WWE's announcement of a 3-time champion's match against CM Punk gets Hall of Famer's approval: "This is not favoritism, this is business" (Exclusive)

CM Punk's WWE return has opened the door to a world of fascinating matchmaking! As announced by the company, Punk will take on Dominik Mysterio, and Teddy Long recently revealed why it was a brilliant decision.

While it won't be a televised match, CM Punk will face Dominik Mysterio at the Holiday Tour house show later this month. It will be Punk's first match in the company since his return, and moreover, he is scheduled to compete against Dom on two separate dates.

The highly anticipated match was discussed on the latest episode of The Wrestling Time Machine, where Teddy Long had nothing but praise for Dominik Mysterio.

The former NXT North American Champion has improved tremendously over the past year, and Long felt WWE was right to trust the young star to wrestle a returning veteran like CM Punk.

Long was all for WWE's call to have Punk get in the squared circle with Dominik, as you can see below:

"I like that! I really like that, because Dominik man, he has come a long way! I've known Dominik since he was a little baby. Well, not a baby, but a boy who would come to the matches with Rey. So, he has certainly learned and progressed and just done everything right. I'm telling you. I think that's a good call right there." [3:30 - 3:51]

The former SmackDown General Manager said WWE's decision to push Dominik in big spots, like in a match against CM Punk, was a testament to how much faith top officials have in the son of Rey Mysterio.

"Dominik understands," Long continued. "His father has trained him right. He understands this is business. This is not favoritism; this is business. And now, as we call it back in the day, he knows his way around." [4:10 - 4:19]

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Bill Apter on Dominik Mysterio's in-ring improvements in WWE

When he first began wrestling for the WWE, Dominik Mysterio was visibly 'green' in the ring. You might have the Mysterio blood, but wrestling is an intricate art form that takes years to master.

Dom has been one of the workhorses for WWE in recent times, and he's learned on the job, quickly improving as an in-ring worker, according to Bill Apter.

The legendary journalist liked how Dominik now seemed comfortable whenever he wrestled, and credited him for putting in hours of training to raise his level.

"He has started to turn into a great worker because when he first started, you know, as tall and lanky as he is, he was a little uncomfortable, but now, you can see he is really very comfortable with what he is doing. His ring work has improved so very much." [4:20 -4:40]

Apter also felt that, as Punk would need to win in his first match, Triple H and his team could not have chosen a better opponent than Dominik.

Do you agree? Is Dominik the ideal first opponent for CM Punk? Sound off in the comments section below.