WWE Survivor Series 2011: The Full CM Punk-Alberto Del Rio Story

This Sunday, CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio face one another at Survivor Series with the WWE Championship on the line. This will be the third time that the two are both involved in a match with the prestigious belt up for grabs, but it will be the first scheduled one-on-one contest between the two.

There isn't much, but there is a history here. This match has been discussed and planned to be for a few months, so it is important to recap the saga that will culminate in Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.

Let's start with their first actual clash. It was over a year ago at the final Bragging Rights pay-per-view. Punk was on Team Raw, while Del Rio was still representing Smackdown. At that time, Del Rio was cocky as ever and had his sights set on rival Rey Mysterio.

Mysterio and Del Rio were teammates in this match for brand supremacy, which was won by Smackdown. Del Rio attacked Mysterio, but ended up being defeated by Punk on a roll-up. Del Rio would keep his heat going through the rest of the year, as he captained a Survivor Series team the following month. Punk, at the same time, was nursing a hip injury.

The two would not be involved with one another again until Royal Rumble in January. While they never were in the match at the same time, the two men were the biggest stories of that match. Punk had his Nexus members help him eliminate the field, essentially giving him some of the best odds in a battle royal while participating in the largest Royal Rumble ever. Del Rio would be the winner of this match after entering No. 38 after just 8:33 in the ring. Punk entered No. 1 and was eliminated after over 35 minutes had passed.

Again, there would be a lull until June, when this rivalry seemed to truly begin. After defeating Rey Mysterio at Capitol Punishment the night prior, Punk won a triple threat match on RAW's Power to the People episode to become No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship. It was on that night when Punk announced that his deal with WWE was expiring. Weeks later, at Money in the Bank, the careers of both Del Rio and Punk would change forever.

Del Rio won the RAW Money in the Bank ladder match, claiming a briefcase which granted him a world title match at any point in the next calendar year. As for Punk, the Chicago native went into The Windy City and put on a five-star-caliber match with John Cena for the WWE Championship.

Shocked about seeing Punk holding the title and promising to leave WWE, Vince McMahon feverishly called for Del Rio to come out and cash in the briefcase's title match clause. Before Del Rio could get situated, Punk kicked Del Rio and began to flee from the building.

Punk would return to the WWE with his title and claim that his reign was never not legitimate. To eliminate the controversy, Punk faced Cena, who was crowned WWE Champion in Punk's absence. The bout took place at SummerSlam, with COO Triple H as the referee of the match. After another good match with Cena, Punk would win and lay claim to being the undisputed WWE Champion.

Suddenly, Kevin Nash attacked Punk, laying him out and making him vulnerable. Cue Del Rio, who would cash his briefcase in this time and walk out of SummerSlam as WWE Champion.

At the following month's pay-per-view, Night of Champions, Del Rio would face off with and lose the WWE Championship to Cena, while Punk was in a feud with Triple H over the actions of his friend Nash. Punk still had a world title rematch available, which was used up at Hell in a Cell. Del Rio also used his rematch, making it a triple threat match with Cena. Cena would be locked out, allowing Del Rio to use a pipe to beat Punk senseless and win the WWE Championship yet again from pinning Punk.

After Vengeance, which contained a title defense by Del Rio and yet another loss by Punk, Survivor Series was being prepared. Punk hoped to get the singles match he deserved to have, but wouldn't have it granted initially. In order to gain it, Punk literally had to put a submission hold on Del Rio just to have him agree.

Despite the successes of both, Del Rio is actually older. In fact, he is nearly 18 months older than CM Punk is. Del RIo is also four inches taller and weighs more. However, this match will be all about Punk's experience.

This is just Del Rio's second Survivor Series and the first televised event that I can recall from Madison Square Garden that Del Rio has ever competed in. Will the pressure and big stage of the venue put too much pressure on the champion? Is Punk due for a legitimate WWE Championship reign? Ask these questions and more, because they will all be answered on Sunday night.