WWE: Chris Jericho vs CM Punk – who is the best in the world?

Last year, when Chris Jericho returned to the WWE, he promised to do something that would change the landscape of the company. What followed was one of the best feuds of the year, where Jericho targeted Punk and went after him for the WWE Title. The whole point surrounding the feud was Jericho blaming Punk of stealing his gimmick. When Jericho returned to the WWE the second time, he proclaimed himself to be ‘the best in the world at what he does’. After his infamous worked shoot in ’11, Punk began calling himself ‘the best in the world’, which irked Chris Jericho. That started a debate among the professional wrestling fans, which has divided them into two groups. Who really deserves to be called ‘the best in the world’?

Chris Jericho has been in the business for over two decades, traveling all over the world and making a name for himself in the process. Jericho is the last of the ‘dying breed’, in the literal sense, who traveled around the world, wrestling against the best in the business. Jericho honed his craft in Canada, Mexico and in Japan as Lionheart before he was brought down to ECW by Paul Heyman. Jericho then went to WCW, where he became one of the best workers in the company as he first captured the WCW Cruiserweight title and then the Television championship. When Jericho left WCW and came to the WWF, he brought along a huge fanbase with him, and immediately made his mark by having some of the best wrestling matches against the likes of Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. Jericho was also the first ever Undisputed WWF/E champion, and defeated Steve Austin and The Rock in one night to achieve it! He went on to become one of the best technical wrestlers in the history of the business, and was rated the ‘Wrestler of the Year’ twice by Wrestling Observer.

His rival for Sunday, CM Punk, started in the early 2000s, making his way through Chicago and working in the independent scene, performing for promotions such as IWA: Mid South before making his presence felt in Ring of Honor. Punk had numerous outstanding matches against the likes of AJ Styles and Chris Hero, and he continued that in RoH, where his matches against Samoa Joe became the stuff of legends. Their match was given five stars, the first match in over seven years in the United States that was given that rating! His ‘Summer of Punk’ storyline created shockwaves in the wrestling industry, and Punk came to the WWE to elevate himself. Punk finds himself as the number two guy in the global franchise, which is nothing short of amazing. Punk was never considered to be a main event caliber performer in the WWE, but he defied the odds time and again and became the hottest performer in the company, thereby proclaiming himself to be ‘the best in the world’.

Now this leads to the question of who the best in the world truly is. Chris Jericho has been performing at the highest level for over two decades, while Punk has quickly soared in the industry in the past decade. The only advantage Jericho has is that back in the 90s, the performers used to travel to the land of pure wrestling, or ‘Puroresu’, which is Japan, and could better themselves to be great in–ring technicians. Jericho has always been an amazing performer and an entertainer, and so is Punk. Both the individuals are outstanding on the mic, and can cut great promos. While Jericho is a master at reinventing himself and keeping his character fresh, Punk has always found a way to elevate himself to the next level. Both of them are great entertainers who could break through the confines of the company and found a way to get over with the fans.

In the end, one has to believe that Jericho’s experience in the business, along with his undeniable credentials as an in–ring performer, gives him the edge over CM Punk. Punk is still relatively younger than Jericho in the business; and although both of them are even-stevens when it comes to the larger picture, Punk still has some catching up to do to overtake Chris Jericho. Jericho has been the workhorse in the industry, and can still outperform the other members of the roster. This Sunday, both these individuals will compete against each other, and I, for one, cannot wait to see who comes out on top. Will it be the Straight Edge messiah, or will it be the Ayatollah of Rock n’ Rolla? One thing is for sure, you wouldn’t want to miss this match!