3 reasons why CM Punk must win the World Heavyweight Championship from Gunther at WWE SummerSlam

In just a few hours' time, CM Punk is set to challenge Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of SummerSlam Saturday. This comes just five weeks after CM Punk vs. John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the main event of Night of Champions, a match where Cena retained the title following interference from Seth Rollins.

The match and its aftermath could drastically change if Seth Rollins' injury turns out to be a giant swerve, but regardless of whether Rollins cashes in his Money in the Bank contract tonight, Punk has to win. Why? In this article, we shall explore three convincing reasons Punk must win the title at SummerSlam.

#3. Seth Rollins cashing in on CM Punk as champion would be more effective than Rollins not letting Punk win the title at all

Seth Rollins vowed that CM Punk will never win a World Title while The Visionary is alive. It seems a tad extreme, but what if he could hurt Punk more? Instead of screwing Punk out of a title opportunity like he already did at Night of Champions, wouldn't it be better for Rollins to cash in after Punk wins the title?

Gunther would be out of the equation, Punk would be battered while also off-guard as he celebrates his first title win in WWE in over a decade, and Rollins' goons would have all the freedom in the world to forge The Architect's path for him. Since he's a heel anyway, Seth should go back on his word and ruin Punk's career in even grander fashion. Grand fashion is Seth Rollins' thing after all.

#2. Who, if not CM Punk?

Now, we are back to the future branched timeline where Seth Rollins does not cash in tonight. Unless a WWE Draft is in the cards soon, who could be the right guy to defeat Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship anytime soon? Assuming Rollins is injured, we have Sami Zayn, seemingly a favorite for a Royal Rumble win and a WrestleMania moment, but Mania is far off. Is Gunther really going to hold the title for another eight months?

Roman Reigns would make not just a viable challenger but a phenomenal one, but "challenger" needs to be all he is against Gunther. The same goes for John Cena. Bron Breakker still needs time to get there, and either Breakker or Gunther will need to turn babyface first. Meanwhile, the Jey Uso-Gunther feud has the fans fatigued, and it is still unclear how exactly WWE views LA Knight.

CM Punk and Gunther, out of the sheer extent of upsides in doing so, are already rumored to have an extended feud over the next few months. At some point, Punk will have to win the title. Either that, or he is way too convincing a talker to concretely establish that "HE IS THE ONE." But isn't that what a great babyface is supposed to do?

Well, what better occasion than SummerSlam, especially if the plan is a short title reign, with Gunther either getting his win and the World Heavyweight Championship back, or a Seth Rollins cash-in in the future?

#1. SummerSlam is the stage for CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship, but it also opens up an unprecedented line of storytelling for Gunther

In a time and world where WWE thrives on long-form storytelling, the sheer potential of CM Punk vs. Gunther is too rich to peak at SummerSlam. So, would ending it now with a title change be premature? For all the support Punk has, it is built on his previous body of work and goodwill.

For all the excitement this match has leading in, it is still, as Punk said, "strictly business." Maybe "still" is the key word. Within two weeks, Punk may have built up a solid feud with Gunther, much like he did with Cena, but there is still a lot left to be told in the Gunther-CM Punk program: a lot of layers to unravel, and a lot of juice to be extracted. So, must Gunther win, not to deny Punk, but to allow this feud to become something legendary over time?

Well, why does the heel have to win to extend the feud every single time as the babyface keeps chasing the "big one?" Haven't we seen too much of it already? Sure, there is a lot to be done with CM Punk and "the chase," but regardless of how Punk & Gunther are likely to eclipse most of it, hasn't Gunther done enough as the "big bully champion?"

Maybe it is time for WWE to do something unconventional and explore uncharted territory. Maybe it is time for Gunther to chase. As someone who spent over 80% of his time in WWE as a champion, it won't just be unprecedented, but the very hook of the story. CM Punk chasing the big win happened with McIntyre last year, but that was a personal feud that culminated inside Hell in a Cell. This is a story of prizefighting, and with over 50,000 fans in attendance in New Jersey, the time to crown CM Punk is tonight at SummerSlam!

Edited by Jacob Terrell