Breaking Down Why Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk Was Match of the Year

Brock Lesnar defeating CM Punk was the best example of story, violence and skill merging to form greatness in 2013.

No other WWE match made the most of its compelling buildup. No other bout wrapped its fingers as tightly around the audience the way that Lesnar vs. Punk at SummerSlam did.

Punk's hatred being pulled in two directions, intensity, holds from the MMA world, chair shots and unchecked fury pushed their battle beyond the best that 2013 had to offer.

Regardless of the bout that won the Slammy Award for Match of the Year, these are the matches that provide Lesnar vs. Punk with the most competition.

• John Cena vs. CM Punk: Raw, Feb. 25
• CM Punk vs. Undertaker: WrestleMania 29
• Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena: SummerSlam
• Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton: Raw, Dec. 16

While looking at the power of the story that fed into Lesnar vs. Punk and picking apart that match's in-ring elements, one can see why that match surpasses all of those.

It's the match that had Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net write, "This was fantastic. It was laid out perfectly." Both John Canton of TJRWrestling.com and Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer, via ProFightDB.com, gave it 4.5 stars.

The performance worthy of that praise and more, of a standing ovation, began with a stellar story.

The White Whale and the Beast

Punk's search for revenge sent him off course. It pulled his ship into the rocks and served as the reason for his downfall.

He and Paul Heyman had been friends for years. Heyman became Punk's manager in 2012, the advocate overseeing Punk's historic 434-day reign as WWE champ. Their closeness elevated their eventual hatred.

After Payback in June, Punk expressed a desire for distance from his longtime ally.

Heyman's response was equal parts pouting and wickedness. He sent Lesnar after Punk, like one would let an enraged dog off the leash to tear into an intruder.

Heyman later cracked a ladder across Punk's head at Money in the Bank before scurrying out of the arena. That attack cost Punk a chance at the WWE Championship and ignited a feud between them. The momentum of that rivalry faded over time, but it was at its peak when Punk and Lesnar collided.

Lesnar was never just representing Heyman in the ring. He had his own issues with Punk.

In a promo on the Aug. 9 SmackDown, Lesnar mocked his SummerSlam opponent. He said, "I look at him and see a joke," before saying that he wasn't afraid of a guy who took a few MMA classes at his local gym.

This was two feuds in a single match. 

Punk faced a gladiator, but his eye remained on a snake in the corner. It was this distraction that led to "The Best in the World" losing.

Every time that he veered from his match to put his hands on Heyman, Lesnar came charging in, snapping his jaws on Punk.

There was a desperation about Punk's quest for vengeance. It blinded him the way Captain Ahab was blinded with rage in his search for the white whale.

Even when Lesnar had him hoisted on his shoulders, readying for an F-5, Punk was reaching out for Heyman.

When Bryan and Cena faced off later that night, they didn't have such a multi-layered narrative to work with. There were issues of Bryan looking to prove himself, but the tale didn't have the richness of revenge and jealousy that Punk and Lesnar did.

The champ choosing Bryan wasn't nearly as dramatic as the catalyst that started Punk vs. Lesnar.

Cena and Punk's battle for the right to face The Rock at WrestleMania was magnificent.

It didn't have the benefit of buildup the way that Lesnar vs. Punk did. Cena and Punk had previous animosity to work with, but anticipation for that bout was far lower. In addition, those foes didn't collide nearly as violently as Lesnar and Punk.

The Art of Brutality

Two enemies smashed into each other like something out of a demolition derby.

Any worry that the wrestling wouldn't live up to the hype, that a sense of realism would be damaged by the opponents' size difference was quickly crushed by the intensity of this matchup.

Punk and Lesnar's styles contrasted perfectly.

Lesnar was ferocious, seemingly unstoppable, a powerhouse tossing his foe like a tornado can lift the roof off a house. Punk had to rely on guts and quickness. He survived Lesnar's attacks and snuck in kicks that sent the brawler backward.

The images the match left behind are plentiful.

Lesnar power-bombing Punk to escape his triangle choke, Punk hitting Lesnar with a low blow to avoid a chair shot and Lesnar stomping on Punk and a piece of the announce table are chief among those.

Steel chairs smashed into vertebrae. Flesh pounded against the ring steps.

Beyond weapons and furniture, though, there was a concentrated intensity throughout the match. Every move felt powerful. Every submission seemed like it would result in a broken bone.

This was more hard-hitting than Punk vs. Undertaker, more of an explosion of violence. Orton vs. Bryan was brutal in its own way, with Orton trying to break Bryan's arm and both men biting each other.

The non-satisfying ending holds that bout back from being Match of the Year, but it also didn't drain the audience with its drama quite as much as Lesnar and Punk did.

The ending of the showdown between "Heyman guys" gave fans a climax that saw Punk's face crash into a chair and, before that, the startling sight of Punk chomping on Lesnar's ear.

GIF from SB Nation

Those two Superstars seemed to give all of themselves that night, pushing the level of violence to better entertain.

For Punk, it adds to a long list of recent great showings. For as long as he wants to continue in this business, he is going to amass a number of Match of the Year candidates each year.

Lesnar, despite not being a regular performer, competed in 2013's top bout. He showed no signs of ring rust. He instead reminded us how much of an incredible athlete he is.

There are certainly other plans in the works, but with as magical as Punk vs. Lesnar was the first time, WWE must find a way to give us the sequel.