SummerSlam Preview: The Second City Savior vs. The Face of the WWE

We're less than a week from SummerSlam! To get us all in the PPV spirit, we're previewing the coming matches and recapping the story lines leading up to the big event.

It's rare that I'm ever surprised by a storyline in the WWE these days. The idea of having two WWE champions, both of whom are actually entitled to call themselves WWE champion, blows my mind. Sure, we've have people who say they were "robbed" of titles, people who say that they got screwed (some who actually did)... but I don't remember a time when we had two legitimate champions. Enter John Cena and CM Punk.

In a situation like this, you'd expect that one would be a face and one would be a heel. Interestingly, both Cena and Punk are getting major heat from the fans. John Cena seems to have lost quite a bit of his popularity with the live crowds. Maybe it was his rivalry with The Miz (the biggest superstar that fans love to hate)? Maybe it's the back and forth smack talking between he and The Rock, a fan favorite? Maybe it's how he keeps slipping into his Boston accent during promos (Ice cream baaaaaaahs)? Maybe people are just over the idea of John Cena being a good guy? Maybe it's because he actually looks like a Fruity Pebble and everyone knows Cocoa Pebbles are better?

Staying a "good guy" or a "face" for your whole career doesn't really work for most superstars. Some of the best... HBK, HHH, the Undertaker, The Rock and - my all time favorite - Bret Hart, all took turns as heels. Maybe it's just time for the fans to see a different side of Cena. CM Punk is making John Cena a heel, whether he wants to be one or not.

When CM Punk took a microphone and sat at the top of the ramp, ranting about various superstars who were unceremoniously booted from the roster and gimmicks that he found ridiculous, I really thought it might be the beginning of a new Attitude Era. Unfortunately, while the fans seemed to really appreciate his honesty (even if it was pre-planned) and his candor, they still boo him. He's handsome, he uses a large vocabulary, he speaks from the heart... Oh, and he's a good wrestler to boot, but he still gets booed.

Sure, he got the most amazing pop in Chicago at MITB. I actually teared up watching the ovation - it was like nothing I've seen in a long time. It was Bret Hart vs. HBK in the Iron Man Match, it was Edge and Christian vs. The Hardys in the best ladder match of all time, it was HBK vs. the Undertaker (both times).... loud and constant cheering. Sure, he gets lots of fan support when he's taking over Comic Con and walking down the street, cold Pepsi in hand, but not in the arenas outside of Chicago. The WWE is making CM Punk a heel that fans aren't sure they're supposed to cheer.

Who will win the first ever undisputed, "unified" WWE championship? Does anyone care? If CM Punk wins, it'll be fun to have a true heel champion again (SCSA anyone?). If Cena wins, it will do a lot to continue the WWE's trend of being predictable. Would Punk get an automatic re-match even though he's technically the losing champion? Since I have no idea which one of them will win the actual match, I'll sum it up with some clear categorical winners:

Best Theme Music: CM Punk -- I can't get that song out of my head. Maybe it's because it plays first on the blog playlist?

Unintentional Loser: The World Heavyweight Champion -- Irrespective of whether Christian or Randy Orton win, the World Heavyweight Championship continues to be meaningless and is forced to play second fiddle to the WWE Championship.

Most Likely to Get Involved: HHH -- Does anyone really think Mr. H's can avoid punching and/or giving the Pedigree to someone? Heck, it might even be Michael Cole. (We can dream)

Best Wardrobe: John Cena -- Disregarding the jorts, the colors Cena wears totally block out the black and white of CM Punk. Although, points to Punk for wearing white briefs. Let's hope it doesn't become some sort of wet t-shirt contest.

Most Likely to Become Unintentionally Hilarious: -- The fans. The fans' reactions to every move that Cena and Punk make will undoubtedly be exaggerated and hysterical. *Gasp*, mouth agape, face palm. Little Jimmies everywhere peeing their jorts.

The truth is, I'm supposed to tell you who I think will actually win. My answer? The fans. Truth be told, the Cena vs. Punk angle isn't actually an angle at all. CM Punk is the angle. He's making people want to tune in. People want to see him tell HHH to "suck it". People want to see him call people on their crap, all while making funny faces and inappropriate jokes. People want to see him confront Stephanie McMahon on how awful her creative team has been. Having CM Punk in the main event at ANY show or PPV equals serious buzz. CM Punk is bringing TRUTH (no, not R-Truth) and REALITY to wrestling. I, for one, am thrilled to see it. I love you John Cena, but I'm guessing CM Punk has this one in the bag.