought, mostly because Jericho has not been in WWE for so long now. He’s not really done much of anything since his return, and he basically just showed up, right back near the top of the company. Would WWE just give the belt right back to him again, with little to no set-up beforehand?

You better believe it.

This is Chris Jericho we’re talking about here, not some rookie who is getting a main event push that he may not be ready for. Chris has done this dance before, and, much like Punk, he understands how WWE works, and what his role is in the company.

At this point in Jericho’s career, it’s no longer about him. He’s a veteran, a superstar who has had his World Titles, who has enjoyed the spotlight on numerous occasions. He worked the biggest pay-per-views against the biggest names in the business. He had a great run.

Now, it’s time to give back.

It’s not as though Chris has not given his all to the business, let’s be clear about that. But, a guy in his position knows that being smart means working with the “new” guy, and doing all you can to help him get over. Why?

Easy—because it helps him get over in the process. It’s the old Horsemen philosophy at work. Make your opponent look better than he could with anyone else, and you’ll look great, too. It’s tried, it’s true, and it works.

Besides, Chris doesn’t have to win the WWE Title and retire with it. He would likely drop the belt right back to Punk at another pay-per-view. Simple as that.

Chris Jericho versus CM Punk is a match that I for one am anxious to see. With the WWE Championship at stake, it’s all the more important. Bigger is better, and this one could be huge.

Bring on WrestleMania.