yeah see, i think you kinda are getting caught in looking at the wrong spots there. the belt credibility was fine actually and would be fine even if he WERE to leave - they'd make a new one. Punk would be acknowledged, but with him gone all he's holding is a physical object. he left as the champ, effectively leaves the belt to be vacated. you make a new one just like they did. the tournament is there to remove credibility concerns and is a logical move. they dont' really want the 'we just lost our title oh god' feel going. Vince never was too worried about its credibility you'll remember - that was Cena. Vince simply did not want to be embarassed. that was it. ego.
but Punk had 2 enemies. 1 was Cena, 1 was Vince. he attacked both in the shoot-promo that's shown it's getting more and more of a work than a shoot over the weeks (and i'm sure will continue this trend until we look back and go 'wow that's amazing'), Vince retaliated, Cena defended him, and Vince's credibility is what was hurt. week later Punk comes out, rags on Vince. calls himself effectively a person for the people (face statement, face reaction) and Vince isn't (heel to both). Cena goes on as normal.
Punk leaving was never actually a problem. that's the entire point proven by last week and early this week - he left, the wheel moved on. just a cog in the machine. it's what Punk did that created the problems. what he told Vince and made Vince do is why Vince is gone. what Cena did for him, what he told Cena, and the fact that he beat Cena for the belt all takes a toll on Cena himself. Cena leaving wasn't really a problem either since really, they'd do the same thing as Punk: just keep going. that's been the theme so far, no one man is too important. not Punk, not Vince, not Cena. the belt can be fixed. the stars can be made.
but Vince is gone because of that. he did it to himself through Punk's ripples.
Cena losing the belt was also Cena's own fault. Punk pointed out where the gap between his character and his reality is, that he's a 10 time champ, is the man, and has been the guy on top forever and is refusing to let it go - going so far as to say he'll hold the belt for a year even. ego.
one enemy down. the other's being worn down. he just fought for the wrong belt, raised it like it was the right one, would've continued as if it were the right one, and got it by having a match he shouldn't have gotten that night. and even though the crowd was with him, they were with Punk more.
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The future must protect the clone's past.
"Maybe it's a tentacle, molesting the planet itself. - Aschen Brodel.