Bully Ray Suggests Nod To Classic Sports Drama For Build To WWE SummerSlam Title Match

For the first time ever, WWE fans will witness a televised singles clash between CM Punk and WWE World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER. This comes after Punk conquered a gauntlet match on "WWE Raw" this week, with Bron Breakker taking the final fall from a GTS. Now on the road to WWE SummerSlam, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray believes this title program between GUNTHER and Punk could benefit from invoking a theme seen in the sports drama film "Rocky IV."

"We've seen a couple of people be good on the microphone with Punk, and then we're always wondering what the verbal back and forth is going to look like, sound like. What if they went in the complete opposite direction?" Ray asked on "Busted Open Radio." "What if they went in the direction of Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago? What if you never heard a word from GUNTHER? What if Punk talked and talked and talked and GUNTHER just looked at him week after week and never said a word just to get in Punk's head. It's different."

In Ray's vision, the three weeks of upcoming build would include the repeated pattern of Punk verbally berating "The Ring General," then being left alone in the ring or backstage due to GUNTHER walking away without a retort. On the final "Raw" before SummerSlam, however, Ray suggests that Punk would officially confront GUNTHER's silence.

"GUNTHER looks at [Punk] and goes, 'I have plenty to say. I just don't respect you enough to say it,' and walks away," Ray added. "'To me, that's everything I needed to hear. I don't respect you enough.'"

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.