CM Punk Is the Most Valuable Pro Wrestler in WWE

This is a fan piece.

I am a Bleacher Report Featured Columnist, and my job is to give my opinion on the hot topics of professional wrestling, more specifically, WWE.  My perspective is that of a man who has followed the business for 30-plus years, and in that way I am a student of the game.

My perspective is also that of a man who has been in the business, off and on, for 12 years.  In that way I consider myself to have a more well-rounded view of the sport, which helps me present my opinion with more insight for the reader.

I attempt to cover both sides of an issue, and take each point of the topic at hand into consideration before delivering my final word in a column.

But, this time, it’s not about being objective.  It’s not about being that neutral voice that considers every viewpoint before ultimately giving my own opinion.  

This one’s all me.  Unashamedly, unabashedly, all me.

It is with that statement, that I present my conclusion that CM Punk is the most valuable professional wrestler in WWE.

Understanding full well that I open myself up to criticism from any fan who reads these words and does not agree with my sentiment, I assure you that I am ready for the challenge.

I’m used to disagreements.  As a pro wrestling editorialist, it comes with the territory.

So, go ahead.  Tell me that John Cena is the face of WWE, that Vince McMahon’s company simply could not function without him at this point.  Tell me that he is still the big dog, pushed to the moon, not in spite of the fact that he his hated by so many fans, but because he is hated by so many fans.

Remind me that John is a lightning rod of controversy, and even though he gets more than his fair share of hate mail, WWE continues to draw attention and make money because of him.

You will get no argument from me on any of those points.  I have actually made them myself, many times before.

There—now we can all be friends.

But, while John continues to toe the company line, CM Punk is quickly, albeit quietly, becoming a hugely important asset to WWE.

It’s not as though Punk is being hidden, buried at the bottom of a very long line of workers.  He is the WWE champion, and he enjoys all the main-event perks that go along with that.

But in comparison to Cena, Punk is hiding in plain sight.

While many fans point to what John brings to the company and how valuable he is, there are some who still dispute whether or not Punk is a good enough champion to draw a crowd.  They make the case that ratings for Monday Night Raw have not exactly blown up since Punk began his run last year.

He’s not big and muscle-bound, he does not have a smile that lights up a room, and he is not a clean-cut, overly polished image that WWE can sell to advertisers.  

Punk has not been featured in movies, made the rounds on television talk shows or had any type of recording career.

CM Punk is not the poster boy for World Wrestling Entertainment.  He is not the Hulk Hogan of this generation.

He is, quite simply, the hardest-working man in a WWE ring.  He is the best they have.  Period.

“Best in the world” is not just a catchphrase on a T-shirt; it is a statement of fact.  Punk gets it done on a high level every night he is in the ring, going toe to toe with everyone he faces and having the match of the night every night.

While Cena smiles, attempting to rise above hate, Punk rises above the nonsense, not carrying the burden of trying to get over with every fan.  He goes about the business of entertaining the wrestling audience, giving the crowd what they paid to see.

Many WWE fans—despite all of the glitz, glamour, the pyro and theatrics—still just want the wrestling. That’s what they take away from the night, and that’s what CM Punk gives them.

Deal with it.

Punk’s ability in the ring, coupled with his ability to dissect his opponents and the industry on the mic, is all well-documented.  Even his critics cannot deny what he brings to the table.  So, why the sudden support from this writer?

The answer lies with his latest promo.  But this one is not directed at any WWE performer, or for that matter, any individual in the business.

CM Punk spoke his mind about Chris Brown, and what began as a minor conflict on Twitter has erupted into the mainstream media.

Their war of words, seemingly from out of nowhere, has led Punk to address Brown directly, via video. And, that’s where he excels beyond anything anyone else in his position could do in this situation.

He is not in character.  He is not trying to put over a pay-per-view, or sell an upcoming match.  CM Punk is calmly, quietly, speaking the truth.  When he stares into the camera, he is cutting right to the heart of the matter.  He is reserved, extremely confident and fearless.

He is not worried about any repercussions, not concerned with becoming a target himself because of his openly public challenge to Brown’s manhood.  He is not trying to keep, or gain, fans.  

There is nothing phony about Punk, nothing questionable or sinister about his actions.  He has no motive, other than just speaking his mind.  He is being himself, and putting it out there for the whole world to see.

He is doing what John Cena does, only he’s not shoving it down our throats.  

I for one do not believe that this is the end of it.  Twitter, along with the rest of the net, is currently blowing up over this back-and-forth between Punk and Brown.  People who have never watched WWE and have never heard of CM Punk are speaking up, and thanking him for speaking out.

They did not know his name before; they know it now.

Is all of this a PR stunt?  Perhaps.  Was the idea pitched to both Punk and Brown, with the end result being a confrontation at WrestleMania 28?   However unlikely that may be, the truth is, I would not be surprised.  

Here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter.  Punk has a decorated in-ring career to back up his position in the industry; there is no denying that.  And now, he has gained, however small, a foothold in popular culture.  His name is out there.  His face is out there.  

He has suddenly become that guy who doesn’t look like a pro wrestler, that no one has ever heard of, who had the guts to call out a thug like Brown, and he makes no apologies for it.

No one in WWE could have pulled this off the way Punk has.  And all he had to do was just be himself.  You want to talk about a talent who should be the face of the company, a man who is beyond reproach and has the integrity to stand up for what’s right, despite what anyone says?

CM Punk is your man.  CM Punk is what WWE wants John Cena to be, and nothing can change that.

CM Punk is the most valuable professional wrestler in WWE.  And, for that, I am a fan.