I'm disapointed with how they got there, but they got there nonetheless, which is the most important thing. I felt the best go of it would have been to have Jericho win at the Chamber, and Punk have to go through a tournament set up by Laurinitis to get the title shot at Wrestlemania. Yes, I know he would have been entitled to a rematch clause, but WWE expects us to have short memories. As I said in another thread, I would have given Punk the John Cena treatment from 2009; Punk comes in, cleans house for about 10 minutes, gets hit with three finishers, and is eliminated, even before Jericho enters the Chamber. That would have kept he and Jericho apart until their inevitable clash at Wrestlemania. But, as I said, they got there, which is the most important thing.
Where do you put this match on the card? This feels strangely reminiscent of Wrestlemania 19, where the WHC match featuring Booker T and HHH was further down on the card then Rock/Austin, Hogan and Vince, and Lesnar/Angle. In this case, it's rightfully so, as both HHH/Undertaker and certainly Rock/Cena are the preeminant matches on the show. The positive of this is that it puts both men in a place where they don't have to feel the pressure to steal the show, and can simply put on the clinic both men are capable of.
It reminds me of Survivor Series this past year, where Punk was fighting Del Rio for the WWE Championship. Punk, in character or not, said he was going to steal the show and tell Rock and Cena to "follow that." And he delivered on his word, as it was the best match of the night. This match could be very similar. Punk and Jericho are both prideful men, but more importantly, take pride in their work. Being overshadowed by not only one, but two non-championship matches will likely motivate both men to steal the show, and I have no doubt that they will.
I think Punk retains the title here, with Jericho perhaps winning it at Extreme Rules. Punk has been a great champion, with this easily being his best title reign. Jericho provides the perfect opponent to put Punk over due to the "Best In The World" storyline, which both men have been claiming to be. Since Jericho's return, Punk has been the better man, winning matches cleanly while Jericho either loses, or wins due to interference. I expect this to change in the build towards Survivor Series, and we see an "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better", type of build, perhaps similar to Angle/Michaels at WM21.
This is going to be a great match, regardless of placement. I think Punk needs to retain here to truly solidify himself as that #2 face behind John Cena, giving him his defining moment. Much like HHH did for John Cena at Wrestlemania, I expect Jericho to put Punk over, likely via submission. I, for one, can't wait for the real build for this match to start.
