Potent Poisons

Potent Poisons

The ECW Champion has a tall choice ahead of him this coming week, as the flag-bearer of both ECW and the straightedge movement will need to "pick his poison" in a Champion's Choice contest on a special Thursday edition of ECW. Will CM Punk battle Big Daddy V or Mark Henry?

The last time both men were seen at the conclusion of the last ECW on Sci Fi, both the World's Strongest Man and The Dominating Force in WWE looked equally dangerous and formidable. Their physical devastation of Kane, a 7-foot goliath who has walked through hell and back, was a strong enough image to put any individual in the Land of the Extreme on notice -- especially its titleholder.

As WWE Mobile on AT&T subscribers first saw, shortly after the beasts' display of dominance against the Big Red Machine, Matt Striker "invited" CM Punk to compete against one of two vast ogres on the next ECW on Sci Fi.

"Pick your poison, Straightedge," challenged an arrogant Striker as he stood flanked by a duo of the largest behemoths in WWE. "No matter whom you choose, you lose."

Considering the two potential toxins -- Mark Henry and Big Daddy V -- the question has become, which (large) dosage of poison will CM Punk select? Better yet, how will the Straightedge Champion weigh his options?

To tackle this prime query of which potent poison will Punk choose, let's closely examine a set of specimens too large for any Petri dish.

First, there is Striker's main means for success: Big Daddy V. At 500 pounds, the man known by the single letter "V" has compounded every individual that's tried to conquer the thickset savage -- including Punk himself. The Straightedge Superstar averted a loss against Big Daddy V at No Mercy, but was still flattened at the hands of the monster that has yet to be pinned by any ECW Superstar.

In addition to the recent, most brutal incarnation of his dominance, the Extreme Mastadon boasts a history of in-ring authority. Big Daddy V is a former World Tag Team Champion and is also one of very few men in WWE today to have been a King of the Ring. Since arriving in ECW this summer, the quarter-ton ECW Superstar has been a tattooed titan of destruction in the Land of the Extreme, leaving an excess of corporeal wreckage in his path.

When accounting for damage and ruin caused by a WWE Superstar, the destruction caused by Mark Henry borders on that of natural disasters and acts of God. Standing at nearly 400 pounds, The World's Strongest Man earned his moniker not just from his inhuman powerlifting performance in the 1992 Olympic Games, but also his sports-entertainment supremacy.

Known for his feats of strength, the World's Strongest Man has hoisted automobiles with his powerful palms on national television. He has also crushed cinder blocks -- and the bodies of several Superstars -- with his bare hands. Without question, Henry is arguably one of the mightiest men to ever walk this planet.

Like Big Daddy V, Henry wields a list of victims that includes some of the greatest names in modern-day sports-entertainment. The Undertaker and Batista, for instance, have both felt the wrathful force of the World's Strongest Man, resulting in their removal from action for extended periods of time.

Examining both pure poisons, it's near impossible to decide between Henry and Big Daddy. The Straightedge Champion barely escaped The Dominating Force in WWE when they met on pay-per-view. Meanwhile, Mark Henry is a beast that Punk has yet to confront in the middle of the ring.

No matter who he chooses, CM Punk can expect a very long (and excruciating) night on ECW on Sci Fi; bruising is inevitable and permanent physical damage is a serious possibility. Especially as the ECW Champion, his imminent choice is a tremendous threat to not just his health, but also his reign. Though the champion is skillful and talented, Thursday night on ECW could end up being an evening CM Punk might not recover from -- just ask Kane.

Tune in to ECW on Sci Fi on a special night, Thursday, at 10/9 CT to find out which poison Punk picks -- and if the Straightedge Champion can prevail or, at the very least, survive.

VOTE NOW: Who should CM Punk pick?

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