WWE: Brock Lesnar Should Return to Face CM Punk

Since succumbing to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141, there has been much speculation about Brock Lesnar returning to his professional roots—the WWE.

Adding fuel to the rumors is a recent, impromptu interview of UFC president Dana White conducted by TMZ.

When asked if it would be OK for Lesnar to venture back to the WWE, White was not only at ease with the possibility, but seemed to endorse it.

And Lesnar, too, seems open to a another WWE run if his affiliation with the video game WWE '12 is any indication.

In addition, when prodded by journalists, Lesnar mentioned he would strike another deal with Vince McMahon if the circumstances were right.

Only a few days ago, Bill Goldberg surprised everyone by tweeting he would come out of retirement to wrestle Lesnar in a WWE-sanctioned bout.

Certainly, while the notion is intriguing, the world was treated to the match between the two men at WrestleMania 20—which has gone down in infamy as one of the biggest disappointments in the event's history.

Suffice to say, given the flop of their prior match—and Goldberg's drastic drop in market value—very few would care to see a rematch.

However, there is one contest—real or choreographed—that fans of both the UFC and WWE would plunk down their hard-earned cash to see: CM Punk versus Brock Lesnar.

There are so many parallels between the two that it would be one wrought out of fate if it were to come to fruition.

The most obvious commonality is that both individuals have been sponsored by wrestling's most deviously ingenious mind at one time or another.

Of course, the person I'm referring to is Paul Heyman, the erstwhile ECW owner, WWE writer and  confidant to both Lesnar and Punk.

Without Heyman's support, Punk would likely have been shed of his identity, character and chances of making it in the WWE.

Similarly, it was the same support—in this case, close friendship—that played an instrumental role in sharpening Lesnar's focus, without which he would not have gone as far as he did in the UFC.

Thus, if a WWE match were to transpire between Punk and Lesnar, Heyman could be an invaluable part of the buildup.

For instance, the mere choice—as to which man Heyman endorses—would be an intriguing plot point if carried out correctly.

Secondly, another attribute Lesnar and Punk share is that both give the impression of being legitimate fighters/wrestlers.

In Lesnar's case, we know such an assertion to be categorically true; and, in regards to Punk, we could see it being possibly true given his Muay Thai-inspired offense.

Consequently, the suspension of disbelief in a projected encounter would not seem entirely farfetched.

Thirdly, Punk and Lesnar have—or will soon enjoy—crossover appeal in both the WWE and UFC.

Unequivocally, Lesnar is a former WWE and UFC champion known to both fan bases. And Punk, while never having stepped into the Octagon, is scheduled to escort Chael Sonnen prior to his FOX fight in Chicago on January 28.

Soon, UFC fans will become acquainted with the "Straight Edge" superstar if they haven't already; in fact, don't be surprised if the Windy City faithful burst out chants of "CM Punk" on that night.

Lastly, the most interesting and important parallel between Punk and Lesnar is that both men are arguably the top dogs in their respective professions.

Granted, although Lesnar retired from the UFC, he left as the company's top pay-per-view draw in history.

Likewise, CM Punk was one of very few men in 2011 to be responsible for an uptick in pay-per-view buys for an event from the previous year (Money in the Bank).

Not to mention, besides being the WWE's hottest act of 2011, Punk is the first man in five years to unseat John Cena from the apex of the merchandising sales chart.

Needless to say, all of these reasons and more point to a CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar duel being not only refreshingly entertaining, but a business bonanza.