CM Punk and Cody Rhodes couldn’t even make it to SummerSlam without things boiling over. What looked like a standard celebration after their tag team win quickly turned into one of the most chaotic moments of WWE’s Springfield live event, as Rhodes blasted Punk with an elbow to the face before the two had to be physically pulled apart.
It all happened after Punk and Rhodes teamed up to defeat GUNTHER and Sami Zayn on July 30. As the celebration wrapped up, Punk walked over to his SummerSlam opponent, apparently looking to shake hands or acknowledge the win.
Instead, he caught an elbow. Rhodes immediately tried to wave it off like it had been an accident. The problem? Fans caught the whole thing on video. The footage appears to show Rhodes deliberately driving his elbow into Punk’s face before trying to play innocent, and Punk wasn’t buying it for a second.
Seconds later, the celebration was over. Punk shoved Rhodes and then both men got nose-to-nose as officials and those around ringside rushed in to keep them apart. The shouting continued as the confrontation spilled across the ring, with neither man looking interested in backing down despite the match already being over.
Rhodes wasn’t finished there, either. As the argument reached its peak, the American Nightmare ripped Punk’s shirt off and threw it back at him before storming away, leaving Punk fuming in the ring while those around him continued trying to calm the situation down.
The timing couldn’t be worse—or better. Last week, Punk and Rhodes stood face-to-face on SmackDown trading deeply personal shots ahead of their Undisputed WWE Championship match. Rhodes admitted he respected Punk’s influence on his career but confessed he never actually liked him. Punk fired back by calling Rhodes “Dusty’s kid” before promising he’d break his friend’s heart at SummerSlam.
Now it looks like words aren’t enough anymore. Whether Rhodes’ elbow was truly intentional or not, the reaction that followed made one thing crystal clear. Whatever respect these two once had for each other is disappearing fast, and by the time they finally meet for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, they may be looking for a fight long before the opening bell ever rings.
Do you think Cody Rhodes intentionally elbowed CM Punk, or was it genuinely an accident that got out of hand? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
