WWE: When Will CM Punk & Sheamus Lose Their Championships?

315 and 183.  Two numbers that appear to have nothing in common with each other.  But right now they mean everything for the two Superstars sitting atop the WWE.

As of this writing, CM Punk has been WWE Champion for 315 days, and Sheamus has been World Heavyweight Champion for 183 days.  

And the clock keeps ticking.

To be honest, I for one did not expect either man’s reign to last this long.  It’s not as though it wasn’t conceivable—both guys are more than capable of carrying the gold and being regarded as believable champions.

But neither belt has been held for this amount of time in a while, especially without one of the titleholders being named John Cena.

However, as we all know, just because you are the top guy does not mean you have to be the champion. This notion dates back to the height of the Attitude Era, when WWE featured some of the biggest names that the industry has ever seen.

Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Rock—all WWE Legends, and each one worthy of the main event on any given night.  But when Stone Cold Steve Austin came to power, there was suddenly another extremely marketable talent who was very over.

Was he WWE Champion? Of course. But, did he need to be? Not at all.

It was important for Austin to hold the gold to establish his legacy, but in terms of his overall popularity and value to the fans, all the guy had to do was just show up and they were happy. He was in such high demand, that he need not curry favor with the crowd by being the WWE Champion. His matches still meant something; his appearances were still important.

Indeed the same could very well be said in regards to any of the biggest names that WWE has produced through the years, including John Cena today.

John is still the face of the company, but ultimately does not need the championship in order to maintain that status.

CM Punk and Sheamus, on the other hand, were both immediately elevated in the eyes of the fans when they won their titles. Punk was hot and Sheamus was getting hotter, but winning the gold was a statement by the WWE that each Superstar was more important now than they were before.

Thought they were good and valuable before? Here was the company’s official stamp of approval, a statement of agreement by Vince McMahon himself.

Fast forward 315 and 183 days later respectively, and both Superstars are still enjoying their reigns at the top of the championship heap. After all this time however, the question becomes: Who will eventually unseat them for the titles?

In the case of the Great White, Sheamus will be tested at the upcoming Hell in a Cell by the returning Big Show, who has decided that he wants the World Title back once again.

Though he is the World’s Largest Athlete and not too long ago was in a program with John Cena and CM Punk, many fans are not exactly sold on him walking away from the pay-per-view with the championship.

The reason for this is that no matter how intimidating Show is or how intense and dominating that WWE portrays him to be, at the end of the day he is still the Big Show.

You know, the guy who was the big loveable giant, always had a smile on his face, pandering to the younger fans? And let’s not forget the fact that his win-loss record is not exactly the stuff of legend. The guy has been pinned by just about everyone, and now fans are being asked to believe that he will just steamroll over the man who has held the strap for nearly 200 days?

For CM Punk, the likelihood of facing off against John Cena at Hell in a Cell seems to be in question due to John’s recent elbow surgery. His recovery time has been heavily debated, and by this point we’re either talking another week or even a month.

But even though John is believed to be the guy who will face Punk, the fact is that he still does not need the title in order to be pushed as the top Superstar in the company. He has been without the championship for quite some time, and his place as the main guy has not been affected at all.

It does seem a little odd though that he has not regained the WWE Championship by now. After all, despite his internal standing in WWE, we as fans are so used to seeing him with that title that the truth is, he could very well get it back at any moment.

Of course that does not mean he should.  For me, there is more drama in Punk being the champion, more storylines that can evolve, as opposed to John holding the title. Punk’s desperate need for respect while standing in Cena’s shadow is a prime example of this, and the fact is that Paul Heyman would perhaps not be involved if Punk were not the champ.

However as long as John Cena is in the picture, Punk’s hold on the title remains tenuous at best, and really always has. But I for one believe that Punk dropping the belt at Hell in a Cell is not the right way to go.

For me, it comes down to CM Punk versus the Rock.  That is the matchup that so many fans want, and despite whether he wins or loses, it would be a huge feather in his cap if Punk does face the People’s Champion in a WWE Title match.

The popular sentiment has been that long title reigns are beneficial for not only WWE but for the Superstars who wear the championships. It brings a level of credibility for them and respect for the company as a whole.  CM Punk and Sheamus are the result of that notion and I believe that they each deserve to hold their titles for as long as possible.

315 and 183 days and counting.