To begin 2012, we're starting a new Roundtable feature with PWTorch specialists/contributors answering a Question of the Day on a hot topic in the news or from a recent TV/PPV event. Check back throughout the week for our panel of PWTorch contributors offering their thoughts on the topic of the day.

Question of the Day 1/17: With the "deck stacked" against C.M. Punk after Raw, how will the Punk vs. Ziggler title match play out at the Royal Rumble? Also, is the timing right for WWE to put the WWE Title on Ziggler, or has that time not come yet?

John Mezzera, PWTorch Hits & Misses specialist

I don't see this as the time to put the WWE Title on Dolph Ziggler just yet. If he wins, who does he defend the title against at WrestleMania? They should not do a re-match with C.M. Punk, as WrestleMania should be fresh, not a Royal Rumble re-match. Cena is out, so what other Raw babyface is there to face? Obviously, a babyface Smackdown wrestler could win the Rumble and cash it in on Ziggler, like Randy Orton or Sheamus, but why would they do that? If Daniel Bryan is still World Champ, then why not face him? If he has lost the title to someone like Mark Henry or Big Show, then a babyface would look weak for ducking Henry or Show in favor of Ziggler. So, I just don't see an opponent, as opposed to Punk keeping the title and having potential opponents on both rosters like The Miz or Wade Barrett (Barrett would win the Rumble, then ducking Henry or Show would make sense as a heel move). Or, of course, Chris Jericho.

For all those reasons, I see Punk holding on to the title. There have been title matches lately with screwy finishes, so that is certainly a possibility. Stone Cold stunned a special guest referee Vince McMahon and physically forced his hand to slap the mat three times in a PPV main event against Dude Love back in the day. So, I see a similar situation where Punk hits Laurinaitis with a GTS after Laurinaitis ignores Ziggler tapping out to the Anaconda Vice. That would get a huge pop, then Punk would do the same to Ziggler and get the three count win. (Read Mezzera's Hits & Misses column on each week's Raw and Smackdown.)

Jon Cudo, PWTorch specialist

I really thought Raw was a strong show and did a great job building up the show, future TV shows, characters, feuds, and the Royal Rumble. This set-up for Punk did a nice job cementing Punk's character along with building Laurinaitis's character's motivations and growing frustrations. Ziggler has been pushed well over the last months, as well, to the point where it's plausible that he goes over, but not a forgone conclusion.

If this were a late summer PPV, I would think Ziggler winning is more likely. Since it is the start of the Road to WrestleMania, I think WWE will look for more stability with the top titles, so I suspect Punk will go over despite the deck being stacked against him. Laurinaitis will be further frustrated, setting up the February PPV stipulations.

With business and ratings down, anything is possible...but I believe WWE will stick with C.M. Punk holding the title past the Rumble. Ziggler's time will come in 2012...but I suspect they have plans that will take them through WrestleMania with Punk. (Read Cudo's weekly True-False-TBD column examining three topics in the news.)

Ben Tucker, PWTorch TV specialist

This is the time of year when WWE tries out some of their up-and-comers. Jeff Hardy, John Morrison, and others get a major push around this time, but, in the end, they retain their position in the upper-mid-card. This is where I see Ziggler fitting in, close to last year's scenario when he faced off against Edge. In a competitive match, Laurinaitis's plans will backfire and Punk will retain the title. Simple.

However, Ziggler's improved in-ring/mic skills almost guarantee that he won't be out of the main event scene for long. Mid-to-late 2012 would be a great time to put the belt on Ziggler, or at least cement him as a main event player. As of right now, chances are he'd get lost in the shuffle, much like what happened with The Miz last year. Will he win the belt here? Almost definitely not. But, by the end of the year, he's going to be a top player in the company. (Read Tucker's Instant Reaction to each week's Raw, Impact, and Smackdown.)

Jimmy Eaton, Retrospective of the Common Fan Specialist

First, let me make it known that Dolph Ziggler is more than ready for a WWE Title run. With that being said, I think that his reign shouldn't come until after WrestleMania. My simple reasoning for this is the C.M. Punk has a fantastic following and is making the title credible for the first time in a while. I'm not entirely loving the Punk-Laurinaitis storyline, but, on Raw, it certainly picked up a bit thanks for some outside help from Mick Foley. However, at the Royal Rumble, I'm going to go with Johnny's attempt at a sabotage failing and Punk retaining. This will set up an additional match with Johnny down the line, possibly at the Elimination Chamber. At the Rumble, I suspect a knocked out Johnny still counts three with Punk playing puppet master. I could certainly be wrong, but that's how I see them going with this. Punk's getting too good of a reaction for them to take the belt off him at this point heading into a potentially hot feud with Chris Jericho.

Furthermore, I do think that if this is done with a bit of patience, WWE will have Dolph Ziggler as the champion somehow, someway at the early stages of post-WrestleMania season. When exactly, I'm not sure, but with a new babyface chasing him for the title, they'll have created some intrigue among fans who want to see him get his face bashed in. I can see him dumping Vickie at some point, too, but, either way, I think that the sky is the limit for this guy. He's by far the most improved Superstar on the WWE roster. Punk can continue to be a star in his own right, despite being away from a title for a little while over the first part of the summer.

Overall, I believe Ziggler is more than ready, but wrestling needs more of a slow burn towards something that should be treated as a big title change. I'm thinking my usual "WWE may get this right" card, but, I'll admit that's almost always never the case. I'll stand by it, though, and we'll see if it pans out. If WWE knows what's good for them, it will! (Agree? Disagree? Follow Eaton @TheCommonFan to start the debate.)

Check back for Part 3 on Thursday!

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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