CM Punk tried to apologize. Cody Rhodes wasn’t buying it.
One night after their backstage argument at Saturday Night’s Main Event, the Undisputed WWE Championship rivals came face-to-face again during WWE’s SummerSlam Kickoff show. Instead of moving on, they picked up right where they left off, with Cody shutting down Punk’s apology before the exchange turned personal in a hurry.
Cody admitted he wasn’t proud of how things played out the night before, but he made it clear he wasn’t taking any of it back. He also said he was done pretending the two of them had any kind of brotherly bond.
“I’m embarrassed about it, but I’m not apologizing for it. And I’m a little done with this ‘brother’ thing because you’re not my brother.”
Punk fired back immediately. He told Cody the real problem wasn’t the championship belt accidentally hitting him in the eye—it was Cody’s ego. Bringing up everything Rhodes has been through with John Cena and Randy Orton, Punk argued that Cody has become so used to people betraying him that he’s expecting it from everyone now.
“Okay, you’re still mad about it. That’s your ego talking. I understand. He’s paranoid. John Cena, Randy Orton—they stabbed him in the back. You’re paranoid it’s gonna happen again and again. I’m not gonna stab you in the back. This is your ego speaking.”
Cody wasn’t having it. He admitted he has an ego, joked that his purple pants should make that obvious, and then turned the conversation right back on Punk. According to Rhodes, what happened after Saturday Night’s Main Event showed him exactly who Punk really is.
“Guess what? News flash: I’m wearing purple pants. Clearly I have an ego. But there’s so much that’s unsaid between you and me. Don’t talk to me about ego. Last night, your mask slipped. So I don’t wanna hear any of this ego bulls**t.”
Punk apologized one more time for accidentally clipping Cody with the championship the night before. Then he made sure what happened next wasn’t an accident.
“I’ll tell you again, last night was an accident, and I apologize. But this is on purpose.”
Before Cody could respond, Punk stepped forward and pie-faced him. Afterwards, both of them had to be separated by security as Punk said: “That’s on purpose, little brother!” Whatever was left of the respect between these two disappeared right there.
Twenty-four hours earlier, they were arguing over an accidental shot with the WWE Championship. Now Punk was putting his hands on Cody on purpose, calling him “little brother” in front of the world, and walking away with the last word. With SummerSlam around the corner, this rivalry isn’t cooling off—it’s getting nastier every time they’re in the same room.
Whose side are you on heading into SummerSlam—CM Punk or Cody Rhodes? Let us know in the comments below.
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