7 Things We Learned From The Evolution Of CM Punk - Episode 2
Episode two of the CM Punk doc has aired!
The second episode of Fox Sports 1's documentary on CM Punk's quest to fight in the UFC, The Evolution of Punk, aired Monday night. This second episode shed more light behind the scenes as Phil "CM Punk" Brooks attempted to ramp up his training and find success in the cage.
Featuring an appearance from Rancid's Lars Frederiksen, AJ Lee, and a misbehaving pet, the episode once again sought to balance the more serious aspects of Punk's unprecedented attempt to jump from having no fighting background straight to the UFC, alongside some attempts to lighten the mood.
Episode two also examined one of Punk's injury setbacks, as by the end of the show, he was seen icing a sore shoulder - something that will be a greater part of next week's outing, as Punk would eventually require surgery on the injury.
What did we learn from the second episode in The Evolution of Punk? That's a good question. We're introduced to a new, younger sparring partner, we see Punk move out of his native Chicago, and witness the pressure he puts on himself, which might actually be more than the pressure he faces from outside critics.
That, and lots more - so lets examine seven things we learned from The Evolution of Punk - Episode 2.
7. The Learning Process Was Slow But Steady
Lets start with a bit of positive news: while progress was slow (which is to be expected, really), CM Punk did show some steady improvement in training from the first episode to the second.
Primarily, this comes in his next sparring session with Craig Eckelberg, a 6-2 professional fighter who was Punk's opponent in his first live sparring outing, featured in the first episode of the series. The good news is that Punk managed to learn from his mistakes in the pair's first meeting, and actually got some applause for being able to properly defend and counter Eckelberg's attacks.
Though he ate a head kick early, and still lost the session, the point of sparring isn't winning, but learning. Punk showed better position, more awareness, and an improved sprawl to defend against takedowns.
This would carry over into a later sparring session as well, where viewers get to see a little more of Punk's skill set - and how he reacts after the fact.
Also of note: AJ Lee did turn up to watch Punk spar, though it's clear she's uncomfortable with it. Lars Frederiksen, lead singer of punk legends Rancid, was also cageside. After it was over, Lee commented that she may have gripped her arms so hard her nails went right through them. Punk's reply? "Worried? What's the worst that's going to happen?"