WWE WrestleMania 28: Why CM Punk Has the Most to Prove This Sunday Night

On Monday, June 27, 2011, CM Punk sat on the Raw stage and unleashed a torrent of insults directed at the men and women he found to be responsible for the lack of exposure he had received on WWE television to that point. He ran down anyone from Triple H, to Stephanie McMahon, to this Sunday's WrestleMania main event participants John Cena and Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson.

The worked/shoot promo was exactly the type of thing fans had been wanting to see for years. It was edgy, it was exciting, it was unexpected and it had more than a hint of reality attached. Interest in CM Punk's match with John Cena was incredibly high, if only because no one really knew what to expect.

Would Punk leave World Wrestling Entertainment, as he had claimed he would after the Money in the Bank pay-per-view? Would he re-sign and finally receive the sustained main event push and title run so many thought he deserved? Those two questions would not be immediately answered but one important factor was that fans bought into Punk's frustration and, as a result, he became the most popular superstar on the WWE roster.

CM Punk defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank and walked out of the All-State Arena with the gold held high. He would take a few weeks off and return to the company, apparently a few bucks richer and sporting a brand new tour bus

He would face John Cena at SummerSlam to determine the real WWE Champion, then segue into a rivalry with Triple H. Finally, in New York City and at the most famous arena in the world, Madison Square Garden, Punk would win the WWE Championship by defeating the man who stole it from him in August, Alberto Del Rio. He has retained the title, performing in a number of high quality main event matches ever since.

The major push put behind Punk since his now infamous promo last summer, as well as the millions in merchandise sales the company has enjoyed and the increased fan support for the Chicago native, makes CM Punk the WWE superstar with the most to prove this Sunday at WrestleMania 28.

Let's face it: Punk has done a phenomenal job carrying the WWE Championship over the last five months. He has competed in the main event of all of Raw's house shows. His matches for the WWE Championship have been the best in quite some time. But for all of his success thus far, you cannot deny that there is a major difference between performing at a high level at Night of Champions, TLC or Vengeance and performing at a high level at WrestleMania.

This Sunday, CM Punk has the opportunity to prove any of his remaining doubters wrong by rising up and having the quality of match with Chris Jericho that so many expect them to have.

It is easy for anyone to surprise people with a great match when your name is not present on marketing tools, when you are wrestling third from the bottom in a match considered by many to be "second-tier" to the main events. This year, for the first time in his career, CM Punk's name is on the marquee. He is one of the most visible stars in the company heading into Sunday's event, a major part of media interviews and press conferences and is a part of one of the top three matches on the card.

In WrestleManias past, he had the opportunity to go to the ring on Sunday, be CM Punk, wrestle a great match and move on. This year, he is a major part of the media circus prior to the event as well as a pivotal piece of the WrestleMania event.

Chris Jericho has been in this spot before. He will be completely comfortable going to the ring in a high-pressure situation and delivering a great performance. If history has taught us anything, Punk should have no problem hanging with Y2J.

The atmosphere in Chicago for Money in the Bank was WrestleMania-like. There was a measurable tension in the arena, and fan anticipation was as high for the WWE title showdown between Punk and Cena as it is for Cena-Rock on Sunday. Punk's performance on that night remains the best of his WWE career. If that show, on that night, was any indication, there is no reason CM Punk should not live up to the lofty expectations put on him for this year's WrestleMania, a show that may very well become the biggest event in the history of the sport.