WWE: How Long to Wait Before CM Punk Drops a Pipe Bomb on Chris Jericho?

The feud between Chris Jericho and CM Punk is shaping up to be a no-frills, no-gimmicks affair.

Unlike the WWE's other storylines, there are no supernatural men here giving themselves inexplicable haircuts or, for that matter, being made a mockery of by suffering devastating injuries for the 100th time.

Simply put, Jericho vs. Punk is destined to be a strategic battle between two wrestlers who want to prove dominance over the other.

In other words, their budding rivalry is about who is "The Best in the World"—a moniker both individuals have claimed as their own.

It's a story of fates intertwined and careers at a similar crossroads.

From the moment the cryptic "It Begins" buzzword flashed on the screen, we knew that we were about to witness the return of one man and his odyssey to "reclaim what is his."

And what Jericho deems to be a distinction bestowed upon only him is a cause worth wrestling for—and one that Punk won't relinquish without a trying struggle.

The reason being is that Punk has gone to great lengths to rip away the cachet of "Best in the World"  from Jericho's tight clutches beginning in mid-2011.

That period was indeed the "summer of Punk," which was ignited by the first "pipe bomb" of many and subsequently rocket-fueled by the match of the year at Money in the Bank 2011.

In seemingly one fell swoop, "The Straight Edge" superstar broke out from the pall of mediocrity to become the undisputed man in the company.

With his potential nearly realized, Punk now meets his greatest challenge yet, personally and professionally, against a man who has all the ingredients to upend him.

Chris Jericho is not just any performer; he is a master on the microphone and in the squared circle just like "The Voice of the Voiceless."

While an in-ring showcase at WrestleMania 28 will ultimately set the record straight on who is the better wrestler, the promos leading up to it will reveal the better talker.

Up to this point, the two have traded glancing blows on the "stick." On the latest edition of Raw, during the Elimination Chamber debate, Jericho skillfully patronized Punk, who retorted with a Dancing with the Stars jab.

It was an entertaining exchange, as briefly as it lasted. Still, it was only a primer foreshadowing full-throttled verbal warfare.

Whereas most of us can predict the words Y2J will eventually utter—the kind wrapped in turgid bubble wrap accented with overtly earnest facial expressions—the inscrutable Punk is a different beast altogether.

The Chicago native has carved a reputation in the last year as a man who is known to surprise the WWE universe with a "pipe bomb" expertly aimed at his adversary's pride.

In the past, for instance, inside references to Stephanie McMahon, the death of WCW and the "Dynamic Dudes" have boiled over Triple H, Kevin Nash and John Laurinaitis, respectively.

Against his current challenger, Jericho, the burning question is when will Punk unleash the the caustic one-liner that will corrode his arch-nemesis' ego?

Undoubtedly, so as to not burn the flame of momentum too soon, it is probably better served to save it no more than a few weeks before WrestleMania.

And when the time comes, what could Punk rattle off—in the form of a "pipe bomb"—that will rattle the former "Lionheart" to his very core?

A reference to "Lucy the Dog"?

A zinger about Jericho "always" being Triple H's designated jobber?

An allusion to Y2J's rumored infidelity?

An insult in the vein of "nobody" caring about Jericho's band, Fozzy?

Certainly, while we may not see Punk's newest "pipe bomb" for a while, we'll know precisely when it happens.

As opposed to other WWE stars who have tested Punk's patience, though, Jericho may just have a rebuttal in reserve.

After all, the first-ever undisputed WWE champion is a masterful elocutionist in his own right as well.

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