WWE Raw Preview: CM Punk Turning Heel Could Spark New Interest in Product

CM Punk was in need of a character change. After all, Punk was one of WWE's top faces for a length of time. However, it felt his character was losing steam after a while. That all changed in just a few seconds.

WWE did right by having Punk surprise fans with a heel turn and attacking The Rock on the 1,000th episode of Raw. It only makes their potential WWE title match at the Royal Rumble more intriguing to watch. Buyrates would inch that much higher. 

Punk is not new to playing up a heel character, as he led the Nexus group to some moderate success in the WWE. Punk also grew in popularity with wrestling fans around the world as a heel. 

Punk has all the makings for it. It made perfect sense for the WWE to pull the trigger on this decision. Punk could certainly lead a heel group in any company and create success. He could also spark new interest and continue his popularity growth.

Other than the 1,000th Raw, WWE has a bit of a stale product. There isn't much to praise about it, and what makes things more troubling is Raw moving to a permanent three-hour format. The returning Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio helps a bit but Punk could draw more attention with suddenly becoming professional wrestling's coolest heel character. 

Should the WWE build Punk by making him lead a heel group?

The answer to that is yes. I believe Punk has all the makings to lead a group that is similar to the nWo, who took WCW by storm back when it formed in 1996. Imagine Kevin Nash returning to the WWE? Maybe throw in the Big Show and WWE has a group of talented, experienced heels to lead the way. 

It would make Punk look even stronger as a heel group leader. If the group was built to topple faces such as John Cena and others, Punk's name would be all over its success. 

Potential to draw high numbers with The Rock?

Punk's new heel run could also spark higher numbers for the WWE, as he begins what could be a terrific story line with The Rock. For now, I think the WWE will have Punk square off with the likes of Cena and a few other stars but once the road is clear for The Rock, this story line has all the potential to make WWE worth watching. 

Good or bad decision to turn Punk heel?

Overall, I agree completely with the WWE turning Punk heel. I could really see this going a long way and build The Rock and Punk at the Royal Rumble into a major success. It will be interesting to see what the WWE does with Punk over the course of rest of the summer.