CM Punk’s Time As A Babyface Needs To Be Over

CM Punk has been a babyface ever since he stepped foot back in WWE back in 2023, winning three world titles in the process and proving himself to be one of the biggest stars in the company. No matter how popular he is and how much success he has gained, one fact remains clear; he is a sensational heel. When CM Punk gets nasty, arrogant, vindictive, and cruel, his best character work always comes out. WWE has so many big babyfaces at the higher reaches of the card such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Cidy Rhodes – so is it time for one of WWE’s “big four” main event stars to shake things up and finally go heel?

CM Punk’s Babyface Character Is Popular But Lacks An Edge

• Punk sometimes pushes things in promo, but never as much as when he’s heel.
• Feuds against the likes of Cody Rhodes would’ve been elevated with a heel Punk.
• Punk’s babyface character may soon grow stale in WWE.

Due to CM Punk’s name value and ability to hype up a crowd, he has been over with the WWE fans ever since coming back to WWE. His promo work since returning has been far from his best, but his command of the mic is still better than everyone else on the roster that he can still tick all of the boxes and stand out, rallying up audiences and popping them, retaining his popularity and connection as he’s gone on to headline WrestleMania, win world titles, and wrestle strong matches. When assessing his “character”, his current version is simply just “happy-to-be-here CM Punk”.

In the current landscape of WWE, that is all he needs to be to stay over… but it means he lacks an edge and depth. For instance, aside from one or two decent interactions, his high profile feuds with the likes of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes have all been void of something special to elevate them, and this is due to the fact that the very real hatred that used to exist between the likes of Reigns, Rollins & Punk could not be fully explored due to Punk no longer being a “villain” in the eyes of fans and WWE. Punk’s self-destructive personality and selfishness from the past does not resonate when the likes of Reigns & Rollins bring it up due to the fact that Punk is no longer this type of person. Instead, if Punk leant into these negative traits in his character, becoming the villain that everyone claims he is, then these rivalries would be far more interesting.

CM Punk Is A World Class Heel

• Punk’s work between 2009 and 2011 was stellar.
• Punk’s WWE heel turn in 2012 led to a legendary title run.
• His flashes of being a bad guy have been the best parts of his current WWE spell.

CM Punk may not have too long left, and it would be a huge shame if fans didn’t see him explore a heelish side for one more run. This is due to the fact that Punk is one of the greatest heels in WWE history. Whether it be the vindictive, nasty, and cowardly side that was brought out during his iconic 2009 feud with Jeff Hardy, the weird, depressive, and drawling cult leader of the Straight Edge Society, or the arrogant “Best In The World” champion that dominated WWE programming as the most enthralling and entertaining character in the company. His rivalries with the likes of John Cena, The Undertaker, Jeff Hardy, The Rock, and Randy Orton all saw his best work both in promos and in the ring throughout his first WWE run, and it all came as the bad guy.

Whenever CM Punk has let loose during his babyface run and shown glimpses of this more crueler side, he has looked way more at home than he has done as a smiling good guy, prompting the wish from fans to see a heel turn. With the number of strong babyfaces on the WWE roster, CM Punk going heel opens the door to so many interesting possibilities going forwards.

CM Punk As A Heel Can Help Other WWE Wrestlers More

• A heel Punk vs. Kevin Owens would be a phenomenal feud.
• Punk being a heel can allow WWE’s up-and-coming babyfaces to overcome him.
• WWE has enough top tier babyfaces to carry the company.

As great as it has been to see CM Punk back on WWE programming as a babyface, it is fair to say that not many wrestlers have particularly been elevated by working with him. For instance, WWE never pulled the trigger on Bron Breakker during his brief feud with Punk, his incredible feud with Drew McIntyre only led to Punk being elevated and McIntyre dropping in momentum, Gunther was more-or-less in the same position after his SummerSlam main event with Punk, and more… but this would be different with Punk as a heel.

For instance, Punk being a heel on the mic can craft underdog stories for WWE’s babyfaces, him cheating in matches creates sympathy and rallies crowds, and beating him will produce bigger reactions and moments if he’s a bad guy. His current feud with Kevin Owens can be good with both men as babyfaces… but Punk turning heel and reminding everyone of why Owens hates him in the first place would produce what could be a phenomenal arc for Owens and an all-timer WWE Title win down the line. Whether it be for a short or long time, it is time for a Punk heel turn to shake up the main event scene in WWE.