WWE SummerSlam 2011: Can WWE Have Another Successful PPV?

Last month the Internet was abuzz when C.M. Punk took the world by storm by leaving WWE and Money In The Bank with the WWE Championship. At the time the casual viewer thought that Mr. Punk had pulled a fast one on Mr. McMahon and the WWE Universe.

However many of the lifelong fans saw this as just some ploy and attempt to gain publicity and viewers. Money In The Bank by all accounts was one of the most successful pay per views in recent memory.

The buzz and popularity of C.M. Punk has injected new life into an industry that has seen much better days. Looking at this card, there are only five matches scheduled. Many have viewed this as a negative thing.

In the past, WWE has overbooked their PPV cards and the result is squeezing match lengths in order to keep things moving. Matches, especially the ones involving Divas, would last maybe no more than 10 minutes. 

On this card there are three championship matches. The Divas title match will feature Kelly Kelly and the Glamazon Beth Phoenix.

Beth, the real life girlfriend of C.M. Punk, is being given a push now these days and she has a good chance to walk out with the gold.

The next title match involves the World Heavyweight Championship. World Champion Christian will defined against the "Apex Predator" Randy Orton. This match in my mind is a toss up and has potential to be a event stealer.

Randy Orton hasn't been the Orton of old. Ever since he lost his World title by disqualification, Christian has held the upper hand. Orton, however, slowly has regained some some momentum and winning the title tomorrow at Summerslam could help him.

Another interesting set of matches on the card involve "Mr. Money in the Bank" Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett. This match could tell whether Bryan will successfully cash in his briefcase. Summerslam is one of the biggest PPV's in the WWE. It is billed as the biggest party of the summer.

It is being held in Los Angeles so many fans, celebrities, and others will be watching. If Daniel Bryan can successfully work the crowd and wrestle a great match, WWE executives may feel confident in allowing him to have a run as world champion.

Wade Barrett, on the other hand, is in an interesting situation. What has he really done in WWE? He has been the head of two stables that now cease to exist.

He was sent to SmackDown! and rarely has done anything worth mentioning. Yes he had a run as Intercontinental Champion, but nowadays the WWE has given the title little meaning.

Barrett could be successful in WWE if he found his niche. He hasn't found it yet and this feud with Daniel Bryan could maybe thrust him into something worth his time.

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry is the last undercard match on the docket for SummerSlam. Mark Henry has finally found his role as an effective heel. He has shown aggression and dominance like never before. The World Strongest Man has really impressed me as of late.

The Celtic Warrior Sheamus is a good foil to Mark Henry in this match. He has played the heel role since debuting in WWE and I like him as a face.

He is a likable character and has been a fan favorite on SmackDown as of late. He is a former two-time WWE Champion so that plays into the mix when you try and predict who will come out on top in this match.

The last match on the card and the most exciting one is obviously the Undisputed WWE Title match. 

Both John Cena and C.M. Punk will look to perform at an elite level in the shining lights of Hollywood at the Staples Center on Sunday.

We all know C.M. Punk can talk a great game, and John Cena's track record in title matches but anything can happen. If C.M Punk loses the self-proclaimed pipe bomb's wave of support and momentum could just fizzle out.

Both men are coming off a match of the year candidate from the Money In The Bank PPV. This match will have additional flair with the addition of C.O.O Triple H as the guest referee.

One thing that can be guaranteed is this match will not have a clean finish and Alberto Del Rio could cash in his briefcase. It seems odd that he was left off the card and that Rey Mysterio, his chief rival, will contend for the title in the Main Event on Monday Night Raw.

In order to keep the feud relevant and fresh, there needs to be some prevailing element that will keep the fans sucked in. 

I have high hopes for this pay per view. WWE really struck gold with the C.M. Punk match at Money In the Bank. They capitalized on his situation and really generated a lot of buzz. They have the same opportunity tomorrow evening.

If each match can be given adequate time, each performer can give it their all and will know they aren't being rushed. I expect nothing less than a 30 minutes or more match between C.M. Punk and John Cena. Everyone is paying to see them, and it has to steal the show.

Creative has really done a great job building up C.M. Punk's character by letting him speak his mind and doing whatever he wanted. Having Cena as the WWE Champion once again would not be good for business.

The C.M. Punk era has drawn in old fans who yearn for the raunchiness and aggression that the Attitude Era represented. As long as Linda McMahon is planning a political office campaign, WWE will stay PG, so constituents will be pleased.

Fans are watching Monday Night Raw every week now to see what C.M. Punk will do and say. 

I'm pretty sure everyone on here, with a few exceptions, would cringe if Cena walks out of Summerslam as WWE Champion for the umpteenth time. However we all know the history of creative and sometimes they just leave the fans scratching their heads.

Whoever walks out the WWE Champion will be defending the title the following night on Raw so it leaves a lot of room for new and exciting feuds.

The biggest block party of the summer better not fail to impress, because fans will lose faith in WWE's ability to book back-to-back successful PPV's.

What do you want to see happen Sunday? Who would you like to see C.M. Punk feud with next?

Wrestling is for the fans and we have a voice. We want wrestling and I feel this is a great way to air out some ideas.

If you have any other ideas, comments, suggestions or whatever, leave them in the comments section below and I could add it as an extra slide or two.

Tom Urtz is an NHL Featured Columnist, a New York Rangers Featured Columnist and a lifelong wrestling fanatic.

Tom can be found on Twitter by clicking the button below.