The latest wrestling superstar to comment on CM Punk's UFC signing is Matt Hardy - and the former member of the Hardy Boyz, one of the most exciting tag teams of the Attitude Era, brings up an excellent point on Chair Shot Reality in comparing CM Punk's move to the UFC with Brock Lesnar trying out for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. When it comes to Punk and Lesnar, two pro wrestling stars who later signed with the UFC, Hardy suggests the comparison to make isn't with their respective MMA moves, but their moves to areas where they had no background: MMA for Punk, and pro football for Brock Lesnar. Lesnar, of course, tried out for the NFL in 2004 almost immediately after leaving the WWE. He had a strong showing at the NFL Combine (a week-long scouting showcase held in February), and made the Minnesota Vikings practice team. After an eight-week training camp, he came close to making the team but was cut at the end of camp, with an offer to play on the Viking's European franchise in NFL Europa, which he declined to be closer to his family. Lesnar had made the move with absolutely no collegiate football experience - he never even had an offer to play college ball. That's quite similar to Punk, who has no belt in any martial arts discipline, and has no college amateur wrestling background. The key point here is - did Lesnar trying out for the NFL hurt his value, even though he didn't make it? In general, most fans were pretty impressed that Lesnar made it as far as he did with no background in the sport, and he went on to be a huge draw in the next career he conquered - MMA. However, Hardy does state that if Punk is exposed in a number of real fights, it may hurt him in the long run. And really, does Punk have a third career option to fall back on the way Brock Lesnar did?
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
