WWE Night of Champions: CM Punk vs. Curtis Axel Would Elevate the IC Title

CM Punk is set to face Curtis Axel on the August 26 edition of Monday Night Raw. The current intercontinental champion issued the challenge to the WWE's Best in the World, and Punk quickly accepted. While this one is not for the title, I believe that match should happen and should happen at Night of Champions.  It could very well elevate what at one time was a very important championship in the WWE.

Many WWE fans have shared the same complaint when it comes to the company's secondary championships.  Basically, the issue is that there is simply not enough spotlight on the titles or the men holding them.

Dean Ambrose is the current United States champion, but he has not exactly been the focus of the WWE since he won the title. He is on TV, of course, thanks to his place with the Shield, but if not for that, I for one would have to question just how much we would actually see Ambrose in the ring.

Axel's situation is a bit different, as he is featured on WWE programming quite often due to his association with Paul Heyman. Acting as Axel's advocate, Heyman is such a personality and has so much heat with Punk that Axel is obviously benefiting from the storyline.

And since he is enjoying the bright lights right now, why not add a little more shine to the intercontinental title he's wearing around his waist?

That shine could be provided by Punk, who could challenge Axel for the belt after losing to him on Monday Night Raw.

Yes, you read that right.

With Brock Lesnar once again off of WWE TV, the door is wide open for Axel to make an impact. In my estimation, there are two ways that creative could go with Curtis. The first one, of course, is that Axel is used as nothing more than Punk's tackling dummy.

I believe this is probably what many fans expect will happen in this angle. Curtis Axel will smirk, be overconfident while standing next to Heyman but ultimately fall to pieces in the ring against CM Punk. He will be nothing more than a roadblock in Punk's path to physically getting his hands on his former best friend and mentor Paul Heyman.

The second route, however, promises more drama and more intrigue. It would definitely put Axel one step closer to the main event positioning that so many of the WWE faithful believe he is heading for.

And this route involves Axel getting the pin on Punk in their match on Raw.

Imagine the bragging rights that Paul would immediately have against Punk. If fans thought he was gloating about Brock's SummerSlam victory, a win by his second client on live television would only add more fuel to the fire. Heyman's ego would grow even larger than before, and Axel's star would shine brighter than it likely ever has.

Of course, to imagine this potential win happening cleanly could be a little difficult for some fans. After all, we are talking about one of WWE's most popular Superstars, the man who held the championship for 434 days. Punk has faced some of the biggest names that WWE has ever known, and he is one of the company's top guys.

Is it even believable that Axel could pin Punk in the first place?

But this is where Heyman comes into the equation. His presence at ringside is always a concern for anyone facing his clients, as Paul has been known to get involved in matches whenever the mood strikes him. To think that the match with Axel versus Punk would be an exception makes very little sense indeed.

However that does not mean that Heyman needs to physically assault Punk to cost him the win. As a manger, Paul must be a master of misdirection, and he has always expertly played that role to the hilt.

One minor distraction from ringside would allow Axel to get the quick roll-up on Punk and set the stage for Night of Champions.

Some fans could argue that the intercontinental championship is beneath Punk, that the Second City Saint is more important than the belt. He has consistently been one of the company's top talents since 2011 and at any moment could be thrust back into either the WWE or world-title pictures. Why would he even care about the IC title?

The answer is very simple. He would care because he knows that it would drive Heyman crazy.

The basis of the heat here is between Punk and Heyman. Facing Axel is just a method for Punk to indirectly exact revenge on Paul. And part of that revenge could be taking the prize that Heyman delivered to his newest client very early on in their partnership.

This does not mean, though, that Punk would disrespect the Intercontinental Championship. On the contrary, he could put over the belt every time he cut a promo, and it would all eventually lead to Curtis getting his rematch.

And then Heyman could give Axel an assist once again.

On the surface, it could appear that this would do very little to benefit Axel. But I believe that so much progress has already been made in getting Curtis over that just being a part of this would help him even more.

Punk would have to come out of this rivalry looking strong, and Axel would need to come out with more momentum. Just because Axel would get a helping hand in regaining his title does not mean that he would look weak. Axel is a heel, after all, and heels do whatever they have to do in order to win. Curtis getting the victory would do well for him and help reaffirm the notion that Punk is nothing without Heyman's presence at ringside.

But for me the biggest plus in this storyline is the attention that would be given to the Intercontinental Championship.

So many fans respect that belt and the men who have held it through the years. Names like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho and so many more did, of course, wear the title as a precursor to holding the major title.

But while they held the IC title, they only added to its prestige. And I believe that a feud involving current champ Curtis Axel and CM Punk would continue that legacy.

Curtis Axel and CM Punk are scheduled to face each other on the August 26 edition of WWE Raw. While this match is not for the Intercontinental Championship, another match at Night of Champions could be.

That bout would elevate the title's status and give it an amount of spotlight that it has not seen in quite some time.