The Rambam defines the resurrection of the dead as a fundamental of Judaism. However, unlike the Ramban, the Rambam holds that first there is Moshiach, then resurrection, and then the final result of souls' return to Olam Habah.
According to the Ramban, I can understand resurrection being a fundamental of faith - it is the end game of the whole creation and its purpose, according to the Ramban.
However, the Rambam doesn't count a belief in Olam Habah as fundamental, rather the intermediary stage of the resurrection.
If it is just a reward and punishment thing (that this is the way the ultimate reward and punishment will be melted out, and don't think punishment will only be spiritual or exists in this world, or something like that), it would seem to be subsumed into the fundamental of believing in reward and punishment. Why does it get its own fundamental, and not even as a continuation of the one of reward and punishment?
Answer
After some consideration, I think the straight forward answer for the Rambam is as follows.
The Rambam holds that the purpose of the times of Moshiach is to do Mitzvos to merit Olam Haba. That works nicely for those who will live then, but what about those who lived before? With what will they merit Olam Haba?
For that, the answer is Techiyas HaMeisim. They will come back (if they were worthy - he says that Olam HaTechiya is only for Tzaddikim) and have their chance to live in Messianic times before going on to merit Olam Haba.
This is a fundamental just like reward and punishment are fundamental - the belief that the reward is achievable in actuality for the individual is just as important as believing in the abstract in reward and punishment. Otherwise you might think you can avoid the punishment, but be in Golus and not have a chance at the reward.
In other words, if a person perceives that their Torah and Mitzvos now are worth so little, as measured by the reward they will get for it vs. the reward for those who live in the Messianic era, it would be similar to someone believing there is no reward or punishment at all. They will believe that their Avodas HaShem is (close to) worthless, and that ultimately what they do is of little consequence.
Nevertheless its position in the Ikkarim is understood to be after Moshiach, because it is precisely the opportunity represented by Yemos HaMoshiach that demands the same opportunity for those who died before.
כנלע"ד
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