3 Reasons why CM Punk must NOT win the 2025 WWE Men's Royal Rumble

Less than a week to WWE Royal Rumble 2025 and CM Punk is one of, if not THE outright favorite to win the eponymous 30-man Battle Royal. The Voice of The Voiceless was one of the first men to declare for the Rumble and is riding a high wave of momentum after vanquishing Seth Rollins on RAW's Netflix debut. After falling short at the final hurdle in 2024, Punk will be looking to go one better this time.

The Best in The World may be one of the favorites for many good reasons, but does that mean he is the right man to win? Would he be the best fit for that spot? Would it be the best use of his talents? A compelling argument could be made that The Second City Saint isn't the correct choice to emerge victorious in Indianapolis, given the current landscape of the roster.

Here are three reasons why CM Punk must not win the 2025 WWE Men's Royal Rumble Match:

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#3. CM Punk is not WWE's most urgent choice to win the Royal Rumble

Over CM Punk's illustrious WWE career, there are a few loose ends he has thus far failed to tie. Top of that list is headlining WrestleMania, and right on its heels is winning the Royal Rumble. The Voice of The Voiceless has come close to achieving the latter a couple of times, most recently being runner-up to Cody Rhodes in the 2024 edition.

One can argue that time is running out to bestow Punk with this richly deserved honor, given his age. However, with John Cena entering his final Rumble to try and win his 17th world title at WrestleMania 41, it can be contended that his reason to win is more urgent. For this reason, The Franchise Player could be a better choice to win the 30-man Battle Royal, tying Stone Cold Steve Austin's record of three wins.

It could also set up a final feud between the iconic rivals while postponing an eventual Rumble win for Punk to another year when he will be older and more desperate.

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#2. CM Punk's most compelling potential opponents heading into the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble are not world champions

CM Punk had an explosive promo segment with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on the final RAW before Royal Rumble 2025. The Best in The World and The American Nightmare took fans down memory lane, revisiting their long history, including last year's Men's Rumble Match, where Rhodes last eliminated Punk to win. The exchange ended with a tense face-off, piquing many fans' interest in a potential WrestleMania clash.

While the two former AEW stars did a good job in building anticipation for a potential bout, it's far from the most compelling feud for the Chicago native. Heading into WrestleMania 41 season, one feels that most fans would rather see Punk tackle Seth Rollins or Roman Reigns at The Show of Shows in Las Vegas.

With such rivalries on his horizon, The Second City Saint may not be the right person to win the Men's Royal Rumble this year.

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#1. CM Punk may not need to win the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble to main-event WWE WrestleMania 41

Since returning to WWE in 2023, CM Punk has been used as an attraction in the same vein as Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar before him. The Voice of The Voiceless has ascended to a career-high level of popularity, with his presence arguably equivalent to any world champion's. One can say The Second City Saint no longer needs accolades to be relevant as a main event player.

With that in mind, The Best in The World may not need to win the Men's Rumble to achieve his ultimate goal of headlining WrestleMania. Feuds like Punk vs. Seth Rollins and Punk vs. Reigns are worthy of headlining The Showcase of The Immortals with or without a title, making it unnecessary for him to win in Indianapolis.

If he is indeed penciled in to face a star of Reigns' or Rollins' caliber in Las Vegas (as has been heavily rumored), the Rumble win should go to someone else.