7 Things We Learned From The Evolution Of Punk Episode 3
1. Punk's Team Had A Say In Mickey Gall's Selection As His First Opponent
Head coach Duke Roufus and striking coach Scott Cushman were shown video of Mickey Gall following his callout of CM Punk on the reality show Dana White - Looking For A Fight. And while Cushman cautioned there were still fundamentals to work on for Punk, Roufus liked the match-up, and felt that having an opponent to prepare for might just push Punk to the next level.
Whether or not Roufus was right will be determined when the two face off in the cage in less than two weeks, but he certainly seems to have confidence in his high-profile pupil.
That's good. What might be seen as less promising is Punk's comment that not having an opponent to train for made fighting seem like a job. Well, that's exactly what fighting is for professional fighters - it's a job. Hard work, day in, day out. Punk will need to accept that if fighting is to be more than a one-off bucket list experience for him.
In any case, Hurt ends with the selection of Gall as his first opponent - and the fact that Punk's team had as much say in this as they appear to shows that Punk is certainly getting more leeway than most new fighters when it comes to choosing opponents.