At the next WWE pay-per-view No Way Out, WWE Champion CM Punk will put his strap on the line versus Daniel Bryan and Kane. Some question the involvement of Kane within the current angle, but it gives the big guy something to do until Summerslam finally rolls around.

At Over The Limit, Punk and Bryan put on an absolute clinic in, what I consider, the best match this year in the WWE. The only thing that was really missing was a fun angle to leading up to the match. That said, the involvement of Kane and AJ has had it's moments. While not as drama heavy as Punk’s “Contract Situation” angle last year, it hasn't been a complete waste of time either.

As a “mark” for both Bryan and Punk, I view Kane’s involvement in this match as hardly needed. Both men can lay legitimate claims to being the “Best In The World” of this current generation. However, Kane’s involvement solves a few issues with the current storyline and with the booking for the WWE Title going forward.

Kane himself is actually a fine worker in the ring. His match with Cena at Elimination Chamber and Orton at WrestleMania 28 were both good, and along with Henry, he’s as credible a “big man” wrestler as there is in the WWE. As such, it shouldn’t detract overly much from the quality of the match.

Of course, the reason for that is the usual booking of Triple Threat matches where two men are given the spotlight at any time. An even split between the three men will give Kane time to do this stuff and take a breather before resuming the match at a pace that will be adequate to the viewing audience that isn't boring.

The booking gets interesting for a few reasons. Punk has been a fine champion since winning the strap at last year's Survivor Series. His reign has been the longest since Triple H in 2008. However, the question of what to do with the title situation gets interesting from here on out.

The first question is “Does CM Punk hold the strap until Summerslam?” They could go this route so that when he does finally drop it, it has more of an impact. This would fall in line with a Big Show monster-type of booking for their rumored collision date in Los Angeles. Punk has been, more or less, invincible when it mattered the most.

The second question is “What does Daniel Bryan do?” Bryan has been the breakout star of the year up to now. After winning the strap at TLC, he’s character has evolved into a credible heel and one of the bonafide lovable characters on the roster. He’s even become more “over” after dropping the World Heavyweight Championship to Sheamus in 18 seconds at WrestleMania 28. If that’s not a testament to Bryan’s ability, I don’t know what is.

The WWE might look to reward him with a WWE Title reign before the year is done. Either way, the WWE will need to keep him relevant given the current roster situation. Invariably, this will coincide with a push for AJ, who has received good reviews from fans and critics alike for her current work.

It helps that she cuts a stunning figure in nearly any outfit, but that only gets you so far. She’s been a master at selling her opponents for a while now, and that only comes with some bona fide acting talent. As such, her character evolution has been fun to watch, and the WWE has been wise to keep her involvement in the current angle limited to few choice spots during the matches.

The third question is “What about Kane?” Kane’s return just before was met with wild rejoicing by Internet fans. As time passed, however, this involvement with Cena petered out (as was necessary) and his brief feud with Orton left a few things to be desired. He’s usage as a pawn between Bryan and Punk has been good in spots, but he deserves more.

A win at No Way Out could preserve Punk’s credibility while giving the Big Red Monster another WWE Title reign before he sets off into the sunset and a date with the WWE Legends House. I’m kidding of course, thought he idea of a masked Kane hanging around the Iron Sheik at a mall tickles my funny bone.

Ultimately, the match looks fine on paper. Punk and Bryan are both proven commodities and the gimmick type will help cover up the fact that Kane is a step slower than the other two men. While it won’t be the classic that was Punk and Bryan’s match at Over The Limit, it could be good enough to be the match of the evening.

Ultimately, the likely outcome is Punk retaining the strap long enough for his rumored date with Big Show at Summerslam. That said, regardless of the outcome, the match should help make the pay-per-view worth the time, depending on how the rest of the card fills out.

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