WWE News: CM Punk Possibly Moving to SmackDown Later in 2012

The WWE had a number of breakout stars in 2011, but CM Punk is undoubtedly at the top of that list.

He was the company’s hottest act throughout the summer and into the fall, turning a rather pedestrian year for Monday Night Raw into a very exciting one seemingly overnight. Despite not having the name recognition of guys like John Cena and Randy Orton, Punk was—at least in my book—the WWE’s most important figure this year and the most entertaining star on Raw.

It appears, however, as if his time on the WWE’s flagship show could be coming to an end in the near future.

From F4Wonline.com (via SEScoops.com):

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During a recent WWE creative meeting, the idea was pitched of moving CM Punk to the SmackDown brand later in 2012, to help provide the show with additional star power. Punk has not been a strong ratings draw on RAW, so the idea is that his character could be more of an asset on SmackDown, where he could continue to deliver great matches and promos without having to be relied upon to deliver ratings. 

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I have mixed feelings on this. 

On one side, I want to see Punk stay on Raw because I truly believe that, given time and the right storylines, Punk is the one WWE star not named John Cena who could be the long-term face of the brand. 

Punk generated a huge interest in the WWE product this summer that no other star could have replicated, and though he may not be great for TV ratings, his wrestling ability and promo skills make him great for the WWE and Monday Night Raw. 

On the other hand, I’d love to see Punk move to SmackDown because I think he’d have more success there: more time for TV matches, a longer run with a World title, a better chance of carrying the brand, etc. 

As much as I hate to say it, I just don’t see Punk being treated like anything but option No. 2 as long as he’s on the same brand as Cena. Regardless of who we think is the better wrestler and performer, Cena is viewed by company officials as the top guy and will be treated as such. 

So, I feel like I’m stock between a rock and a hard place here, but if I had to pick, I would say that I hope Punk gets moved to SmackDown in the 2012 WWE Draft or via trade somehow. 

If Punk continues to thrive as a performer but Raw’s ratings continue to plummet, then I think the WWE would be wise to move Punk to the blue brand where he can still perform at an elite level without being criticized for not being a huge ratings draw.

Punk can still matter on SmackDown, and he can still be the company's top overall performer. The only difference is that he'll be competing for the World Heavyweight Championship instead of the WWE title.