WWE Over the Limit 2012: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan Will Steal the Show

Another week of build-up has to occur before Over the Limit next weekend, but the card is already setting up to become another strong pay-per-view. No match will be more entertaining than the one between longtime friends CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, though.

The stories of Punk and Bryan are similar. Both had to fight their way through years at wrestling's lower levels before finally getting their big break with the WWE, so it only makes sense that they both became fan favorites around the same time last summer.

After an extended period of domination by top superstars like John Cena and Randy Orton, the WWE finally started to give some new talent a chance in the main-event scene to see if they could handle the spotlight. Both Punk and Bryan thrived.

They did it in different ways, however. Punk was able to become a hero with his promos about the terrible direction the company had gone in recent years. Since so many fans shared a similar sentiment, he quickly moved up the ladder and has now been the champion for more than 170 days.

Now, every crowd has a boatload of CM Punk shirts, and he gets the biggest positive reaction of anybody on the roster. It's really amazing to consider how far he's come in a year while most other superstars have been stuck in neutral.

As for Bryan, he was able to get his chance because of his terrific in-ring ability. The WWE had been holding him back for so long that he basically became a folk hero among diehard fans, so he wasn't going to let his one huge chance slip away.

He was a face when first taking control of the belt, but quickly transitioned to a heel when things started getting off track. That change really led to his character taking off, allowing him to become a megastar just like his buddy Punk.

Bryan received another boost at WrestleMania, where he lost to Sheamus in 18 seconds. That caused fans to start chanting "Yes! Yes! Yes!" in support of Bryan, which proved to the company that he was truly over with the fans.

Sheamus' push was too strong to abandon it right away, so the decision was made to shift Bryan into a storyline with Punk. And even though it's widely assumed Punk will retain his title, that hasn't lessened the hype surrounding the match at Over the Limit.

Luckily, if there's two guys on the roster that can actually exceed the hype, it's Punk and Bryan. They have been working together for so long that fans should expect several tremendous spots and an top-notch match overall.

When it's all said and done, that will be the one match fans remember from Over the Limit.