Why CM Punk's Heel Turn Is Great for the WWE

After months and months of hype, Raw 1000 is officially over and now it is time to reassess all that we have witnessed from tonight's historic event.

In some of the highlights, a slew of WWE legends returned and beat up Heath Slater. AJ didn't go through with her wedding to Daniel Bryan and subsequently became Raw's General Manager.

The Miz won the Intercontinental Championship. Brock Lesnar accepted Triple H's SummerSlam challenge, and The Rock announced he would face the WWE Champion at Royal Rumble.

However in the main event of the evening, we witnessed something that had never been done before in the WWE, a failed Money in the Bank cash in. 

John Cena announced last week that he would cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on CM Punk for a title shot this week, but after interference by Big Show, CM Punk was disqualified and retained his championship. 

Granted it was far from a clean win, but still it was at least somewhat surprising to see Cena not walk away with the title. 

If the night had ended with Show's interference, it would have been a total bust and a waste of a WWE Championship match.

However, what happened afterwards is what makes the Raw 1000 main event something that fans will always remember.

First, it was The Rock, who had squared off with Cena just months ago in what was billed as the biggest match in WWE history at WrestleMania XXVIII, coming down to save him from the beating from Show.

Seeing Rocky back in the ring going at it with the world's largest athlete was certainly thrilling, but just when it looked like he was going to perform his patented People's Elbow on the fallen giant, CM Punk, the WWE Champion, rushed back into the ring and gave The Rock a GTS, solidifying his heel turn.

There is a lot to process from all of this. 

CM Punk is still the WWE Champion but is now heel. John Cena failed in his attempt to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase but will assuredly get another shot at the strap. The Rock wants the most worthy competitor to face him at Royal Rumble. And Big Show is clearly not done with John Cena, and maybe not done with the WWE Championship picture.

For starters let me say this, CM Punk is always better as a heel.

In Punk's earlier days with the WWE he played his real life "straight edge" persona into a gimmick taunting all of the WWE universe and Superstars who pale in comparison to him because they do not adhere to his lifestyle.

However as Punk's character developed, he became more of an edgy heel culminating in one of the greatest Raw moments in history, his shoot promo from last June.

Remember, when Punk went on his rant against the WWE, he was a heel, and he was challenging John Cena for the WWE Championship.

In his rant he also mocked the WWE fans for their willingness to buy into whatever product the WWE feeds them no matter who is involved.

But after his promo, Punk's popularity grew sky high and the WWE had no choice but to turn him face. He would go on to win the WWE championship last summer and then again at Survivor Series, and he has held it ever since.

Along the way, Punk has challenged Cena in terms of being the company's No. 1 asset. While he never surpassed Cena's overall popularity, he certainly became the second most recognizable face and name in the WWE throughout the last year. 

Punk has done everything you could ask from a WWE Champion. Not only has he put on entertaining matches week in and week out (some of which have been all-time greats), he also has done his usual excellent work on the mic,and gave us several entertaining feuds. 

However, as great as Punk was, in the last few months there was just something missing.

When Punk was heel, or at least a tweener, you could sense the real-life frustration in his promos. His grievances may have been storyline approved, but they were real. His "pipe bombs" hit close to home to whomever he was speaking with, and you never knew what exactly he was going to do or say next.

But as a full-fledged babyface, Punk lost many of his opportunities to shock and awe. Instead, he had to play the opposite role of what he was meant to play. The fan favorite.

Punk will always be popular with the IWC and other wrestling fans who appreciate his talent, but he is not John Cena, and that's a good thing. 

Punk is the opposite of Cena in every way. While Cena's image is clean cut, Punk's is tattooed and pierced. While Cena catapulted himself to the top of the company, Punk had to fight his way through the indy scene to get to where he is today. 

I'm not suggesting John Cena isn't a great superstar, I do believe that he is. But there is no denying his herculean treatment by the WWE has not only damaged the product as a whole, but has taken away from some of his credibility as a wrestler. 

It was great last summer to see the fans divided, a certain demographic of fans fully behind their hero John Cena, while others adopted the Second City Saint CM Punk as their leader. 

However, now that the feud is being done again, something needed to change. CM Punk turning heel this time isn't just because the WWE felt like doing it, it once again gives the opportunity for Punk to come out every week and change the way things operate in the WWE.

During his title reign, the 16th longest in WWE history, CM Punk has defended the title against Alberto Del Rio, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry, Kane, and now John Cena. 

Do you know what all of those superstars have in common? They are all former WWE or World Heavyweight Champions in WWE.

Nevertheless. no matter how great the matches were, no matter how much steam the feud was picking up,  CM Punk was never in the main event of any PPV since he became WWE champion that John Cena also participated in (Cena was not booked in TLC). 

Cena's match always trumped Punk's, even though Punk was defending what is supposed to be the most prestigious belt in the WWE. 

Whether that was all an elaborate story line to set up for Punk's heel turn, or just the WWE insisting on John Cena being their top guy, you bet it will be mentioned by Punk in his explanations for his actions this week.

Even The Rock, who wasn't active in the WWE for eight years, came back for one match with Cena, and was instantly the Main Event of WrestleMania, even though Punk was defending the WWE Championship. 

Punk's beef with Cena, Rock, and the WWE will not only feel real when he carefully articulates it on next week's Raw, it will be real.

Not many of us were looking forward to Cena vs. Punk at SS, but with the new wrinkle of Punk's heel turn, as well as the prospects of Punk taking on The Rock in 2013, tonight's events have reinvested my interest in not only the match itself, but the CM Punk character.