CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar
When CM Punk steps into the ring to fight Paul Heyman client Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, he will face a Superstar who, in Punk’s words, is “a monster."
Against The Anomaly, The Straight Edge Superstar will have a near 50-pound weight disadvantage, as well as a reach disadvantage, never mind an obvious shortcoming in the strength department. Depending on how well he recovers from Lesnar’s savage attack on the July 15 edition of Raw — an incident that resulted in whiplash and strained knee and ankle ligaments for Punk — The Voice of the Voiceless may well be competing at less-than-peak form against an athletic abnormality who wrestles a part-time schedule.
But one factor that will not work against Punk when he arrives at Los Angeles’ STAPLES Center is fear. The Straight Edge Superstar concedes that Lesnar is every bit The Beast Incarnate that Heyman makes him out to be, but according to Punk, beasts like Lesnar exist for only one reason: to be slayed.
Punk has vowed to remove any obstacle between himself and the man who double-crossed him, Heyman. Motivated not only by the sting of betrayal, but also the uncomfortably personal remarks spouted by WWE’s extreme strategist, The Best in the World will likely need every ounce of fearlessness if he hopes to topple the biggest obstacle of them all in Lesnar.
The scene on July 15’s Raw did little to instill confidence in Punk supporters. Made to look like a courageous but overwhelmed civilian by The Anomaly, The Straight Edge Superstar displayed plenty of heart in the encounter, repeatedly pulling himself up by the bootstraps and reengaging in battle. Yet, when the dust settled, Lesnar appeared to have won the dust-up handily.
Punk insists the results will be different at SummerSlam. As unforgiving as Lesnar has proven to be, The Best in the World may be even more unrelenting. The Beast took the first several rounds of battle with relative ease, but with the war set to culminate at SummerSlam — inside the domain where Punk feels most at home, the squared circle.
Adding in the deeply personal overtones of the Heyman-Punk rivalry, there is reason to believe the fearless and untiring Straight Edge Superstar will stop at nothing to gain the win. Whether or not The Beast Incarnate can actually be slayed, however, might be a different story altogether.
Find out what happens when The Best takes on The Beast at SummerSlam, live on pay-per-view on Sunday, Aug. 18.
