Is CM Punk Bigger Than the WWE Heavyweight Championship?

One of three things happen when a wrestler captures a heavyweight or Worlds Championship. Either the performer helps elevate the title, due to their popularity, or the title helps elevate the performer, giving them the credibility they need to be taken seriously. The third option is the athlete and the title actually help elevate each other. Let's look back to the first option with a twist; what happens when a performer seems bigger than the title they hold, despite the fact that it is the heavyweight championship? CM Punk immediately comes to mind when I ask myself this question. Is Punk bigger than the heavyweight championship? There is a strong possibility.   

CM Punk has accomplished more in the last several months then he ever has in his entire career thanks to the WWE allowing him to push the envelope and letting him be himself. No, that isn't a fair assessment of his career. Punk is an accomplished wrestler who has captured a number of titles including the ECW Championship and the Worlds Championship. In spite of those accomplishment,s Punk was overlooked for the longest time, because he didn't fit the conventional WWE mold. Those previous runs with the title might as well be after thoughts since they didn't last very long.

Now Punk is more relevant than ever. He got away with breaking down the fourth wall with his brutal honesty on national television. Whether calling out Vince McMahon or Triple H and Stephanie in scathing interviews, Punk has managed to keep it real. In doing so he has added new life to his career; at the same time he has given fans an insight into his personality creating a new hero in the process. An anti-hero has emerged or rather the anti-Cena has. Add the WWE Heavyweight Championship to the mix and

He is not your typical wrestler and he is certainly not your typical champion. He doesn't have the bodybuilder physique nor catch phrases that are usually shoved down our throats. He just happens to know how to wrestle. The CM Punk that we see on television is probably the same CM Punk you would bump into on the street, outspoken and opinionated. There is no turning the volume up a few notches in order to become the performer we see week in and week out as so many do in explaining their success. There is no need to hide behind a character which is the standard for sports entertainment. He ain't John Cena folks and he doesn't need to be. We actually like this guy.

Punk has captured our imaginations just like Stone Cold Steve Austin did during the height of his popularity. Austin at first wasn't a conventional fit either. He said things that probably made the USA network cringe, basically running off at the mouth. Austin was so captivating you couldn't wait to see him open up a can of whoop ass on anyone that got in his way. When Austin finally won the title at WrestleMania XIV we rejoiced over his victory. However, for some reason the title didn't seem to carry the same weight as its holder. Austin winning the belt was one thing. Austin becoming bigger than the belt and no longer needing it was something else. That's what happened. Notice how Austin didn't hold the title for long periods of time. He didn't need to. The same thing is happening with Punk.

The heavyweight championship has changed hands so many times, its hard to keep count just how many. It still comes across as a prop rather than what it is supposed to be, the most prestigious championship in wrestling today. Punk holding it hasn't brought back any of its luster. If nothing else, it feels like the title is something he just carries around because of what it represents, his ascension to the top of his profession. The title has been overshadowed by Punk's popularity. He has a fan base that continues to grow. Does the title add a dynamic to his performances as well as his personality, yes. Yet, it doesn't make up for everything, it doesn't begin to explain his success. It doesn't define him the way it has for so many others.

Punk is the best, if not one of the best, in the world today. That won't change anytime soon. Even if he loses the title, it won't stop the momentum that he has already built. In fact, if he does drop the title, it might be a good thing. It may be the thing that's holding him back in the first place.