WWE SummerSlam 2011: Top 5 Reasons the CM Punk Storyline Is so Successful

Groundbreaking. Controversial. Unpredictable. These words describe CM Punk, the man that many consider to be professional wrestling’s first reality TV star.

He is one of a kind on the mic, his promos are as anticipated as Roddy Piper’s, and the points he gives when speaking are just as relevant.

Punk’s words echo the sentiments of fans all over the world, and in a company of so many faces, gimmicks, and Superstars, he has found a way to connect on a level that quite possibly has never been seen before.

There are many reasons why Punk is over right now, many reasons why his current run in WWE is the most successful of his career thus far.

This is my own top five.

5. He's Real

When CM Punk talks, fans shut up and listen.  Why?

Because they can't wait to hear what he's going to say, because despite the fact that it's pro wrestling, they believe him.  He's as real as they come.

He doesn't scream, or become enraged, he doesn't cut an over the top promo that leaves fans scratching their heads.  His tone seems sincere, his words are compelling and backed with apparently honest criticism of the company, and he says everything that fans want to say, but can't.

He is, to borrow his phrase, "the voice of the voiceless." 

Punk looks like many average Americans in today's modern society.  He is in shape, but not overly ripped.  He is heavily tattooed and when not in the ring he's in denim and a T-Shirt.  Physically he is more relatable than John Cena and Triple H.

John and Hunter look like professional wrestlers.  Punk looks like a regular guy.  That is what sets him apart from nearly every worker in the WWE locker room.  He was not built for the business, he was born for it.  He's very real.

4. John Cena

"I'm not doing it.  This thing could potentially bury me as the top face in the company, and that can't happen."

If John Cena had said those words, then we would not have the storyline that we have right now. 

The opinion of some fans is that everything Cena does is because he's told to do it, as if he is like any regular employee of WWE.  They believe that he is simply a foot soldier, doing what is written for him, and that he has no input at all.

But, he's John Cena; he is THE guy in that company.  Vince McMahon has put all of his money and resources behind John, and the reason it works is because John has the personality and charisma to make it work. 

If anyone in the WWE locker room has earned the right to speak up about what is done with his character, it's John Cena.

John has gone along with the CM Punk angle for one very important reason.  It's not about his ego, or his place in the company; it's much deeper than that.

John is all about business.  Despite all of the massive criticism hurled at him on a daily basis, John does whatever is necessary to put the company over.  Because he is in the position he's in does not mean that he is not willing to work with anyone else. 

This storyline would not work if John Cena was not going along with it.  Simple as that.

3. Punk Won the WWE Championship

Know what the kid in this pic is thinking?

"Dude, I'm going to be famous."

Punk, despite how over he was at the time, would have been just another talking head if not for his victory over Cena at Money in the Bank.  By walking out of Chicago that night with the WWE Championship, Punk went from disgruntled employee to most important wrestler in the world.

Wearing the belt gives Punk all the proof he needs that he is not only better than Cena, but that he is better than everyone.  For him, the strap that John is carrying around is indeed nothing more than a novelty, worth about as much as the plastic belts that are sold to Cena's 10-year-old fans.

Without the title, Punk's push would not only have been DOA, it would not have even gotten off the ground. The championship is key to the success of the storyline.

His feud with Cena is made all the more relevant by the fact that the very future of the company hinges on what happens next.  And, the WWE Championship is the center of that drama.

2. WWE's Acknowledgment of the Fans

Bleacher Report, the fourth largest sports media site in the country, features a huge amount of content written by fans.

Fans, everyday regular people who live, work, and love their sports.  The same is true for the fans of pro wrestling.

Some of our most favorite topics in recent years?  John Cena, and the fact that he is the new Hulk Hogan, and CM Punk, the guy who deserves more than what he's getting.

WWE creative could have done what it seemingly always has, and simply ignored everything that we the fans debate on a daily basis.  Turning a deaf ear to our pleas for change in the business and in WWE, Vince and company could have just kept on trudging along, blissfully ignorant like any other day.

But instead of ignoring us, WWE has instead decided to embrace us. 

It's a smart move; after all, we are the consumers of his product; we are the ones who keep his company in business.  If our opinion doesn't matter, then where does that leave them?

When we feel included, we get more involved.  We want to be there, in the arena, watching the pay-per-views, buying the merchandise, debating our love of the sport online.  We are fans, and that's what we do.

Acknowledging us gives our opinions validity and makes us want to keep tuning in week after week.  It's not only good for business; it's very smart.

1. CM Punk Is Not a Heel

Will he or won't he?

Will John Cena turn heel as a result of his storyline with CM Punk?  Cena's potential turn has been debated for a few years now, and the buzz around the topic has never been more intense than right now.

Why?  Because of the two men, Punk is the better baby face.

That is not to say that he is not a great heel; he most definitely is.  Punk can be as ruthless and diabolical as any heel mastermind who has ever laced up a pair of boots.

But thus far, with the exception of poking fun at Triple H and The Rock, Punk has not fully heeled out.  He doesn't rip the crowd at every turn, or work fans during his matches like the typical heel does.  He doesn't stop speaking in order to scream "shut up!" at the crowd.  He is not heeling out.

If anything, Punk is neutral, and he is playing it perfectly.

By Punk not fully becoming a heel, the door is wide open for Cena to make the turn himself.  At this point, the crowd seems to be split down the middle, and that plays right into the hands of the workers involved.  The fans can go either way, and all it takes is one cheap shot by Cena to turn the ones he has totally against him.

At the same time, all Punk needs is perhaps one more well-stated fact or outspoken opinion to make even those who do not care for him to stop and admit that yes, he has a point.  Suddenly, the advantage goes to Punk.

This storyline is one of the best the company has run in a number of years.  How it may end is anyone's guess, but for me, the real fun is happening along the way.