What’s up CM Punk’s sleeve? It’s a mystery to all (including himself)

CLEVELAND – Standing next to Mickey Gall at the UFC 203 press conference on Thursday, CM Punk had the haggard look of a hard-living uncle posing with a nephew just home from college. He was dressed in a suave plaid blazer, but his eyes were weary with tolls. He was slightly hollowed out and sinewy, aging before our eyes. Still, he seemed happy. He’s been saying all week leading up to the fight that the joy of his life is being able to sleep in his own bed every night, and it’s hard not to believe him. He’s at ease with the things just beyond our consideration. After years on the road with the WWE, the simple pleasures are enough to sustain Phil Brooks.These days he goes in for just that kind of simplicity.Still, you’ve got to admit, this thing is odd — Gall and Punk, a young kid from New Jersey who materialized out of complete obscurity and a famous entertainer from another niche stage, somehow meaning everything to each other at a crossroads in Ohio. The fight is intriguing and brimming with an exceptional kind of faux magnitude. We want to know what CM Punk looks like in the literal realm of fighting because CM Punk wants to see what he’ll look like, but what’s really at stake? Punk’s wild weekend can have a happy ending, or a sad one, but the sport will go on one way or another. Gall can show up and do what most expect him to, he can take out Punk in 45 seconds, and he won’t automatically become a household name. In the short run, he’ll be a younger, more promising Seth Petruzelli. He’ll be onto his next fight where better assessments can be made. Maybe the next guy will shake his …

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