CM Punk’s road to SummerSlam was supposed to be pretty simple. Come back, build toward Cody Rhodes, and get the big match WWE had lined up. Then Sami Zayn walked out of Night of Champions with the WWE Championship, and now everything is a lot messier.
Punk has been off WWE television since the April 20 episode of Monday Night RAW, but the belief is that his return is still coming fast. According earlier reports, WWE still expects Punk back on the July 6, 2026 episode of RAW from the Allstate Arena in Chicago. That hometown return has been the plan for weeks, and there has been no change to Punk being promoted for the show.
That matters because July 6 RAW already has a loaded main event advertised: Sami Zayn defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes. If Punk walks back into WWE that night, he is stepping right into the middle of the SummerSlam title picture.
Punk also had fans reading into his own words after he appeared on commentary for Cage Fury Fighting Championships 156 in Chicago. When asked about doing another CFFC event on a Friday, Punk suddenly acted like his schedule might be a problem.
“Was that a Friday? It’s a Friday? I don’t know if I can make it…”
That line got people talking because Friday is SmackDown night. Punk didn’t say SmackDown by name, but he didn’t need to. Fans know the schedule, and Punk knows exactly how to feed them just enough to get the speculation machine moving. He also played around when asked if he had any big news, brushing it off with a joke about his weight.
“Big news? No, I don’t have a lot of news. I gained 20 pounds recently. It’s not good weight. The suit’s a little tight, ladies and gentlemen.”
Dave Meltzer also brought up Punk’s CFFC appearance while discussing Sami Zayn’s WWE Championship win on Wrestling Observer Radio. Meltzer said Punk’s Friday comment looked like a SmackDown tease, but the bigger point was that Punk is now part of the same messy title puzzle as Sami, Cody, Brock Lesnar, Oba Femi, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins.
“But yeah, I mean, now what does this mean? See, CM Punk’s another one in that mix, not just Brock Lesnar, you know? I mean, because he’s gonna be on SmackDown, which I guess we could mention. CM Punk was announcing the CFFC. It’s an MMA promotion that he used to announce all the time, and then he stopped. They were doing a show in Chicago on Friday night, and he announced it. And, you know, he got a whole bunch of lines in there.”
Meltzer explained that Punk also worked in a Terry Funk reference, joking that he couldn’t travel because his horse was sick. Then Meltzer got to the Friday line. In his view, Punk was not just joking around. He was telling people where he is headed.
“And, you know, the first one was that his horse was sick, which is a famous Terry Funk line that he used on Vince McMahon twice, if not three times. And he even later in the show says, ‘My horse is named Terry,’ for those of you who like the little inside stuff. And he was absolutely doing that.”
“And then he was asked at one point about, you know, ‘Are you going to be back announcing for us?’ Because he said that he doesn’t travel anymore because his horse is sick. So he goes, ‘Well, if you’re on Fridays, I might be busy,’ which was his way of telling everyone that he’s bound for SmackDown.”
That is where Punk’s SummerSlam status gets interesting. Meltzer said Punk is on that side of the board now, and Sami Zayn holding the title gives WWE another possible direction before they get to Cody Rhodes.
“So that was that. So, you know, Punk on that side, he’s in the mix. He could beat Sami too. You know? I mean, eventually, obviously, they’re going to get to Punk with Cody. That’s the whole reason they’re doing this, is to get there. Originally, that was a SummerSlam match. You know, I mean, a lot of stuff changes. So that was that CM Punk story.”
Punk vs. Cody Rhodes was the SummerSlam plan. Meltzer later said that again when Garrett Gonzales asked about Sami Zayn’s future as champion and how Sami vs. Cody on RAW lines up with the original SummerSlam direction.
“But, but we all know like the plan was Cody Rhodes defending the title against CM Punk. That absolutely was the plan. Okay. 100. I’d known it since the day after WrestleMania is confirmed in several meetings. You know, the, the WrestleMania cards in the issue. I mean the SummerSTEM cards in the issue, you know, that’s, that’s where they were going.”
Meltzer also said Sami’s title win may not have been part of the long-term plan. He pointed to WWE not even having a nameplate ready for Sami as one sign that this may have been a late shakeup.
“They didn’t even have a nameplate made. You know, it was, it was, you know, I don’t know that it was late, but it was, you know, whatever it was, it wasn’t meant to be long term unless they change their mind. And of course they always can.”
That creates the big question for Punk. If Cody beats Sami on RAW, WWE can still steer right back toward Cody vs. Punk at SummerSlam. If Sami retains, then WWE may be changing course, and Punk could suddenly have Sami Zayn in front of him instead. Meltzer admitted he does not know who Punk faces now, but said Punk wants to be back in Chicago on July 6 so WWE can start the SummerSlam build.
“So anyway, Punk should be back a week from Monday if he has his way. He wants to come back in Chicago July 6th. So, you know, that’s the deal, and then build for SummerSlam, obviously. Well, I mean, I don’t know who he goes against now. Maybe it’s Zayn. I mean, I don’t think it’ll be Oba. We’ll find out.”
So here is what we know so far: WWE still expects Punk back on July 6 RAW in Chicago, Punk teased that Fridays may become a problem for him, Meltzer says Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk was the original SummerSlam plan, and Sami Zayn’s title win may have thrown a giant wrench into that path.
Punk vs. Cody still looks like the destination WWE wanted. Sami Zayn is the wild card now. If Sami’s title reign is short, Punk and Cody can get back on track fast. If WWE actually keeps the title on Sami, then Punk may have a very different SummerSlam road than anyone expected.
What do you think CM Punk’s SummerSlam match should be now — Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, or someone else entirely? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know.
