A massive World Heavyweight Championship clash is set for this Saturday night, as CM Punk and Jey Uso will be facing off in one of the most highly anticipated main events of the year. The bout marks Punk’s first televised World Title opportunity since returning to WWE, and new reports suggest that The Second City Saint may be walking out with gold around his waist.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, CM Punk is currently viewed internally as the favorite to dethrone Jey Uso. Dave Meltzer noted that Punk’s positioning in recent WWE promotional material — including his prominent inclusion in the official WrestleMania 42 video package — signals that the company sees him as a top-tier, marquee-level name on par with WWE’s most heavily featured stars.
The WrestleMania 42 promotional video originally included Seth Rollins before being reworked to feature Punk in his place, which could indicate a major creative pivot in the company’s long-term plans.
“The other four key players were Reigns, Lesnar, Rhodes, and Punk, which would immediately make Punk the favorite on Saturday to take the world title, as he was no doubt put in the spot Rollins would have been in (or they would have had both since Punk is a real marquee star),” Meltzer wrote.
This would suggest that WWE views Punk as a central figure in its upcoming year of storytelling — potentially setting the stage for him to enter the WrestleMania season as champion.
