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	<title>CM PUNK • BETTER-THAN-YOU.NET • your definitive CM Punk resource &#187; WWE.com Feature</title>
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	<link>http://better-than-you.net</link>
	<description>BETTER-THAN-YOU.NET - The most up-to-date source for CM Punk news, photos and media</description>
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		<title>Measuring the Anaconda Vise vs. the &#8220;Yes!&#8221; Lock</title>
		<link>http://better-than-you.net/2012/05/measuring-the-anaconda-vise-vs-the-yes-lock/</link>
		<comments>http://better-than-you.net/2012/05/measuring-the-anaconda-vise-vs-the-yes-lock/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 07:12:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thahani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com Feature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://better-than-you.net/?p=4956</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Behind door number one sits CM Punk and his Anaconda Vise, a crushing submission maneuver that clasps itself around a Superstar’s head and constricts it like a jungle snake, compacting his cranium until he screams in pain and taps in humbling defeat. Behind door number two lies Daniel Bryan and his “Yes!” Lock, a torturous [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/AVvsLBL.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/AVvsLBL.png" alt="" title="AVvsLBL" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4957" /></a></center><br />
Behind door number one sits CM Punk and his Anaconda Vise, a crushing submission maneuver that clasps itself around a Superstar’s head and constricts it like a jungle snake, compacting his cranium until he screams in pain and taps in humbling defeat.</p>
<p>Behind door number two lies Daniel Bryan and his “Yes!” Lock, a torturous hold that Bryan adapted from the legendary Gene LeBell. This contorting human torture contraption combines the mixed-martial arts omoplata with a crossface that attacks both the neck and shoulder joints with equal precision, leaving Bryan’s victim squirming for salvation from two angles until they tap while Bryan’s obnoxious screams of “YES!” rattle in their ears and reverberate off of the arena’s walls.</p>
<p>They are two of the most ignominious ways a Superstar can face the final bell in a match, and at WWE Over the Limit this Sunday, there’s a very good chance the WWE Title will be decided with one of them. But which hold wins out? As Punk and Bryan prepare for their long-awaited face off for the ultimate prize, WWE.com takes a look at each submission hold, its strengths and weaknesses, and a few choice testimonials from the Superstars who’ve been locked in its clutches. Ponder which one you’d prefer while you’re at it, too. As a wise man once said, you must choose. But choose wisely.<span id="more-4956"></span></p>
<p>The sensation of having one’s head crushed by their own arm is a remarkably unpleasant one, as many of CM Punk’s opponents can attest to. Punk’s Anaconda Vise submission hold – a deviation of the ju-jitsu arm triangle – is a combination of amateur wrestling tactics and some of The Second City Saint’s own ruthlessness, and it has helped him both win and retain the WWE Championship on several occasions. To lock in the devastating maneuver, Punk positions himself across his opponent’s body like he’s throwing in a headlock, putting pressure on the victim’s chest so they’re unable to wiggle free. The Voice of the Voiceless then traps his opponent’s forearm so they’re unable to roll through and reverse, snaking his tattooed arms around their head and upper body, squeezing until they surrender (and sometimes for a few minutes after, if he’s looking to make a point).</p>
<p>“It’s multifaceted and can be applied in different ways,” Punk told WWE.com back in November, before he used the Vise to capture the WWE Title from Alberto Del Rio at Survivor Series. “Because I have control of my opponent’s head, I can beat up a guy’s neck, his shoulder or his arm. That’s why I like it.” </p>
<p>The hold tends to leave an indelible mark on any Superstar who suffers it as well. Before Punk used it to win the WWE Championship from Del Rio, he infamously trapped The Essence of Excellence in the Vise for several miserable minutes, forcing him to grant Punk the title opportunity in the first place.</p>
<p>Announcer Michael Cole was another one of Punk’s more memorable victims, literally squealing for mercy after all of five seconds in The Second City Saint’s clutches. “Obviously the Anaconda Vise is a devastating submission hold. I wouldn’t say it’s quite as effective as my An-Cole Lock, which I used on J.R. – a WWE Hall of Famer, by the way – last year,” Cole told WWE.com, while also conceding that it could well be the deciding factor of the WWE Title Match at Over the Limit. “Being stuck in that move was one of the more humiliating moments of my career. I’d say if Daniel Bryan gets caught in that, he’s going to have his work cut out for him.”</p>
<p>As for The Miz, who is among those who’ve also tapped to the Vise, WWE.com reporters found him in a rare state when questioned on the move’s effectiveness: speechless.</p>
<p>“We don’t need to talk about that,” The Awesome One said of his past encounters with Punk’s submission.</p>
<p>Like we said: it leaves a mark that can’t be measured.</p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.wwe.com/shows/wweoverthelimit/2012/anaconda-vise-vs-yes-lock/page-1" target="_blank">wwe.com</a></p>
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		<title>WWE Studios joins &#8220;Queens of the Ring&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://better-than-you.net/2012/05/wwe-studios-joins-queens-of-the-ring/</link>
		<comments>http://better-than-you.net/2012/05/wwe-studios-joins-queens-of-the-ring/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2012 22:30:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thahani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[WWE.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com Feature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://better-than-you.net/?p=4941</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[STAMFORD, Conn. – WWE Studios and Karé Productions have announced a partnership centered around Karé&#8217;s new French film, &#8220;Les Reines Du Ring&#8221; (&#8220;Queens of the Ring&#8221;), currently in production in France and being distributed by Warner Bros. Entertainment France. &#8220;Le Reines du Ring&#8221; will utilize WWE trademarks, footage, consumer products and incorporate cameos by some [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WWEStudio.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WWEStudio.jpg" alt="" title="WWEStudio" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4942" /></a></center><br />
STAMFORD, Conn. – WWE Studios and Karé Productions have announced a partnership centered around Karé&#8217;s new French film, &#8220;Les Reines Du Ring&#8221; (&#8220;Queens of the Ring&#8221;), currently in production in France and being distributed by Warner Bros. Entertainment France.</p>
<p>&#8220;Le Reines du Ring&#8221; will utilize WWE trademarks, footage, consumer products and incorporate cameos by some of WWE’s biggest stars including WWE Superstars CM Punk, The Miz and Eve. WWE Studios will receive an in-association credit on the picture and have first-look rights to distribute the picture in the United States and Canada and to re-make the film in English.</p>
<p>&#8220;Les Reines du Ring&#8221; stars Nathalie Baye, Andre Dussollier and Marilou Berry. The comedy/drama is directed by Jean Marc Rudnicki and produced by Antoine Rein, Fabrice Goldstein and Thomas Langmann.</p>
<p>&#8220;Partnering on &#8216;Les Reines Du Ring&#8217; is another way for WWE Studios to participate in the telling of great stories in any language and continue to expand the WWE Studios brand worldwide,&#8221; said WWE Studios President Michael Luisi. &#8220;When we read the heartfelt family story being told by the Academy Award winning team behind &#8216;The Artist,&#8217; we knew as a company that we had to lend our expertise in the world of sports entertainment to make the film as authentic and engaging as possible.&#8221;</p>
<p>The film centers around Rose, a mother looking to strengthen her bond with her estranged son who is WWE fan. Going the extra mile, the loving mother begins training to become a wrestling diva. The comedy/drama follows Rose as she finds a job in a supermarket and convinces her new cashier colleagues to join her in her journey to impress her son by becoming a Queen of the Ring.</p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.wwe.com/inside/overtheropes/wwestudios/wwe-studios-joins-queens-of-the-ring" target="_blank">wwe.com</a></p>
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		<title>10 finisher combos that would level any WWE Superstar</title>
		<link>http://better-than-you.net/2012/04/10-finisher-combos-that-would-level-any-wwe-superstar/</link>
		<comments>http://better-than-you.net/2012/04/10-finisher-combos-that-would-level-any-wwe-superstar/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:52:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thahani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[WWE.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com Feature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://better-than-you.net/?p=4925</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Trifecta name: “Straight Edge Backdrop” The right mix of Superstar finishers can certainly create a championship combination. So what would happen if two reigning champions combined their efforts with the elbow drop of a WWE Legend? How about setting up Randy Savage’s signature move with two brutal maneuvers that leave an opponent laid out in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/kjtkejalkrajerkwjr.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/kjtkejalkrajerkwjr.png" alt="" title="kjtkejalkrajerkwjr" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4926" /></a><br />
<strong>Trifecta name: “Straight Edge Backdrop”</strong></p>
<p>The right mix of Superstar finishers can certainly create a championship combination. So what would happen if two reigning champions combined their efforts with the elbow drop of a WWE Legend?</p>
<p>How about setting up Randy Savage’s signature move with two brutal maneuvers that leave an opponent laid out in the middle of the ring? Primo &#038; Epico’s Backstabber consistently do a devastating number on any rival, but CM Punk could join the title-worthy trifecta by contributing a GTS of his own. Then, the energy of the WWE Universe builds to a crescendo as the Straight Edge Superstar invites Macho Man to rain down from the top rope and onto their fallen foe.</p>
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		<title>WWE.com: &#8220;Extreme Awards&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://better-than-you.net/2012/04/wwe-com-extreme-awards/</link>
		<comments>http://better-than-you.net/2012/04/wwe-com-extreme-awards/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:43:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thahani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[WWE.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com Feature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://better-than-you.net/?p=4920</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most Extreme Promo – CM Punk’s “Pipe Bomb” Perhaps no interview turned WWE on its head more than WWE Champion CM Punk’s infamous “Pipe Bomb” incident from the June 27, 2011, edition of Raw SuperShow. Sitting legs crossed on the stage as his Money in the Bank opponent John Cena lay writhing in pain in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/CMPunkpipebomb.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/CMPunkpipebomb.jpg" alt="" title="CMPunkpipebomb" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4921" /></a></center><br />
<strong>Most Extreme Promo – CM Punk’s “Pipe Bomb”</strong></p>
<p>Perhaps no interview turned WWE on its head more than WWE Champion CM Punk’s infamous “Pipe Bomb” incident from the June 27, 2011, edition of Raw SuperShow.</p>
<p>Sitting legs crossed on the stage as his Money in the Bank opponent John Cena lay writhing in pain in the ring, Punk embarked on a five-minute diatribe that sought to tear down the WWE institution, starting at the top.</p>
<p>“I&#8217;ve grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon’s imaginary brass rings that it’s finally dawned on me that they&#8217;re just that: They&#8217;re completely imaginary. The only thing that’s real is me.”</p>
<p>While threatening to dethrone then-WWE Champion Cena and leave WWE with the gold in his hands, Punk vented about being an overlooked talent. Proclaiming that he was the absolute best wrestler on the roster, The Second City Saint stated simply, “Nobody can touch me.”</p>
<p><b>Related Links:</b></p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.wwe.com/shows/extremerules/2012/extreme-awards" target="_blank">wwe.com</a></p>
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		<title>CM Punk&#8217;s &#8220;Extreme&#8221; milestones</title>
		<link>http://better-than-you.net/2012/04/cm-punks-extreme-milestones/</link>
		<comments>http://better-than-you.net/2012/04/cm-punks-extreme-milestones/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:32:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thahani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[WWE.com Feature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://better-than-you.net/?p=4890</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When CM Punk faces Chris Jericho in a Chicago Street Fight at Extreme Rules, the goal of the WWE Champion will not be to vindicate his status as the world’s best wrestler, as it was at WrestleMania XXVIII. Rather, The Straight Edge Superstar’s objective will be to punish the boundaryless Jericho, who has tormented Punk [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When CM Punk faces Chris Jericho in a Chicago Street Fight at Extreme Rules, the goal of the WWE Champion will not be to vindicate his status as the world’s best wrestler, as it was at WrestleMania XXVIII. Rather, The Straight Edge Superstar’s objective will be to punish the boundaryless Jericho, who has tormented Punk nonstop since losing their hard-nosed mat classic at The Show of Shows.</p>
<p>Jericho is truly the thinking-man’s wrestler that he claims to be, he’s already formulating a defense for what will undoubtedly be the angriest Punk the WWE Universe has ever seen. And if he’s not doing just that, then Jericho is likely overlooking a few key facts.</p>
<p>For one, this year’s Extreme Rules will be held at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. Not only The Second City Saint’s home field, the Allstate Arena was also the site of Punk’s historic, post-pipebomb, WWE Championship win over John Cena last year.</p>
<p>Maybe more important than the venue, however, is the event itself: Extreme Rules. Several of Punk’s finest WWE moments occurred at either Extreme Rules or One Night Stand, which preceded Extreme Rules as WWE’s annual hardcore pay-per-view.</p>
<p>His record at the events isn’t unblemished: Without being pinned or submitted, Punk lost a five-Superstar fracas in 2008. Last year, as the leader of The Nexus, Punk dropped a competitive contest to Randy Orton. Overshadowing that pair of defeats, however, is a longer list of victories, each representing a major milestone on Punk’s path to becoming the cream of the WWE crop.</p>
<p><span id="more-4890"></span><br />
<center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ecwextreme.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ecwextreme.png" alt="" title="ecwextreme" width="400" height="266" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4891" /></a></center><br />
<strong>Defending ‘extreme’</strong><br />
Let it not be forgotten that Punk’s first matches on WWE TV were actually as a member of the relaunched Extreme Championship Wrestling. Punk’s potential to be a breakout star was recognized from the start, and he was courted aggressively by rival stables The ECW Originals (a collection of key players from the legendary Philadelphia bingo hall) and The New Breed (a faction representing the reincarnated ECW brand).</p>
<p>After a brief spell with The New Breed, Punk eventually sided with the old-school renegades, teaming with Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman to defeat New Breeders Matt Striker, Marcus Cor Von and Elijah Burke in a Six-Man Tables Match at One Night Stand 2007.</p>
<p>Perhaps most significant about the victory was that it was Punk who sealed the deal, suplexing Striker off the second ropes onto Burke, who was lying on the table. Although Punk stood out as his squad’s lone member to have never competed under the original ECW banner, The Straight Edge Superstar more than carried his weight in capturing the W.</p>
<p>Leading into Extreme Rules 2009, Punk – whose Money in the Bank victory at WrestleMania XXV guaranteed him a title shot – was riding a wave of momentum.<br />
<center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ER1.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ER1.jpg" alt="" title="ER1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4893" /></a></center><br />
<b>Towing a Bulldozer</b></p>
<p>Pitted against the 6-foot-4, 350-pound Umaga, however, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Punk very much appeared to be fighting an uphill battle. Making matters worse was the match stipulation, Samoan Strap Match rules, which seemed to favor The Samoan Bulldozer in every conceivable way.</p>
<p>A specialty of the agile monster from the Isle of Samoa, the Samoan Strap Match saw the two combatants tethered together at the wrists by a length of leather, which Umaga and Punk inevitably used to a blistering effect. Victory could only be attained by dragging your opponent to all four corners of the ring.</p>
<p>The size difference posed a major problem for Punk, who repeatedly found himself on the losing end of tugs of war with Umaga. The Samoan Bulldozer flung Punk from pillar to post, jarring The Second City Saint’s internal organs with one vicious slam after another. Despite the beating, the headstrong Punk remained competitive and staged an improbable comeback that would make any underdog smile.</p>
<p>With three corners already crossed off his list, Punk faced a fierce battle in trying to tag the last corner. By then recovered from Punk’s earlier onslaught, Umaga held his ground before charging full-steam Punk’s way. Much to the WWE Universe’s collective surprise, the savvy Chicagoan used Umaga’s momentum against him, scooping up his massive body for the GTS. After connecting his knee with Umaga’s face, Punk fell into the final, fourth corner for the win.</p>
<p>The result represented an upset in the WWE scene of 2009, but Punk’s work that night was far from over, as Jeff Hardy would soon learn.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/er2.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/er2.png" alt="" title="er2" width="400" height="194" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4895" /></a></center><br />
<strong>Reclaiming gold</strong></p>
<p>In the main event of Extreme Rules 2009, World Heavyweight Champion Edge and longtime rival Jeff Hardy competed in a trying ladder match in which both Superstars risk life and limb in the pursuit of championship glory.</p>
<p>The hard-fought contest could have gone either way, but in the end it was Hardy who was left holding the title.</p>
<p>Whereas Hardy viewed the moment as one to be relished, Punk saw it as a prime opportunity to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Lying in wait, The Second City Saint sprinted to the ring, handed his briefcase to the referee and made his intentions abundantly clear as he waited for the war-torn Hardy to get to his feet.</p>
<p>Two GTSes later and Punk began his second reign as the World Heavyweight Champion.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/er3.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/er3.png" alt="" title="er3" width="400" height="222" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4897" /></a></center><br />
<strong>A hairy scenario</strong></p>
<p>By the time Extreme Rules 2010 rolled around, Punk had assumed the role of leader of The Second City Society, a group of straight-edge devotees who pledged allegiance to Punk and Punk alone. The Society’s mission was simple: to convert other Superstars to the substance-free lifestyle championed by their leader.</p>
<p>One of the Society’s first targets was Rey Mysterio, who had become a thorn in Punk’s side by eliminating The Straight Edge Superstar in an Elimination Chamber match, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and beating him in a singles bout at WrestleMania XXVI.</p>
<p>The stakes were raised, however, when Punk put his hair on the line for a match against The Master of the 619 at Extreme Rules. A loss would signify the end of Punk’s mane, which at that point in time seemed as much a part of The Second City Saint package as the triple-star trunks, Pepsi tattoo and kick pads.</p>
<p>The bout provided its share of awe-inspiring exchanges, chief among them a stunning Asai Moonsault by Mysterio and a reversal of Punk’s GTS into a lucha-pure hurricanrana.</p>
<p>As Punk has demonstrated time and time again, he rarely goes into a match without a strategy in mind, and his Extreme Rules outing against Mysterio would be no different. In the bout’s final moments, a mysterious, masked ally of Punk appeared from beneath the ring to discretely slip a chair into the squared circle while the ref’s back was turned.</p>
<p>The official spotted the chair before Punk could weaponize it, but the referee’s vigilance played right into the Society’s plan. As the distracted official removed the chair, the masked assailant planted Mysterio with a face buster on the floor, making The Ultimate Underdog easy prey for a Punk GTS.</p>
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		<title>Dueling Diaries: CM Punk and Chris Jericho, Day 5</title>
		<link>http://better-than-you.net/2012/04/dueling-diaries-cm-punk-and-chris-jericho-day-5/</link>
		<comments>http://better-than-you.net/2012/04/dueling-diaries-cm-punk-and-chris-jericho-day-5/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 04:06:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thahani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gallery Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com Feature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://better-than-you.net/?p=4830</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“CHAMPION OF MIAMI,” 10:33 a.m. If you ask Punk what “CM” stands for today, it’s “Champion of Miami.” The Voice of the Voiceless is chomping down the earthy blend of green “chuice” as he sits on a bus that’s bound for Sun Life Stadium. It’s WrestleMania Sunday, which explains why the WWE Champion is, unexpectedly, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-113.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-113.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4840" /></a></center><br />
<strong>“CHAMPION OF MIAMI,” 10:33 a.m.</strong><br />
If you ask Punk what “CM” stands for today, it’s “Champion of Miami.” The Voice of the Voiceless is chomping down the earthy blend of green “chuice” as he sits on a bus that’s bound for Sun Life Stadium. It’s WrestleMania Sunday, which explains why the WWE Champion is, unexpectedly, fixed in the front seat of a lengthy charter bus to transport him and his fellow Superstars to the site of The Show of Shows.</p>
<p>“I don’t really feel the pressures or magnitude of WrestleMania until the day of,” the champion states from underneath his “1969” Chicago Cubs cap. “I’m definitely feeling it now. We’re maybe eight hours away from kicking off the show. We’re going to blow off a bunch of fireworks and then it’s really on.”</p>
<p>Punk seems like the type to be toward the rear of the coach (and he probably is), but his eagerness for this day plants him as close to the grand stage as possible. He’s able to get through three songs on his iPod – played at high, speaker-like volume on his neck wrapped headphones – until the very last Superstar climbs aboard: Mick Foley. It’s off to the races, or rather, the longest, hardest, greatest race of the year.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-21.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-21.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-2" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4839" /></a></center><br />
<strong>THE LAST ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA, 10:58 a.m.</strong><br />
The vessel transporting WWE’s ring warriors pulls away from the WrestleMania hotel en route to Sun Life Stadium miles away. Up ahead of the bus is a police escort blocking traffic for the first of several WWE charter buses. Punk’s skull is wrapped with his analog headphones pumping a rabid metal melody while he snaps pics of the motorcycle mounted policemen up ahead and dreams up an alternate reality for the scenario.</p>
<p>“One of my favorite things about WrestleMania is the police escort,” Punk explains. “I kind of look at a little different than everyone else, I’m sure. I look at it like we’re a bus full of convicts, maybe getting carted off to death row. Some of are going to live, some of us aren’t.”</p>
<p>Within a few moments, The Second City Savior has a visual on the site of his all-important performance that draws nearer. He turns his head to size up the massive beacon-like stadium before the bus makes a right turn to deliver the WWE Champion to his battleground.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-2.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-2.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-2" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4838" /></a></center><br />
<strong>COMMON MEN, 11:50 a,m.</strong><br />
There is certainly a correlation between The Voice of the Voiceless and The Common Man, making their run-in notable. The WWE Champion gets a pep talk from WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes in the locker room area within Sun Life Stadium. The legendary performer checks in with the Chicago native and wishes him the best tonight at The Show of Shows.</p>
<p>Tonight, Rhodes’ son, Cody, defends the Intercontinental Championship but Dusty still shows his paternal instincts with The Straight Edge Superstar. The “American Dream” pats Punk on the chin affectionately, providing the champion with a motivational encounter hours before showtime.<span id="more-4830"></span></p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-111.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-111.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4836" /></a></center><br />
<strong>THE “SOCK” SAYS … , 12:19 p.m.</strong><br />
It’s only a few moments before CM Punk kicks off his Nike running sneakers to start getting prepared for his match. The shoes may still be slightly damp following his outing in the Miami downpour yesterday even though he spent the very early morning blow drying them.</p>
<p>As Punk changes, he exposes his bright orange socks with a very apropos message embroidered in. The left foot reads, “Anti” and the right, “Hero.” Truer words were never woven.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-112.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-112.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4837" /></a></center><br />
<b>TRUE FRIEND, 12:32 p.m.</b><br />
Former co-holders of the WWE Tag Team Titles and truly good friends, Kofi Kingston and CM Punk squad up in the locker room. They’re two men with significant roles tonight at WrestleMania. Should Kofi and his team fail, it puts John Laurinaitis in full control of both Raw and SmackDown – a prospect The Straight Edge Superstar is certainly not excited to see. They’ve grown together, traveled together and fought together over the years and this afternoon, they show solidarity in a booming embrace.</p>
<p>Kingston believes his buddy and fellow comic book fan will prevail at WrestleMania.</p>
<p>“True! CM Punk is a guy who sets his mind to something,” Kingston exclaims. “I know he’s been thinking about this match for a long time, it’s gotten ridiculously personal and both guys are going to walk out with bumps and bruises, but I know that Jericho is going to be on the losing end for sure.”</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-110.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-110.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4835" /></a></center><br />
<b>SHOWSTOPPER MEETS SHOW STEALER?, 1:50 p.m.</b><br />
In the 88-degree south Florida heat, CM Punk traipses down a lengthy ramp toward a ring thousands of WWE fans will be focused on in mere hours. The Straight Edge Champion was wowed by this same setting days ago and today, the sensation is only enhanced. Towering palm trees support a canopy overhead which provides shade for Punk during a candid discussion with “Mr. WrestleMania” Shawn Michaels.</p>
<p>The Showstopper forged a legacy in this exact ring in some of the most unforgettable bouts in WrestleMania history. This is something CM Punk specifically aspires to do himself, especially tonight. People around the world are wondering if Punk and Jericho will steal the show and even though HBK plays a critical role in this evening’s Hell in a Cell Match, even Michaels must admit that he’s anxious to see if they can do it.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-19.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-19.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4832" /></a></center><br />
<strong>ONCE IN A LIFETIME, TWICE FOES, 3:12 p.m.</strong><br />
One year ago, a Once in a Lifetime collision was set the day after WrestleMania XXVII and John Cena spent 12 months preparing for The Show of Shows in Miami. In that time, he clashed with the man sitting to his immediate right, WWE Champion CM Punk. Punk won.</p>
<p>The WWE Universe remembers all that business at Money in the Bank 2011. It’s also hard to forget The Straight Edge Superstar’s consecutive triumph over Cena at SummerSlam 2011. These duels only birthed a mutual respect amongst WWE’s most popular – and polar opposite – competitors. In fact, their only commonality right now is that they have arguably the biggest battles of their careers ahead of them tonight, Punk against Jericho and Cena against The Rock.</p>
<p>It’s not awkward but it’s not terribly warm between the top stars. It’s actually borderline buddy cop movie as the very dissimilar pair leisurely converses in a production area well before the grand stage is engulfed by nearly 80,000 WWE fans.</p>
<p><b>Related Links:</b></p>
<p><a href="http://better-than-you.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=1049" target="_blank">Digitals > Other > WWE.com: Dueling Diaries > Day 5</a></p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/28/wrestlemania-dueling-diary/day-five/page-1" target="_blank">wwe.com</a></p>
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		<title>Dueling Diary: Chris Jericho and CM Punk, Day 4</title>
		<link>http://better-than-you.net/2012/04/dueling-diary-chris-jericho-and-cm-punk-day-4/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:39:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thahani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gallery Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com Feature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://better-than-you.net/?p=4817</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[SOUND AND FURY, 11:40 a.m. A treadmill hum and generic lobby music is infiltrated by muffled yet audible riffs of metal punk music. These sounds reverberate louder as WWE Champion CM Punk steps further into the hotel gym for a workout. Hoodie and all, he gets rolling immediately on the elliptical while the sounds of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-18.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-18.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4823" /></a></center><br />
<strong>SOUND AND FURY, 11:40 a.m.</strong><br />
A treadmill hum and generic lobby music is infiltrated by muffled yet audible riffs of metal punk music. These sounds reverberate louder as WWE Champion CM Punk steps further into the hotel gym for a workout.</p>
<p>Hoodie and all, he gets rolling immediately on the elliptical while the sounds of This is Hell pound through his Beats headphones. It’s the morning before his match against Chris Jericho and Punk’s focus will not sway. The zipped up Straight Edge Superstar warms up and gets his heart rate moving for a more intensive training to follow.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled1.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled1.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4822" /></a></center><br />
<strong>TIME TO BOUNCE, 12:12 p.m.</strong><br />
The gym starts to crowd up with some of CM Punk’s fellow Superstars by the time The Second City Savior has already worked up a sweat. The sweatshirt’s come off and the music has cycled into some Metallica – specifically, “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” shades of The Game’s WrestleMania entrance in Atlanta a year before.</p>
<p>Punk’s diet has varied over the past several months, including a three-month stint as a vegetarian, and his workout is equal in variety this morning. He moves quickly between chest presses and planks, incorporating a medicine ball workout in the set rotation. The WWE Champion takes the ball, holds it overhead and slam-bounces it to the floor with all his strength from a dozen to 16 times each. While serving as core training, Punk’s smile suggests he may also find a youth-like satisfaction at the ruckus of the 12-pound ball springing up to the ceiling to rattle the tiles.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-17.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-17.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4821" /></a></center><br />
<b>HAPPY WHEN IT RAINS, 5:04 p.m.</b><br />
It’s hours prior to the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and back at the hotel, WWE’s Superstars, Divas, Legends, family and friends are slipping into suits and cocktail dresses for one of the most important nights of the year. About one mile from that same hotel, CM Punk and his friend Lita are sloshing through a Floridian downpour in sopping wet sneakers and clinging cotton tops. They couldn’t be happier.</p>
<p>Crossing over the Miami River Walk, the two unhurriedly pass through puddles toting veggie and fruit smoothies to be sucked down after this evening’s event. Their conversation thrives while people under umbrellas hustle past to find drier ground.</p>
<p>His Thor tee thoroughly drenched, Punk is probably more comfortable now than he will be in a snug necktie later tonight. In fact, The Voice of the Voiceless makes Gene Kelly look like a grump as he and the former Women’s Champion parade through the streets of Miami, enjoying the crash of the heavy raindrops on their skin.<span id="more-4817"></span></p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-16.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-16.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4820" /></a></center><br />
<strong>GRUB HUB, 7:09 p.m.</strong><br />
The Straight Edge Superstar and Lita are all wrung out from their stroll through the rain and have dried in time for the prestigious WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony at the American Airlines Arena. Even though it’s not his ideal attire, CM Punk looks James Bond sharp in a suit. Still, he doesn’t quite top the former Women’s Champion, who turns heads in just about every room she enters.</p>
<p>Punk puts down some light fare to supplement the smoothie that made it from one side of Miami to the other in a rainstorm two hours earlier. On the flip side of the curtain behind them, a who’s who of sports-entertainment converges; Ric Flair talks “good olds” with Dusty Rhodes, while Rhyno, Tommy Dreamer and Lance Storm enjoy their reunion.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-15.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-15.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4819" /></a></center><br />
<strong>PUNK “KLIQS” WITH THE GAME AND HBK, 7:28 p.m.</strong><br />
Showtime creeps closer and CM Punk snaps a photo with his “road wife,” Kofi Kingston. This shot and a similar candid of him and The Iron Sheik is ideal fodder to be tweeted to Punk’s 782,000-and-strong followers. They’re instant retweets.</p>
<p>The mixed company of WWE Legends and current competitors keeps The Voice of the Voiceless busy until it’s time to take the floor of the American Airlines Arena. Suddenly, Punk slips away from the corralled throngs of suits, tuxes and Swarovski evening gowns as he barges into a private room where Mike Tyson’s inductors, Triple H and Shawn Michaels, rehearse their in-tandem speech. This isn’t the type of conversation that just anyone can walk into so gracefully, so nonchalantly, but CM Punk is far from your typical human being. The two top dogs preview some of their speech and engage in a brief talk with The Voice of the Voiceless.</p>
<p>The Straight Edge Champion’s first experience with the “Kliq” cohorts was at his first-ever WWE pay-per-view at Survivor Series 2006 as a member of Team DX. A half decade later, his presence among these iconic Superstars suggests that Punk – a rebel akin to anti-establishment antics much like the original D-Generates – has ascended to a spot very few will ever reach. Whether he wants to be or not, he’s in an elite club with membership that’s not easily extended just because someone holds the WWE Championship. It means that he’s made it and it means that he’s been acknowledged. It means respect, which is the greatest currency someone like CM Punk could ask for.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-14.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-14.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4818" /></a></center><br />
<strong>THREE’S A CROWD, 10:32 p.m.</strong><br />
This is a very special night for all WWE Superstars, including the rebellious likes of CM Punk, who one might think wouldn’t be into the red carpeting and pomp and circumstance that comes with it. But in the very front row, the WWE Champion gets an optimal view of the stage where some of the most influential names in squared circle history are honored.</p>
<p>Punk is flanked by Lita and Lars Frederiksen, which establishes theirs as, arguably, the most tattooed section in the building. The heavily inked triumvirate enjoys the candor of speeches and presentations from those who’ve unquestionably influenced the careers of The Second City Savior and, in many ways, Lita as well over the years. The WWE Champion finds particular pleasure in Christian’s live roast of Edge moments before The Rated-R Superstar takes the stage to the Foo Fighters’ “Walk.”</p>
<p>According to CM Punk, the same people who gave Edge a chance later gave The Second City Saint his, in part, because of what the 31-time titleholder made of his opportunity. It’s a sincere expression of gratitude from the “Best in the World,” who may be standing at this podium himself years from now. Perhaps Punk is envisioning such a moment when he will incite WWE officials one last time with a filter-free speech that’d make Edge’s tale of flatulence fights with WWE’s Chairman feel restrained by comparison.</p>
<p>“The Larry Hama ‘G.I. Joe’ run is what really got me into comics,” the WWE Champion says. “I didn’t know other comic books existed, but I remember picking up Joe books at the gas station. Then, one month they didn’t have it and I discovered that there were such things as comic shops.”</p>
<p><b>Related Links:</b></p>
<p><a href="http://better-than-you.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=1048" target="_blank">Digitals > Other > WWE.com: Dueling Diaries > Day 4</a></p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/28/wrestlemania-dueling-diary/day-four/" target="_blank">wwe.com</a></p>
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		<title>Dueling Diary: CM Punk and Chris Jericho, Day 3</title>
		<link>http://better-than-you.net/2012/04/dueling-diary-cm-punk-and-chris-jericho-day-3/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:12:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thahani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gallery Updates]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com Feature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://better-than-you.net/?p=4803</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[IN PRODUCTION, 2:39 p.m. This time last year, a discontent CM Punk played a supporting role in the production of Randy Orton’s DVD. But as has been well documented, a lot can change in 12 months. Today, the tattooed antagonist in The Viper’s home video is the (six-pointed) star of the next WWE DVD release [...]]]></description>
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<strong>IN PRODUCTION, 2:39 p.m.</strong><br />
This time last year, a discontent CM Punk played a supporting role in the production of Randy Orton’s DVD. But as has been well documented, a lot can change in 12 months. Today, the tattooed antagonist in The Viper’s home video is the (six-pointed) star of the next WWE DVD release being developed.</p>
<p>This fall marks the rise of CM Punk in the first-ever home video to spotlight The Straight Edge Superstar. Presently, The Voice of the Voiceless is speechless while a WWE camera crew captures a healthy portion of the biographical documentary in the emptied, WrestleMania-starved alcoves of Sun Life Stadium days before the event. Shapely shadows are cast upon the locker room cubby while Punk and WWE producers discuss roadblocks the tattooed titan has hit, plus, the role he’ll play in affecting a change that will permanently alter the future of wrestling.</p>
<p>The Straight Edge Superstar also stumbles into a conversation about two WWE show concepts he’s pitched to the WWE Chairman. Sopping in satire, Punk describes a remake of “The Cannonball Run” starring odd WWE Superstar pairings, then moves on to “Raw: The Musical.”</p>
<p>“I said to Vince [McMahon], ‘You’re going to do it in five years anyway,’” he irreverently details. “I’ll dress like Fred Astaire. ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’!”</p>
<p>“He looked at me like I was from Mars.”</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-11.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-11.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4807" /></a></center><br />
<strong>STRAIGHT AHEAD, 3:25 p.m.</strong><br />
The narration portion of the WWE Champion’s home video is complete and enough material has been gathered to fill CM Punk’s future DVD and perhaps some of its extra bonus material. Momentarily, Punk is left uninterrupted, which is a very rare commodity in these parts during WrestleMania week. Only a whir of the hallway’s overhead lighting can be heard in the now hushed bunker on the perimeter of Punk’s assumed temple come Sunday. Sun Life Stadium field lies only yards from this perch and on that turf, CM Punk will charge into battle to steal a show that’s his and Chris Jericho’s for the taking. Pressure mounts with each digital blink on his iPhone’s clock. Jericho, beware should this building boil start to truly roll.<span id="more-4803"></span></p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-12.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-12.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4808" /></a></center><br />
<strong>UNCLE LARS, 3:58 p.m.</strong><br />
Inside the ovular, open air Sun Life Stadium, a 360-degree scan of the 75,000 bright orange seats reveals two figures in all black seated up in a midsection corner. Not absorbing sunlight, but rather the stunning mid-construction visual in front of them, the WWE Champion and his comrade, Lars Frederiksen, watch as the WrestleMania XXVIII set comes together.</p>
<p>“Uncle Lars,” as Punk facetiously refers to Frederiksen, is the lead vocalist and guitarist for seminal punk band – and all-time favorite of The Straight Edge Superstar – Rancid. One of the champion’s best friends, Lars arrived in Miami this morning to see his chum and fellow artist dance on The Grandest Stage of Them All this weekend.</p>
<p>“In my life, music’s always been there,” Punk explains. “Bad day at school, a crap home life. I grew up listening to all kinds of stuff. Rancid, hands-down, became my favorite band.”</p>
<p>He continues, “They have a song called ‘Radio’ and the chorus is, ‘when I got the music, I got a place to go.’ I was 15 years old when that came out and it just completely resonated with me. Here was a group of guys singing about stuff I’d already experienced and I felt that song was in me, but they just beat me to it. Greatest band ever.”</p>
<p>To his immediate right, CM Punk’s equally inked up buddy squints in the overwhelming daylight and describes how his admiration for The Second City Savior’s ring work drew the two artists together in 2005.</p>
<p>“Right off the bat, we could’ve been brothers,” Frederiksen candidly states. “Every once in a great while, you click with somebody. I don’t have too many of those times, but this is one of them. As a friend, [Punk’s] one of the best I have.”</p>
<p>The tattooed twosome toss insults at one another to balance the perceivably sentimental discussion, but Lars proceeds with his open-book assessment of his friend’s achievements and evolution – not to mention the feat of Punk’s ability, especially in the past eight months, in moving the WWE machine.</p>
<p>“We’re both from working class families, father out of the picture,” Lars points out. “When you have a kinship and you know [the other person’s] coming from the same place you are, morally, there’s a bond there.”</p>
<p>“I’m proud of him. I know the obstacles he’s had to overcome, I know what kind of strength and heart he’s got,” Frederiksen says of the competitor he’d previously only seen perform mostly through tape trading of independent circuit footage. “No one’s going to keep him down.”</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-13.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Untitled-13.jpg" alt="" title="Untitled-1" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4809" /></a></center><br />
<strong>THE CALM BEFORE THE SHOW, 4:04 p.m.</strong><br />
Punk and Lars descend the stairs of stadium and approach the still-in-progress nucleus of WrestleMania, a canopy covered ring bathing in sunlight.</p>
<p>“It never ceases to floor me every time,” the WWE Champion quietly utters to himself as he’s drawn to the squared circle.</p>
<p>Only the third outdoor WrestleMania in history, this Show of Shows seems to get larger in feeling with each passing day. Now, Punk stands comfortably at the core of an empty arena that will electrify this scene on Sunday night.</p>
<p>Twenty five years ago, the Chicago Bears beat the Miami Dolphins on the opening day of Sun Life Stadium. If the Windy City can beat the Florida native this Sunday, it’ll mean CM Punk has overcome Chris Jericho and secured the undisputed title of “Best in the World.”</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/agearla.jpg"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/agearla.jpg" alt="" title="ag&#039;earla" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4811" /></a></center><br />
<strong>SEVENTH HOUR STRETCH, 7:56 p.m.</strong><br />
The WWE Champion swills from his label-less half-gallon container of “chuice” – his description for a juice-meets-chew liquid blend of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and enzymes – then enters a room with bulbous tables partitioned by curtains.</p>
<p>Here, he greets Jenn, a certified fascial therapist whose provided Punk with “stretch therapy” for more than a year now. The Second City Savior lays down flat and, within moments, has his leg lifted just past his head in an amazing therapeutic contortion act. Following the quick warm-up, Punk is strapped down under wide elastic bands to secure him to the table while Jenn pulls and pushes his limbs in positions that few could endure. In fact, out of a clientele of roughly 60 different athletes, she claims that Punk is “hands-down the most flexible.”</p>
<p>Despite the various twisting directions of his legs that align his calf with his chest, the tattooed Superstar’s face appears at utter rest – the perfect end to a day before he moves into the night.</p>
<p>“The Larry Hama ‘G.I. Joe’ run is what really got me into comics,” the WWE Champion says. “I didn’t know other comic books existed, but I remember picking up Joe books at the gas station. Then, one month they didn’t have it and I discovered that there were such things as comic shops.”</p>
<p><b>Related Links:</b></p>
<p><a href="http://better-than-you.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=1047" target="_blank">Digitals > Other > WWE.com: Dueling Diaries > Day 3</a></p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/28/wrestlemania-dueling-diary/day-three/" target="_blank">wwe.com</a></p>
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		<title>Dueling Diary: CM Punk and Chris Jericho, Day 2</title>
		<link>http://better-than-you.net/2012/03/dueling-diary-cm-punk-and-chris-jericho-day-2/</link>
		<comments>http://better-than-you.net/2012/03/dueling-diary-cm-punk-and-chris-jericho-day-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:02:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thahani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gallery Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com Feature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://better-than-you.net/?p=4786</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[HITTING THE GYM, 12:33 p.m. Well after sunrise in the Sunshine State, the WWE Champion corrals a small entourage of fellow Superstars en route to the University of Miami for a rigorous training session. CM Punk has been in Miami for 24 hours, and yet his opponent is hours away from his arrival – which [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DDDay2.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DDDay2.png" alt="" title="DDDay2" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4787" /></a></center><br />
<strong>HITTING THE GYM, 12:33 p.m.</strong><br />
Well after sunrise in the Sunshine State, the WWE Champion corrals a small entourage of fellow Superstars en route to the University of Miami for a rigorous training session. CM Punk has been in Miami for 24 hours, and yet his opponent is hours away from his arrival – which isn’t a shocking revelation for the titleholder.</p>
<p>“No, I’m not surprised. I think that’s par for the course,” Punk says. “On Twitter, it’s a little strange taking pictures of yourself in a mirror and say, ‘I’m coming for you.’ All right, I’m waiting for you.”<br />
<center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Untitled-2.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Untitled-2.png" alt="" title="Untitled-2" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4788" /></a></center><br />
<strong>GETTING WITH THE PROGRAM, 12:49 p.m.</strong><br />
Punk pulls up to the University of Miami with oversized, analog headphones snug around his neck. Orange and green letters decorate the two long corridors to a sprawling gym filled with raucous players from the Hurricane football program.</p>
<p>It’s an odd mix as The Voice of the Voiceless, in his hoodie and signature cap, paces up and down rows of rested weights and a box full of bananas, in between the big men on campus. The tattooed Superstar devises a quick strategy for working out and stations himself at a spot just beneath appropriate signage. “Champions are made here” &#8230; but today, they also visit.<br />
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<strong>WEIGHT OF THE WORLD, 1:01 p.m.</strong><br />
In between his inked-stenciled fingers, CM Punk clasps a pen to scribble meticulous notes in a black journal. He documents his reps in between swapping weights for “clean and jerk” lifts, which cause his tattoos to contort around his wrists and elbows with each raised bar. The WWE Champion continues with planks, dumbbell lunges, leg presses and more. Everything’s recorded in a book that has likely traveled to places most people will ever see in a lifetime.</p>
<p>The Straight Edge Superstar sets aside further social media discussion. He’s been bellowing “hashtag” over fellow Superstars’ shoulders while they’re tweeting at WrestleMania week events. His focus is instead his body.</p>
<p>“My workout is going to include working out … not yoga,” Punk explains. “I do yoga constantly, but that’s not all I do. I incorporate other stuff into it. I don’t make ferocious faces after doing yoga, either.<span id="more-4786"></span></p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/untitled8.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/untitled8.png" alt="" title="untitled8" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4796" /></a></center><br />
<strong>THE BUS, 3:16 p.m.</strong><br />
Aboard a long aluminum coach bus, the WWE Champion welcomes perfect strangers onto his sleek chariot … provided they remove their shoes first. This is the vessel by which The Straight Edge Superstar travels between cities on the road, complete with a kitchen, bathroom, shower, sofas, bedroom and more closet space than some Chicago apartments. Once inside, Punk prepares a meal that looks more like a science project or maybe a scene from “Re-Animator.”</p>
<p>He digs into his fridge, then packs bunches of vegetation into his juicer for vitamin-reinforced replenishment. Punk explains that this is a ritual that’s typically performed first thing in the morning for a wake-up zing, then followed up with additional doses daily, totaling six or seven 20-ounce servings per day. While not presently in one of his infrequent “juice fasts,” The Straight Edge Superstar throws down a small glass of wheatgrass, then a ginger shot stronger than anything ever concocted by the APA. The cleansing is fulfilled with doses of pure lemon juice then cranberry juice, which begs the question if Punk’s Pepsi tattoo is now more nostalgic given his newfound blending passion.<br />
<center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Untitled-23.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Untitled-23.png" alt="" title="Untitled-2" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4793" /></a></center><br />
<b>PUNK CULTURE, 3:12 p.m.</b><br />
After swishing his fresh fruit and veggie cocktails, CM Punk advances past his XBox, couch crevices overflowing with wrestling DVDs – Night of Champions 2011, the latest “Stone Cold” home video release, “Bending the Rules” and classic Hart footage – plus, notably, a Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living action figure that “guards the bus.”</p>
<p>This indiscriminate litany of baubles is just the beginning. Open his closet and you expose a pop culture porthole. Among the vortex: a trio of plastic monster masks including a Bela Lugosi-like Dracula; two stacks of hardcover comic book collections (a.k.a. “trades”) written by the likes of Mark Millar and one of Punk’s personal favorite (and oft tweeted) writers, Ed Brubaker; personal X-rays; and, somewhere under it all, his 2011 Slammy Award.</p>
<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Untitled-24.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Untitled-24.png" alt="" title="Untitled-2" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4794" /></a></center><br />
<b>BED TIME STORIES, 3:25 p.m.</b><br />
The caboose of the coach contains a comfortably sized bed where Punk perhaps spends more time reading than sleeping. He scoops up “Locke &#038; Key,” plucks out a plane ticket bookmark – a time capsule to be discovered during future re-reading – and enjoys a few pages. The wild imagery isn’t unlike that found in another favorite tome of his called “With the Light of Truth” by friend Dan Smith, which features the art of straight edge tattoo artists.</p>
<p>Running on little more than two hours of sleep, The Second City Savior savors each panel without looking a bit tired, despite what you may think.</p>
<p>“I just have bags under my eyes because I have bags under my eyes,” he states.</p>
<p>Given his described inability to maintain “ordinary” sleep patterns, the WWE Champion explains that he winds down most frequently with his eyes fixed on the pages of books or graphic novels. Collections like “100 Bullets,” “Preacher,” “Ex Machina” and “Y: The Last Man” have kept Punk company on planes, buses, trains and more for a number of years.</p>
<p>“I’m a writer guy; I’ll read whatever [books] certain guys write,” Punk asserts. “I’d love to [write a comic]. I’ve got a couple of ideas. I’ve talked briefly about doing a Thing one-shot because of the battle cry, you know, ‘It’s clobberin’ time.’ I’ve also got a couple of Punisher stories in my head to tell.”<br />
<center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Untitled-22.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Untitled-22.png" alt="" title="Untitled-2" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4791" /></a></center><br />
<b>AXXESS MAT-RIMONY, 6:56 p.m.</b><br />
Bridges away from his opponent, WWE Champion CM Punk attends opening night of WrestleMania Axxess, which has yet again grown substantially in size since the previous year. Just when it couldn’t get any bigger, for the first time ever, two WWE fans get engaged live at the WWE event, right in front of their favorite Straight Edge Superstar.</p>
<p>An instant after Maria Rosemberg of Chattanooga, Tenn., delivers a symbolic two-liter Pepsi bottle to her idol CM Punk, Maria’s boyfriend Oliver Whittaker takes a knee and surprises his fair lady with a very heavy proposal.</p>
<p>Shocked, overwhelmed and ecstatic, Maria says “yes.” Punk hollers loud to the crowd with the play-by-play as the couple first brought together by WWE eight years ago now takes the next big step in their relationship.</p>
<p>According to a Whittaker – still nervous as all hell – “Team MariOlly” started as contentious rivals advocating their favorite Superstars online across the pond from one another. Their debates developed into a friendship and, ultimately, a relationship. Now, their WWE-themed webcam meetings will turn into matrimony.<br />
<center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Untitled-21.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Untitled-21.png" alt="" title="Untitled-2" width="400" height="225" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4789" /></a></center><br />
<strong>GEEK-WORTHY GIFT, 7:06 p.m.</strong><br />
When all the cheering dies down after a live Axxess engagement, the night of firsts continues as CM Punk meets one WWE fan who clearly knows him pretty well. The Straight Edge Superstar receives what he describes as the “best gift anyone has given him”: a sealed and graded “G.I. Joe” comic book – the first issue, in fact. For an individual with a Cobra tattoo on his right shoulder, it’s the perfect addition to his collection, perhaps soon to be added to his bus treasures.</p>
<p>“The Larry Hama ‘G.I. Joe’ run is what really got me into comics,” the WWE Champion says. “I didn’t know other comic books existed, but I remember picking up Joe books at the gas station. Then, one month they didn’t have it and I discovered that there were such things as comic shops.”</p>
<p><b>Related Links:</b></p>
<p><a href="http://better-than-you.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=1046" target="_blank">Digitals > Other > WWE.com: Dueling Diaries > Day 2</a></p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/28/wrestlemania-dueling-diary/day-two/" target="_blank">wwe.com</a></p>
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		<title>CM Punk refuses to respond to Chris Jericho&#8217;s allegations: WWE.com Exclusive</title>
		<link>http://better-than-you.net/2012/03/cm-punk-refuses-to-respond-to-chris-jerichos-allegations-wwe-com-exclusive/</link>
		<comments>http://better-than-you.net/2012/03/cm-punk-refuses-to-respond-to-chris-jerichos-allegations-wwe-com-exclusive/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:53:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thahani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Raw]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Streaming Media]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[WWE.com Feature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://better-than-you.net/?p=4647</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In an exclusive video, the WWE.com camera caught up with CM Punk immediately following Chris Jericho&#8217;s allegations. Related Links: WWE.com Exclusive: CM Punk refuses to respond to Chris Jericho&#8217;s allegations]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><a href="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/PunkWWEexclusive.png"><img src="http://better-than-you.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/PunkWWEexclusive.png" alt="" title="PunkWWEexclusive" width="400" height="233" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4648" /></a></center></p>
<p>In an exclusive video, the WWE.com camera caught up with CM Punk immediately following Chris Jericho&#8217;s allegations.</p>
<p><strong>Related Links:</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.wwe.com/videos/cm-punk-refuses-to-respond-to-chris-jerichos-allegations-wwecom-exclusive-march-26004560" target="_blank">WWE.com Exclusive: CM Punk refuses to respond to Chris Jericho&#8217;s allegations </a></p>
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