While Punk may be the somewhat favorable option to take the title this weekend, it has to be said that there is a more deserving option considering the positions they’re in at the current stage in time. 

If you were to say that Jey would have won the Intercontinental title, the men’s Royal Rumble match, and the World Heavyweight Championship by submitting Gunther a few years back, there might have been more than a few to scoff and dismiss him as simply a great tag team guy. But all of that has since happened, and he is entering this weekend the underdog despite having proven time and time again that he belongs.

Gunther has lost to two men this year, and while Punk did so for the title more recently, it was still no small feat or expression of intent for Jey to do so at WrestleMania. When one looks at the personal arcs of the two championship challengers, Jey’s really does make the case for being the more compelling; having jumped through all the hoops set before him by his cousin and “Tribal Chief” in Reigns, he wasn’t met with the respect many thought he would have earned. 

Instead, Reigns had some more lessons for his “Right Hand Man” and that set forward the actions taken by Jey to secure his title opportunity. That all starts to lose weight if he loses, so it may be better if he crosses the line and turns heel to win the title, as he’s been teasing. It would certainly go further to cement him as the main eventer his name declares him to be.