CM Punk. Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

CM Punk's latest title shot has to end in success

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 9:47 AM ET

Seth Rollins' long-term injury at Crown Jewel forced the WWE to pivot. On Monday, Oct. 20, he was stripped of his World Heavyweight Title, and the WWE responded by organizing a battle royal match. Whoever emerged victorious would face top contender CM Punk for the title at the Nov. 1 Saturday Night's Main Event premium live event.

Ultimately, Jey Uso had his hand raised in that battle royal. Now, two of WWE's biggest fan favorites will go toe-to-toe for one of the biggest titles within the company.

CM Punk deserves the title

Since returning to the WWE in 2023, CM Punk has held a title for only five minutes. He secured the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam earlier this year, only to instantly lose it to Rollins, who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.

Punk remains one of the biggest draws in the company. WWE usually rewards that level of popularity with a title run, especially when the wrestler can also produce in the ring.

For that reason, he deserves to "go over" against Uso. Sure, Uso is a fan favorite, and his sales are through the roof, but in a time where the WWE product has cooled off, you need your best wrestlers holding the belts. Punk has all the skills to make the title matter. He can cut promos that get fans invested, and has enough enemies within the company to keep things interesting for as long as the WWE needs him to.

The WWE can't fumble the build-up to this match

Punk vs. Uso should be seen as a potentially big match. However, the lack of direction from the creative department in recent months means that there's a good chance it will just be another blip on the radar.

WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque, better known as Triple H, must ensure that doesn't happen. The WWE has two episodes of SmackDown and one episode of RAW until the two stars face off in the ring. There should be a promo segment, either in the ring or backstage, on each of those shows. Building up the importance of the championship bout is the first step to ensuring a title reign gets off to a good start.

If the buildup is fumbled, then whoever wins on Nov. 1 will be seen as nothing more than a temporary champion. That's not fair to either star. It's time the WWE started making its titles matter again; otherwise, this current decline won't end anytime soon.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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