WrestleMania 28: 5 Reasons We're Excited for CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

WWE Champion CM Punk's personal feud with Chris Jericho has reached boiling point, and tonight at WrestleMania 28, the time for talk is over.  Punk will defend his championship against Jericho in what has potential to be the match of the night.

After an odd return to the WWE, Chris Jericho made his intention to become the WWE Champion clear.  He nearly won the Royal Rumble, then came up short at Elimination Chamber as well.

Jericho finally earned a one-on-one title shot against CM Punk in a Battle Royal on Raw, but the feud didn't heat up until Y2J took things to a more personal level.

On live television, Jericho told the world that Punk is straightedge because his father was an alcoholic.  Jericho then went on to tell the world that Punk's sister did her share of substance abuse, and that Punk's mother was pregnant with him before marrying his father, making Punk a bastard.

CM Punk only wanted to prove that he was the best in the world, but Jericho has made his way into Punk's head, with Punk snapping and injuring Christian in a brutal beat down.

Bleacher Report has narrowed down the top five reasons we're excited to see this bout. Feel free to sound off in the comment section and share your thoughts on the match as well!

No Gimmicks Needed

There's something to be said for a clean cut, one-on-one match over the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.  

There are no gimmicks needed, it's two men who claim to be the best in the world squaring off in the ring, and the winner walks out with the strap that the best wrestler in the world wears.

CM Punk and Chris Jericho have all the necessary tools to put on a WrestleMania classic with not a gimmick in sight.  

No steel cages, no kendo sticks, no ladders, no tables and no excuses.

Chris Jericho's Mind Game

Chris Jericho has made his way into CM Punk's head by targeting Punk's family.

The typically calm, cool and collected WWE Champion reached his breaking point on the Raw go-home show for WrestleMania.  

Punk unleashed his rage on Christian, bashing his head into the announce table, hitting the GTS with the help of steel steps and finally locking in the Anaconda Vise.

While Jericho may think the ball is in his court now that Punk has reached the breaking point, Punk has shown that he's more than just a little dangerous when he isn't holding back. 

Will Chris Jericho's mind game blow up in his face?

Pressure to Perform Could Lead to Greatness

With the spotlight on The Rock and John Cena, there's pressure on both CM Punk and Chris Jericho to perform to the very best of their abilities.

Punk has been vocal about his disdain for Rock's backstage attitude, and a part-timer getting such a big piece of the WrestleMania pie.  

With all the things Punk has said leading up to WrestleMania, he's going to want to prove that he and Jericho are more than worthy of the main event of the biggest night in wrestling.

Jericho's WWE return hasn't exactly been the most memorable, or exciting.  The apocalyptic promos that hyped up his return have meant nothing up to this point, and his claim that the world as we know it would end at the Royal Rumble turned out to be nothing but hot air.

Finally, Jericho has found his groove in this feud with CM Punk.  His character isn't completely new, but Jericho pulls off arrogant very well.  He's going to want to prove that all the hype has been worth it, and that there's a reason he's not bailing after WrestleMania.

The pressure is on, and I think these two are going to go above and beyond our expectations and absolutely tear the house down.

The Match Looks Great on Paper

It doesn't get more basic than this, the match just looks good.

CM Punk brings an exciting mix of striking and grappling to the table, while Jericho is an agile submission specialist.  The clash of styles here looks to make for an excellent match.

They're both good workers, and have a great grasp of in-ring psychology.  They'll be telling a story from start to finish, and that's something to be excited about. 

Best in the World vs. Best in the World

CM Punk and Chris Jericho both claim to be the best wrestler in the world, and their match at WrestleMania will attempt to show fans just why that's the case.

The winner will be able to walk away and boldly claim that they're the best wrestler in the world.  

A simple angle like "Who is the best wrestler in the world?" is often lost in the larger than life production of the WWE, but beyond the personal insults this feud has brought about, that's really what it boils down to.  

In combat sports like Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts, it's as simple a thing as finding out who the best in the world is that drives fans to the box office.

Boxing has had an opportunity to make one of the biggest fights of all time in Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, and sadly it may never happen.  

It's not their personalities or trash talk that would make it such a huge event, but the fact that their fight would truly determine the best boxer in the world. 

The idea of two guys meeting in a ring to determine the best in the world is a simple angle to promote, and one that many people can get behind.  It's the top reason I'm so excited for CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho.

The video package above highlights just why this mach gives me goosebumps.  When the dust settles at WrestleMania, we'll know who the best wrestler in the world is.