WWE SummerSlam 2012: Is CM Punk vs John Cena vs Big Show a Worthy Co-Main Event?

Perhaps the overall build toward Sunday's SummerSlam pay-per-view has lacked in certain areas, but there is no question that the creative team is all in on the WWE Championship match between CM Punk, John Cena and Big Show. Because of the commitment to crafting a solid storyline, this match should hold its own atop the card.

It's tough to say which match will go on last between the triple threat and Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar, so we'll resort to calling them co-main events at this point. They'll clearly be the final two contests of the night, and the order will probably depend upon which one has a bigger ending planned.

Based on the way things have been going, the triple threat match is likely to end in a surprising manner. My best guess is that Punk's heel turn will come full circle. He hasn't technically made the full turn yet, but based on the way he has been boastful, berated faces like John Cena and Jerry Lawler and whined at the prospect of a triple threat, his official turn is on the horizon.

There is no better time to do it and no better person to do it against than SummerSlam's main event vs. Cena. Big Show is obviously going to play a part as well, and although some believe he is holding the main event back, I feel like he is going to play an integral role when all is said and done.

For the past couple weeks there has been a lot of speculation that Punk and Big Show would form a partnership of some kind. I tend to believe that it will indeed happen and that Big Show will ultimately help Punk retain over Cena on Sunday.

Such a notion may seem strange since Punk and Big Show have been going at it the past few weeks, but my guess is that it would lead to the return of John Laurinaitis as general manager. He has been out of the picture for a few months, but the fact that he continues to appear in dark matches and segments tells me the WWE obviously isn't done with him as an on-screen character.

Big Show has a history with Big Johnny, as he is the one who signed him to a fat, iron-clad contract, but Punk has a history as well. The WWE champion and Laurinaitis were at odds during his entire tenure, so while it may seem senseless to have Punk working on Laurinaitis' behalf, it appears to be a likely scenario.

As much as Punk may hate Laurinaitis, he is already in a major battle with new GM AJ Lee. He was incensed when she made his SummerSlam match a triple threat, and they have a very obvious past that might lead to AJ making life miserable for Punk.

Because of his disdain for AJ, Punk will be willing to bring back his biggest rival as a replacement. This will be intertwined with the Triple H vs. Lesnar match as well. Some stipulation promises to be added to that bout, and my prediction is that Lesnar will receive any contract he wants if he wins.

Lesnar initially bullied Laurinaitis into signing him to a huge contract, which led to the feud with Triple H after the WWE's COO vetoed it. Lesnar will beat Triple H on Sunday and, as part of his new contract, he will demand that Laurinaitis be reinstated as general manager.

That will link Lesnar and Paul Heyman together with Punk, Big Show and Laurinaitis as they form a new, powerful heel stable in the WWE. There hasn't been that type of group in the WWE since Nexus, and while that started off hot, it was ultimately killed by bad booking. This stable could potentially be something great, though.

I anticipate Lesnar vs. Triple H going on last, and while the WWE Championship match itself isn't likely to live up to the true headliner, both Punk and Big Show will crash the main event and help Lesnar win in order to truly signal the formation of the stable.

The triple threat match isn't going to live up to Punk vs. Cena at last year's Money in the Bank or SummerSlam, but the story surrounding it is incredibly important. If things play out the way I expect them to, then the result of the triple threat will set up a huge story-line moving forward, and that makes it worthy of its lofty status.

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