WrestleMania 28: 3 Reasons CM Punk Should Drop the WWE Title to Chris Jericho

CM Punk is undoubtedly one of the most talented WWE Superstars of the current era. I, however, am of the opinion that the straight-edge superstar's title run should come to an end this Sunday—at WrestleMania 28. Punk's opponent, Chris Jericho, should take over the reins as WWE champion.

The following are the reasons why I reckon Punk should drop the title to Jericho:

1. Change

CM Punk has been WWE champion since November 2011. And while his title reign is nowhere near the longest in WWE history, it is a relatively long reign by recent standards. Long gone are the days of Bruno Summartino's seven-year title reign. In the current era, WWE's world champions barely last over three months, so Punk should be proud to have lasted over four as WWE champion.

While I am not a supporter of short title runs, it is the trend nowadays and I have learned to live with it.

With rumors rife that Jericho will be quitting the company in June or July due to his music commitments, most fans are not expecting "Y2J" to earn the right to carry the strap at 'Mania.

I hope WWE will pull a surprise and have Jericho emerge victorious. It will not only be smart booking, but the addition of the elements of surprise and suspense will be entertaining.

Ratings have also been uncharacteristically low during Punk's reign and the former ROH star has been occasionally singled out for criticism by the company's top officials.

While the criticism on Punk may not be fair, it would be intriguing to see if a Jericho title reign would bring any positive change to the ratings pattern. 

2. To Fuel a Prolonged Feud 

While CM Punk and Chris Jericho have been feuding since early February, few fans would claim to have had enough of this rivalry. The two superstars are immensely talented both as talkers and as wrestlers and a prolonged feud between them would be a step in the right direction.

Jericho's feud with Shawn Michaels in 2008 is one of the best in recent history and I believe a longer Punk-Jericho program can be just as fascinating.

I, however, still think that the Punk-Jericho feud can successfully continue past WrestleMania even if Punk were to retain the WWE title.

Jericho and Punk's claim to the moniker, "best in the world" is in itself enough to sustain this feud for at least one more month. But a twist of events in turning the challenger into the champion, and vice versa, will add more fuel to an already explosive rivalry. 

3. Jericho is a Proven Champion

Jericho's resume speaks with more than words. Since jumping ship from the now defunct WCW to WWE in 1999, the Canadian has won several titles—both as a singles and as a tag-team competitor. Jericho is officially recognized by WWE as a seven-time tag team champion, a record nine-time Intercontinental champion and a six-time world champion; making him one of the most decorated wrestlers of all time.

He also has the distinct accolade of being the first undisputed WWE champion, a title he won after defeating both Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock on the same show, albeit in controversial circumstances.

With Jericho now in his closing chapters as a wrestler, most fans would jump at the prospect of seeing "Y2J" as WWE champion—one more time.

While most fans are in support of up-and-coming stars dominating the main event scene instead of veterans like Jericho, few would complain if " The Best in the World at What He Does" captures WWE gold this Sunday.