WWE Never Say Never: Will CM Punk Ever Headline WrestleMania?

It can be reasonably argued that CM Punk is the biggest star not named John Cena in the WWE's modern era. 

To Cena's weary detractors, Punk is the antithesis of the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. Punk retains cheers for his character, as a hero or villain, to the point where he must cross uncomfortable lines in order to even sustain temporary heel heat. 

It was Punk, not Cena who can boast that he sustained the longest WWE Championship of the modern era. In fact, that tagline was synonymous with Punk's last run with the WWE's richest time. 

Punk was trusted to headline last year's Royal Rumble pay-per-view alongside The Rock. The match delivered both from an entertainment standpoint and a financial one. 

As of this writing, Punk and Cena are the only two WWE Superstars to have worked The Rock in singles competition since his return from a seven-year layoff. Both men worked Rock twice.   

Few can compare with CM Punk's WrestleMania resume. In addition to two Money in the Bank wins, every singles match he has had has been with a future WWE Hall of Famer.

Just last year, at WrestleMania XXIX, Punk was fortunate enough to draw the Undertaker in a match that many considered to be the best on a loaded card. 

Yet despite his accolades, CM Punk has never gone on last at WrestleMania. With injuries piling up for the top star and his contract reportedly set to expire next month, one must wonder whether that will ever be a possibility. 

If WrestleMania is WWE's Super Bowl, the final match on the card is its fourth quarter. The money match. The one WWE feels is most anticipated by its fans. 

This is evidenced by the simple fact that WrestleMania's final match isn't always contested for the WWE Championship as common logic would otherwise dictate. 

Ideally, the WWE Championship match should go on last, with WWE putting its best foot forward and showcasing its most important title. 

But even the original WrestleMania set the precedent for an attraction match in the main event as Hulk Hogan teamed with Mr. T to take on Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff.

CM Punk has been quietly shifted to the upper midcard in the months following his return back at June's Payback pay-per-view. His feud with Paul Heyman is still being milked down to its final drip.

Punk is currently in a midcard feud against The Wyatt Family, who seem to be going opposite directions of him and WWE's latest potential bottomed-out top star Daniel Bryan. 

With just over two months until the Royal Rumble, it's difficult to imagine Punk building the type of main-event momentum one usually has prior to winning the Rumble. 

If the rumors of finally unifying the WWE and World Championships hold any water—and based on Cena's recent mission to be the World Heavyweight Champion of Destiny, they just may be—Punk-Cena is too hackneyed of a match to headline WrestleMania XXX. 

CM Punk's career could end without him ever officially headlining WWE's most important show. Forget being the biggest star not named John Cena—if this holds up, he would be argued as the biggest WWE Superstar never to main-event WrestleMania. 

As his reported contract expiration steadily approaches, this could be a bone WWE throws Punk's way as a means to get him to re-sign. After six strong WrestleMania appearances, he'll have earned it. 

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