WWE SummerSlam: The unstoppable force meets the immovable object

CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar

When you look back at all the matches that have happened in professional wrestling, there have been many which were billed as “The unstoppable force meeting the immovable object”. While that looks good on paper, seldom does the tag hold any water.

Other than The Rock, there hasn’t been any other superstar who has transcended professional wrestling into something else, except for one other man. Ironically, he defeated The Rock at SummerSlam to win his first WWE championship.

In a few more days, Brock Lesnar will meet CM Punk at SummerSlam, which is being billed as “The best vs The beast”. Truth of the matter is, it isn’t something that started a couple of weeks ago. The story goes way back, and that’s why it holds my interest.

CM Punk facing Brock Lesnar isn’t just yet another PPV match, but something much bigger, something that wouldn’t have happened if you had asked Vince McMahon back in ’06-’07.

It is publicly known that Vince McMahon wasn’t a big fan of Brock Lesnar when Brock first arrived on the scene. The same goes for CM Punk, with Vince and other higher authorities advising Heyman to cut him loose. The funny thing is, Vince McMahon doesn’t like Paul Heyman a whole lot either.

So when you look at the gravity of this match and how important it is, and how phenomenal it can/may be, it’s ironical that back in ’07, this match wasn’t even supposed to happen. CM Punk wasn’t supposed to make it big in the WWE. Brock Lesnar, after leaving the WWE, was almost blacklisted, with Vince trying to erase Brock’s name as the youngest WWE champion (And hence, many claim that is the only reason for Orton winning his first World championship).

This was one of those bouts which wasn’t supposed to happen, but the enormous talent and brains involved in WWE defeated the odds once again.

Back in 2011, Punk dropped the names of Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman in his now famous “worked shoot” on RAW. When you look back, it is nothing less than phenomenal how things have turned out.

Punk went on to hold the WWE title for 434 days, while Paul Heyman was brought back to groom Punk, and make him a megastar from a superstar. Punk has since been the number two guy in the company.

When Brock retired from UFC, the rumour mill started turning once again, and soon, Lesnar made his way into the WWE, something that no one saw happening some years ago. The seeds were slowly being sowed for this match since then, with WWE waiting to pull the trigger.

Unlike other feuds, the WWE creative didn’t have to work hard to come up with a good storyline for this feud. Brock Lesnar is a lot like CM Punk. These are two individuals who can shake things up and defied the WWE management, and became two of the biggest stars. When you add Paul Heyman into the mix, it legitimizes the feud and gives it credibility.

Paul Heyman is one of those guys who can sell you an empty jar for a thousand bucks, convincing you that it is something magical. With Heyman providing the verbiage for Lesnar, this was going to be anything but ‘just another match’ on the card.

Brock Lesnar and CM Punk have their own story to tell. This is what makes this match and feud so interesting. They don’t need a ‘script’ for the background of the story. Brock Lesnar has been one of the fiercest competitors in WWE history, and CM Punk has transcended the normal ‘superstar’ ranks and has evolved with time. For once, they told the story in the ring, instead of the creative coming up with a ridiculous plot.

At SummerSlam, it is likely that we will see something special unfold in front of our eyes. Punk and Lesnar wouldn’t want it to be just another match, and hence, this will likely be something that we won’t forget any time soon.

Although the stakes are high, it isn’t really about who wins or loses. This match, for all intents and purposes, defines the careers of these two individuals. Come Sunday, the unstoppable force will meet the immovable object in a match which will most likely steal the show.

What will unfold is something that cannot be predicted, and that makes this match even more interesting. With Paul Heyman being at the ringside, this match might just be as good as Punk-Undertaker match at WrestleMania!