For The Record 02.01.09: Punk Should Break the Intercontinental Record

Posted by Kristopher Rodriguez on 02.01.2009

Don’t you think the time has come for someone to break the Honky Tonk Man’s Intercontinental Championship record? I do, and I think our current Intercontinental Champion is the perfect candidate to make history. Join us in this week’s edition of For The Record as we discuss why CM Punk should be the one to achieve that feat.

The longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in history is the Honky Tonk Man. The Honky Tonk Man held the Intercontinental Championship from June 2, 1987 until August 29, 1988. His loss to the Ultimate Warrior at the 1988 edition of Summerslam ended his record setting 454 day run with the coveted title. Since then, no WWE competitor has had even a one year reign. But the time has come for somebody to seriously challenge that record.

One has to wonder why McMahon hasn't picked a wrestler to beat the Elvis impersonator's mark. Why let somebody like the Honky Tonk Man have the bragging rights? The Intercontinental Championship is a cherished title and whoever exceeds the 454 day period as champ will hold a special place in WWE history. The Superstar of today who would be the best candidate to break the record is CM Punk.

CM Punk is one of WWE's most important and prominent wrestlers. Because he abstains from alcohol and drugs, he is a great public ambassador for McMahon and company. He is also well-liked by IWC fans and general audiences alike. In addition, Punk is a skilled worker and talker. But the two best reasons for Punk to break the record are simple: (1) someone should break it, and (2) Punk has nothing else to do.

Before winning the Intercontinental Championship, Punk was in a strange position. As a former World Heavyweight Champion, one would think that he would be a main eventer. But with Raw being so stacked with main event talent (John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and JBL), Punk has found himself in the upper midcard category with Kane and Rey Mysterio. And when Batista returns later on this year, Punk will be even lower in the Raw "food chain." So if Punk can't hang with the main eventers, he might as well chase history.

Before I continue, let me put some emphasis on a subtle point I made in the previous paragraph: Punk (as his character stands at the moment) is not a main eventer. Much like Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio, he is more of a "featured attraction" type of Superstar. That is not to disparage the Punkster. There is nothing wrong with being a midcard talent. They are an important part of any wrestling product. Just consider the contributions of such former WWE upper midcarders as Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Owen Hart, Ted DiBiase (Sr.), Mr. Perfect, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Razor Ramon, Superfly Jimmy Snuka, and Tito Santana. All of those individuals during the "Fed years" were instrumental to WWE's success. But Punk, a midcarder, has already attained something that none of the other aforementioned "Fed" wrestlers have… a WWE world championship.

So everything else CM Punk achieves in WWE is gravy. By winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, he has already accomplished something that the upper midcarders of the past could only dream about. Punk is honored among the middlers; now it's time for him to take his unique and privileged position and set his eyes on the Intercontinental record.

If WWE uses Punk to chase history, it could do wonders for the prestige of the title. Punk is the kind of wrestler that doesn't necessarily headline pay-per-views, but is more of the kind that fans expect to see on pay-per-view. He is not the kind of guy you leave off the card. So if Punk has a long reign and is used on pay-per-views, it's reasonable to assume that the Intercontinental Title will be defended on more pay-per views. We could even be treated to an actual Intercontinental Title defense at Wrestlemania. Plus, anytime a wrestler has a lengthy and dignified run with a title, the worth of the championship is enhanced.

A long, record chasing or record breaking reign will also keep Punk relevant. Nobody wants to see Punk float aimlessly like Mr. Kennedy or Kane. Punk is the kind of wrestler that fans want to see on their TVs. His style, unique look, charisma, and credibility as a former world champion make him a very compelling figure. He is one wrestler that should always be kept busy. Making him a fighting champion in a high profile will certainly keep him in the limelight on the Raw brand.

No wrestler in this modern era will ever be able to break the record for the longest WWE Championship reign of all-time. Bruno Sammartino's seven year (2803 day) run as champion will never be touched. That leaves the Intercontinental Championship as the only other 20th century WWE singles title that has a breakable "longest reign in history" record.

Some might argue that McMahon is incapable of keeping a title on a wrestler for over a year. With the WWE Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship, and the Intercontinental Championship changing hands so frequently the past five months or so, it would appear to the novel fan that WWE is incapable of committing to lengthy reigns. But McMahon has proven otherwise. Hurricane Helms held the Cruiserweight Title for over a year. Though his time with the belt was unspectacular to say the least, he still holds that accomplishment as his claim to fame. John Cena held the WWE Championship for over a year from 2006-2007. Now of course, it goes without saying that Cena's reign was not very memorable either. But both of those documentable feats show that breaking the Honky Tonk Man's record is not preposterous by any stretch.

Regardless of whether CM Punk or somebody else break's the Honky Tonk Man's record, I hope the achievement is recognized as an historical event in WWE. I also hope that whoever breaks the record is a fighting champion that frequently competes on his brand and defends the title on pay-per-view. I would hate for it to be presented as an "under the radar" reign where the wrestler defends the title once in a while and out of nowhere is suddenly hailed as a record-breaking champion. The accomplishment should be a big deal. And that record-breaking honor is befitting of the best midcarder in a generation: CM Punk.