WWE: What If CM Punk Actually Retained His Title At the Royal Rumble?

We’re on the Road to WrestleMania, and WWE is in a fickle state at the moment. With top superstars seemingly returning, and matches being made for the greatest event of all time, one cannot help but wonder what would’ve happened if things took place differently. Would the scenario be different? Or would it still remain the same? Join me as I speculate on CM Punk’s WWE Title reign, and what would happen if things turned out differently.

At Survivor Series 2011, then then WWE Champion, Alberto Del Rio, faced the best in the world, CM Punk, with the WWE Championship on the line. After a grueling bout, CM Punk upstaged the ex-champion, and finally became the WWE Champion, much to the delight of everyone present in the arena, and at home. CM Punk had finally become WWE Champion, and the fans loved it. The looming question, however, was the same:

How long will CM Punk last on the top of the food chain?

All of the internet wrestling fans expected Punk to lose the title at Elimination Chamber, and even WrestleMania, but CM Punk ended up proving them wrong, as he defeated five men on his own, and also defeated Jericho at the grandest stage of them all, to still call himself the Best in the World, and also the WWE Champion. CM Punk continued to feud with Chris Jericho, and ended up defeating Y2J in every bout, causing Punk to move on with other challengers. The next challenger, however, was Punk’s long term friend. Would Punk be able to defeat him? Or, Daniel Bryan would take advantage of how much he knew Punk, and would become our new WWE Champion? We would find out.

The answer would be no, because of a ‘crazy’ factor, aka AJ Lee, who helped Punk retain his title. She proposed to Punk while being WWE Champion, but Punk respectfully declined. Punk and AJ had a confusing love story, and Daniel Bryan was playing the third wheel in the storyline, for a long time. Kane entered the storyline, but Bryan and Kane began their own feud.

Yet, at RAW 1000, he changed. He wasn’t the same happy-go-lucky guy anymore. He stood up for himself, and turned heel, on the basis of not getting the deserved respect he was supposed to receive. Collaborating with Paul E. Heyman, CM Punk made it clear that he will destroy every single wrestler whom the fans love because of the disrespect shown by the so-called WWE Universe. Punk had transformed. Punk had changed. Was it for the better? That is for the readers to find out.

Afterwards, CM Punk began a new feud with the resident superman of the WWE: John Cena.

Yet, John Cena couldn’t stop CM Punk from having the best run of his life, since CM Punk retained his title over John Cena; not once, but twice. After Cena, Ryback was the one who wanted Punk’s WWE Championship, but just like all the other challengers, Ryback got ‘screwed’ because of Brad Maddox, and the Shield. CM Punk kept finding ways to find and crawl out of his matches, that people believed that he was going to be champion forever. Side by side, CM Punk kept boasting about the number of days since he has been champion, and claimed that he will beat Bruno Sammartino’s record of the longest championship reign ever. After feuding with various superstars, it was seeming possible, yet there was one man to stop the misery; one man, to rid the people of their champion, and only one man who could rightfully deserve to be champion. That man, is the People’s Champion, the Most Electrifying Man in All of Sports Entertainment, and the Great One.

The Rock stepped up, and as he had announced half an year ago, he got his WWE Championship match, against CM Punk, at the Royal Rumble. Vince McMahon, beforehand, applied the stipulation that if the Shield interferes, the champion will be stripped of his championship. After a vicious match, as the Rock was going for the Rock Bottom, the lights went out, and the Shield entered and destroyed the Rock, causing CM Punk to win.

That wasn’t the end.

After the celebration by Heyman and Punk, Vince McMahon comes out, and as he gets eady to strip Punk off the title in his regular fashion, the Rock begs to restart the match, and after a crushing People’s Elbow, the Rock wins the match.

The Rock became our new WWE Champion.

The historical reign lasting four hundred and thirty four days ended. CM Punk was disappointed and angry, while the Rock and the WWE Universe were surprised and were full of joy. CM Punk faced the Rock again at Elimination Chamber, but lost, causing the Rock to headline WrestleMania with John Cena. CM Punk now finds himself facing the Undertaker at WrestleMania for his Streak, while John Cena and the Rock will compete again at a WrestleMania, causing a Twice in a Lifetime scenario, but instead, the WWE Championship will be in play this time.

But imagine, what would have happened if things had taken place differently? What would have taken place if CM Punk had defeated the Rock at the Royal Rumble, and the Elimination Chamber, and was now going to face the winner of the Royal Rumble? Would it have been better for the WWE, or worse? There are so many questions that can be asked at this particular moment related to this shocking scenario, but the biggest question of all is:

What if CM Punk did not lose his WWE Championship against the Rock? What if he was still our reigning and defending WWE Champion?

As the author of this article, I have a few ideas that WWE could’ve gone with, if CM Punk would have retained his title at the most unpredictable pay-per-view of the year. The ideas are the following:

Scenario I:

  • CM Punk wins against the Rock at Royal Rumble (w/interference from Shield)
  • CM Punk defeats the Rock again at Elimination Chamber (w/ interference from Lesnar)
  • CM Punk goes on to face John Cena at WrestleMania
  • Rock goes on to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania

Description: After CM Punk defeats the Rock at WrestleMania with some help from the Shield, the Rock gets another rematch due to the interference, but this time, the Shield is banned. So, who does Paul Heyman choose? The next big thing, Brock Lesnar interferes in the match, and costs Rock the match, causing Rock to lose it, and challenges any Heyman guy to a WrestleMania match. Paul Heyman chooses Brock Lesnar to be his man, and Brock faces the Rock at WrestleMania, while CM Punk, as WWE Champion, faces John Cena, the Royal Rumble winner at WrestleMania, creating two blockbuster matches: Rock/Brock, and Cena/Punk.

OR

Scenario II:

  • CM Punk wins against the Rock at RR (w/interference from Lesnar)
  • CM Punk defeats Ryback at Elimination Chamber (w/ interference from Shield)
  • The Rock and Brock Lesnar go to a double DQ at Elimination Chamber (w/interference from the Undertaker)
  • CM Punk faces John Cena at WrestleMania
  • The Rock vs Brock Lesnar vs Undertaker at WrestleMania

Description: CM Punk defeats the Rock at the Royal Rumble, with the help of Brock Lesnar, because Vince said that the Shield cannot interfere, not Brock Lesnar. The Rock challenges Brock to a match at Extreme Rules, while Vince grants Ryback another shot at the title. Ryback loses his match via the Shield, and Rock and Brock go to a Double Disqualification, since the Undertaker appears and choke-slams both of them, to send a message. Therefore, at WrestleMania, CM Punk, the WWE Champ, faces John Cena, the Royal Rumble winner, while the Undertaker faces both Lesnar and the Rock in a triple threat match, so that Taker doesn’t have to do much in the match, and yet he can win. Two main event matches are set: Cena/Punk, and Rock/Brock/Taker.

While I prefer the second option, the first option would be the most likely choice the WWE would go with due to their own reasons, and because they do not wanna put three main stars in one match. However, WrestleMania 29 is shaping up to be an awesome event, with matches being announced here and there, and the event being hyped majorly, in the WWE, and outside the WWE.

No matter how the WWE went with this situation, CM Punk is challenging Taker for the Streak, while the Rock is facing Cena for the title. Triple H will end up facing Brock Lesnar, making three blockbuster matches at WrestleMania, thus potentially increasing the buyrate. For all the readers going to WrestleMania, I hope you enjoy the event, and tell me about your experience, attending the showcase of the immortals.

Which situation was better, according to you? Would WWE be in a better situation if CM Punk hadn’t lost the WWE title? Comment below and debate, and follow the author on Twitter @NextBigThingSiD. Thank you.