WWE: 7 Matches That CM Punk Needs to Have

CM Punk is on top of the wrestling world.

He's held the WWE Championship since Survivor Series in November 2011, he's become one of the biggest stars in the industry, and he's already put on a handful of "Match of the Year" contenders.

As much as Punk as accomplished, though, there is still so much more for him to do in the WWE.

He is going to continue to ride his wave of momentum as long as its lasts, and it should indeed last for a very long time.

Punk will be at or near the top of the WWE for years to come, so being that he's going nowhere anytime soon, there are plenty of things that we want to see from him.

Here are seven major matches that CM Punk needs to have.

7. WWE Title Match Against Cody Rhodes

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes have faced each other before, but that was long before either superstar was anywhere near their current level.

Their lone singles match took place way back in September 2008, when both men were relative newcomers to the WWE and Punk wasn't the household name that he is today.

But now, Punk is arguably the second-biggest star in the business, while—at just 27 years old—Rhodes is seen as one of the WWE's fastest rising stars and a future World champion.

Surprisingly enough, though, these two have only crossed paths in tag team action in recent years and have largely stayed away from each other.

That needs to change, and it likely will.

As Rhodes continues to rise up the ranks and Punk continues to stay at the top, these two seem destined to meet in a major match at some point in the near future.

The only real question is whether or not that match will involve the WWE Championship.

It has to.

A potential WWE title feud between two of the WWE's top overall performers is just too damn good to pass up.

6. Champion vs. Champion: Punk vs. Sheamus

Throughout the years, we've seen a boatload of matches between two of the WWE's top baby faces.

While most of the WWE's current options to do that have already been exhausted, one actually hasn't: CM Punk vs. Sheamus.

To the best of my knowledge, Sheamus and Punk have never faced each other in singles action, either on TV or on pay-per-view.

And there may never be a better opportunity to change that than right now.

Punk is the WWE champion, Sheamus is the world heavyweight champion, and both men are easily two of the top names (and more specifically, top baby faces) in the industry at the moment.

A Champion vs. Champion match is big enough in itself, but when it features two incredibly popular stars who have never had a one-on-one match, then it becomes that much bigger.

The WWE should undoubtedly have Punk and Sheamus face each other at some point, but it might be best to do it while they are holding the two most prestigious titles in all of pro wrestling.

5. Iron Man Match Against Daniel Bryan

Although it appears that their rivalry may have come to a conclusion, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan have had a lengthy feud that dates back all the way to the beginning of the year when the two faced off in a number of Champion vs. Champion matches.

As their rivalry went on and especially when it became a battle over the WWE Championship, the chatter started: We wanted to see a match that we haven't seen since 2009, a match that has only happened seven times in WWE history.

We wanted an Iron Man match.

Unfortunately, we've yet to see Punk and Bryan battle it out in a 60-minute test of endurance and stamina, but that doesn't mean we have to stop holding out hope.

The WWE doesn't get very many opportunities to put on an Iron Man match and have it actually make sense, but it has one right now with Punk and Bryan.

There are no two superstars currently in the WWE who are more deserving of a chance to give us an hour of incredible wrestling than Punk and Bryan, and should the WWE listen to us, we'll see them tear the house down with an hour of wrestling greatness.

4. Against Undertaker at WrestleMania

The custom for The Undertaker over the last several years has been to face some of the biggest names in the business at WrestleMania.

He's had phenomenal matches with Edge, Batista, Triple H and Shawn Michaels on the grandest stage of them all, and each one of those matches is one that we won't soon forget.

I fully expect The Undertaker to continue to put on memorable matches with the WWE's top stars at WrestleMania (even if it's only for a couple more years), which begs the question: which top star will he face next?

My vote goes to CM Punk.

I realize that we have seen Punk vs. The Undertaker multiple times before, but Punk/Taker in 2009 would not even begin to compare to Punk/Taker at WrestleMania in 2013.

Undertaker is one of the biggest legends in wrestling history, and Punk is one of the hottest stars in wrestling today.

The Voice of the Voiceless is one of the very few current WWE stars who could get in the ring with Taker, match him step for step and at least create the illusion that Taker might lose.

If not John Cena or Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29, then why not Punk?

3. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk has to happen. Has to.

I have no idea if Lesnar's appearance-friendly contract would even allow for this match to take place, but someone in the WWE must realize that it's one of only a handful of money-making matches Lesnar could have over the course of the next year.

As we all know by now, Lesnar is a "Paul Heyman guy." Of course, Punk is too.

Heyman is indeed the common link between these two, but the fact that Heyman would be involved in this rivalry is just one of its many selling points.

We also have to take into consideration Punk's MMA style, Lesnar's ridiculous popularity in both MMA and wrestling circles, as well as the fact that this match has never happened before.

Lesnar vs. The Undertaker? Seen it. Lesnar vs. The Rock? Seen it.

But Lesnar vs. Punk? It's something fresh. A clash between two very different wrestlers from two very different generations who have one very common link in Heyman.

Punk's incredible rise in popularity over the last year and Lesnar's return to the WWE almost seems like fate.

Hopefully, that fate leads to these two facing off in a huge match at some point before Lesnar leaves.

2. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania 29

Ever since CM Punk cut that epic worked shoot promo while wearing a "Stone Cold" Steve Austin t-shirt, the talk of a match between the two has failed to die down.

At the root of the fans' desire to see Punk vs. Austin is the obvious comparison between the two: They're both rebels of sorts who get cheered like baby faces even when their actions are often heelish.

But there's the clash in lifestyles, too. Austin is known for his beer-drinking ways while Punk's Straight Edge way of life has played a huge part in his character development throughout the years.

If that's enough, though, there's also the constant teases from the two.

"Stone Cold" has said he'd like for any return match to be against Punk, who hasn't shied away from that potential match, and there has been plenty of interaction between the two, both on WWE TV and on Twitter.

At the very least, we have to think that Punk vs. Austin is a possibility, no matter how remote.

I think the chances of seeing this match depend largely on Austin's health and willingness to risk another injury.

But if he's down to do that, then I would love to see Austin vs. Punk as one of the most highly-anticipated matches in wrestling history.

1. WWE Championship Match Against the Rock

As much as I'd like to see CM Punk vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, I can't help but that think that with the way things are currently shaping up, Punk vs. The Rock makes more sense.

When The Rock returned to the WWE and headed for his WrestleMania 28 match against John Cena, he crossed paths with CM Punk a few times, and in the back of my mind, there was always the thought that these were teases for an eventual match between Punk and Rock.

Now, I think that epic encounter is even more likely to happen.

The Rock has been pretty vocal—both on Twitter and on WWE TV—about his desire to win the WWE Championship, and Punk has made it pretty clear he's ready and willing to defend his title against "The People's Champ."

With The Rock set to appear on next week's 1,000th Raw show and Punk defending his title against Cena on that very same show, the stage is set for a Punk/Rock feud to kick off that night and build to an eventual match between the two.

And I don't know about you, but I would love to see this.

The Rock is the greatest mic worker ever, Punk is probably the greatest talker of his generation. The Rock can still go in the ring, and Punk obviously can as well.

With all those ingredients, the constant teases and the current direction of WWE story lines, don't be shocked to see The Rock vs. Punk to happen at some point.

Well, at least it should.

Drake Oz is a WWE Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter and ask him any wrestling-related questions on Formspring.