WWE Survivor Series 2011: Why Del Rio and Punk Must Tear Down MSG

No pressure, guys.

It's no secret the WWE is putting a ton of hype and importance into Survivor Series. The WWE is hoping that the nostalgia of The Rock's return will generate a great uptick in pay-per-view buys. I'm sure getting Dwayne Johnson's services wasn't cheap.

In any case, this is the perfect time for both Del Rio and Punk to leave everything in the ring and steal the show. In front of a larger than normal audience that should include more than a few casual fans. Both men are capable of putting on a great match in their sleep. So against each other, it could be special.

Why should they tear down Madison Square Garden, though? In earnest, neither man stands the risk of a de-push and the feud will likely continue through TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs next month.

Let's find out.

Restoring the Prestige of the WWE Title

The WWE Championship is one of the most prestigious belts in the WWE. While the World Heavyweight Championship has been treated with all the respect it's due, the WWE Championship had been a stage prop for a better part of the year.

The belt's "hot potato syndrome" has apparently abated the strap being successfully defended at Vengeance by Alberto Del Rio. However, the damage done to the prestige of the belt requires more redress than one successful title defense.

To help restore the honor of the belt, a great match on one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year is needed. Del Rio and Punk must be allowed to do what they are capable of doing. Memorable matches help to make the belt worthy of the honor it should be due.

Del Rio Needs It for New Found Consistency

Alberto Del Rio needs this match. He's long been the object of ridicule for a number of reasons. But hardcore fans can forgive a lot of things provided the effort in the ring is good.

Del Rio has been plagued by inconsistent booking and lack of creative direction. The feud with Punk has helped to alleviate some of the issues with his character's inconsistency. Del Rio has played a fascinating game of "one upsmanship" with Second City Saint during the course of the feud.

Over the course of the month, Del Rio began to establish a combination of intelligence and brutality that suits his character well. He tried to screw Punk out of his title shot and his backstage beatings of Punk have been a little more creative than the usual fair, such as when Punk got put through a table.

Del Rio put on a great performance with John Cena at Vengeance. He needs another great effort against IWC darling CM Punk if fans are to warm up to the guy. If the hardcore fans can count on him to pull through in the most critical of matches, then he could be cemented as the top heel Raw desperately needs. 

If Del Rio puts on a memorable match with Punk at Madison Square Garden, maybe the WWE will finally take the hint that depth of character isn't necessarily a bad thing. A great match at Survivor Series might cement Del Rio's character as it did Steve Austin in his match at WrestleMania 13 against Bret Hart.

In that match, Hart locked Austin into the Sharpshooter. Austin was bleeding profusely but would not tap out even through the blinding pain. Though Austin lost the match, it secured the idea of Austin as the "toughest son of a bitch" in wrestling and endured him and the "Stone Cold" gimmick to fans.

CM Punk Needs It as a Fulcrum

CM Punk doesn't need to burn down the Garden to prove anything in the ring. A multiple "Five Star Match" accolade winner and being considered among the best of his generation, Punk needs to establish nothing.

Except to prove he is no fluke.

Let me explain. It's a widely spread rumor that Punk usurped Cena as the top merchandise seller in the WWE. As such, Punk should be on the receiving end of a renewed push. His "pipebombs" revolve around obscure references that most folks will not get without resorting to some time on Google or Wikipedia.

However, his riffs on other talent like John Laurinaitis and John Cena are what gets him over with the fans and makes him unique. Punk's babyface heat is undeniable. The fact he gets his reactions while being a full blown tweener in his feud with Del Rio is amazing.

Punk has headlined multiple pay-per-views this year. Some, like Money In The Bank, lead to great buy rates (20 percent increase over the previous year). Others, like Summerslam, were a little disappointing in that department (50,000 less than last year). It's granted that Punk isn't going to be going anywhere, but he needs more memorable moments to cement his place as a top star within the WWE.

The issue is, while Punk is a tremendous talent, the fans need to believe that Punk is no fluke. For every rising star like Punk, there are two guys like Kennedy or Kingston who received aborted pushes.

Logically speaking, Punk is here to stay. However, wrestling fans are an illogical bunch. To settle all doubts, Punk needs to remind fans of what he is truly capable of doing.

Stealing the show at a pay-per-view featuring the heavily hyped return of The Rock could do just that.

The Feud Has Possibilities

I won't lie. I was a little leery of a feud between these two. I worried about their chemistry or their storyline.

Over the course of the past month, this has been the storyline of the month and one of the better outings of the year. There wasn't the emotional pull of Punk's victory at Money In The Bank or Christian's emergence at Extreme Rules. There hasn't been the vindication that was Mark Henry's winning of the World Heavyweight Championship or pure awe of The Rock's return to the WWE.

What this feud has had, however, is some original storytelling and nice chemistry.

After Del Rio blew off his feud with John Cena, it was natural that he would move on to Punk. After a good start to the feud (where Punk verbally destroyed John Laurinaitis), Del Rio tried to screw Punk out of his title match by causing a disqualification for Punk in his match against Henry. Punk returned the favor by torturing Del Rio with the Anaconda Vise until Del Rio agreed to the match.

Del Rio has put Punk through a table backstage and Punk has riffed on Del Rio's "one dimensional" nature. To be succinct, this is the type of the storyline that Raw has needed.

In a hype cycle that has featured a lackluster push for Awesome Truth and the failed sell of the tension between Cena and The Rock, the Punk/Del Rio feud has been a bright diamond in a massive lump of coal.

I was going to write an article denigrating Del Rio's character for a while, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Del Rio and Punk have been strong over the past month (if not before) and made Raw worth watching.

Naturally, Punk and Del Rio should be continuing their feud irregardless of who wins at Survivor Series, and Raw will be all the better for it. If Punk and Del Rio blow the roof off of Madison Square Garden, this feud will go from good to memorable in a span of one night.

The Main Event Won't Do It

I'm not under any illusions with the main event for the evening. The match will mainly feature Cena taking the brunt of the punishment Awesome Truth will deliver. The Rock will get the hot tag and get the pinfall. Or Awesome Truth will snake a victory after Cena eats a Rock Bottom.

As such, there really isn't much reason to care for the main event. There is nothing on the line, no real drama (such as a Cena heel turn) that will result. It's simply an excuse to give The Rock five minutes in the ring and call it good.

There really is little chance the match will be great, simply due to the rust factor The Rock is sure to have. The match feels like the obligatory Cena and random legend vs. heel tag team match that we've witnessed for a long time now.

Ultimately, for all my respect of the talent involved, it shouldn't be headlining one of the "Big Four" pay-per-views. Del Rio and Punk have the best chance to make Survivor Series truly memorable. The WWE should have saved The Rock's in-ring return for WrestleMania 28, but hindsight is always 20/20.

As such, the WWE will hopefully see the wisdom of letting Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk do their thing on on the biggest stages there is.

Thanks for the read! As always, leave your comments below. Will Punk and Del Rio tear down the house? If not, who?