CM Punk: Brock Lesnar Needs To Spar More, Talks About Whether WWE Is A ‘Real Sport’
CM Punk’s UFC career has not even started yet, and already he is giving Brock Lesnar advice on how to better his MMA game. The former leader of the Straight Edge Society even decided to discuss whether the WWE should be considered a “real sport.”
In a related report by the Inquisitr, CM Punk recently spoke about his wife AJ Lee being in the WWE Divas for the first time, and how that affects his own career in the UFC. Unfortunately, AJ Lee’s injury has her taking a backseat in the WWE, and rumors suggest there is more to her plans for the future.
It’s possible that Brock Lesnar may return to MMA fighting soon, and it’s believed that UFC and Bellator may be in a bidding war to lure the Beast back into the fold. Unfortunately, despite Lesnar winning the UFC’s heavyweight title in his fourth professional fight, MMA fans recall how Lesnar was infamous for that panicked expression whenever he was punched in the face.
CM Punk was asked about whether or not Brock Lesnar could take a punch, and the former WWE champion had some advice ready to dish out.
“I suppose the easy answer to what Brock’s shortcomings were that he probably needed to spar more,” CM Punk said. “Everyone always likes to say Brock hated getting hit in the face. I don’t know who likes getting hit in the face, but I guess he did need to work on his stand-up defense.”
Of course, CM Punk has no competitive background in MMA, and despite training in karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he’s never had a competition. When questioned whether Punk could take a punch himself, he seemed pretty confident he could handle himself in the cage.
“You get punched in the nose, your eyes water. When it happens, will I turn around and run? No, that’s not going to happen. I’m going to do my best to avoid that punch, but if it lands, I’ll be OK. I definitely think it is a gut-check moment for anyone,” CM Punk admitted to ESPN. “When you get smashed in the face for the first time, whether it’s in the schoolyard or a sanctioned boxing match, I think you find something out about yourself. Some people run. Some people will stand there. Some people will say, ‘That wasn’t bad,’ while others will say, ‘That was awful,’ but they’ll still stand in the pocket. I think it’s about finding out what’s inside of you. I’ve already had it in the schoolyard, in the gym, in the ring. It’s happened a lot.”
The former WWE superstar was also asked whether or not WWE is a real sport. CM Punk says this “varies,” and while what wrestlers do makes them athletes, sometimes you have situations where “you’ve got to dress up like Santa or you’re getting beat up by Santa.” Still, Punk believes “pro wrestling is no joke” and that “everybody in it is an athlete to some degree.”
