WWE Extreme Rules Results: What Next for the Defeated CM Punk?

CM Punk's defeat at Extreme Rules made me incredibly sad. Not just because I'm a fan of his, but because his talent is being utterly buried at the moment.

It's unfortunate for him that his feud with Randy Orton has coincided with the company's concerted effort to push the Viper as the number two face. 

Of course, it's fortunate for Orton that he's been set up against one of the most love-to-hate heels ever; Punk's general crazy demeanor makes even Orton's sociopathic character seem reasonable. Punk's brilliance at playing evil has given Orton a push to his new position as the face of Smackdown.

But where can Punk go from here? A heel who's been consistently buried for the best part of two months is going to have his work cut out to relaunch himself. Without Orton to feud against now, he'll need a new opponent and a new storyline - but who?

Will he take on John Cena to fill in some time between Rock appearances? If the rumours of Punk's dissatisfaction with his current position are at all true, it'll need to be something that gives him appropriate time in the ring, but doesn't see him beaten quite as much as he has been in recent months.

Or it's possible that, if he is as 'burnt-out' as the gossip suggested, he may take some time out, which would be a huge loss to us as viewers - unless, of course, his break from the ring led to some commentary stints, which would be outstanding.

The sabbatical theory is supported a touch by the fact that Punk wasn't involved at all in the build-up to the WWE Championship Triple Threat match, not even as a contender.

Whatever is next for Punk, it'll be exceptional, because whatever Punk does is exceptional; as a viewer and a fan, though, I'm hoping to see a title run for him in the near future.