CM Punk may not be getting a simple one-on-one challenger for his first major WWE Title defense. WWE may be considering throwing Cody Rhodes, Gunther, and possibly Sami Zayn into the same fight.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Punk vs. Cody Rhodes had been the planned WWE Championship direction. RAW complicated that path, though, because Gunther attacked Cody and took him out before Punk defeated Sami for the title.
Now Cody has two problems. He still has a claim to the championship because Punk never beat him for it, but he also has every reason to go after Gunther first after being put through a table and removed from the title match.
“The plan for the WWE title was always Cody Rhodes vs. Punk. And it easily could be that with the booking where Punk won the world title without ever beating Rhodes.”
That is where WWE could turn the whole thing into a much bigger match instead of choosing one rivalry and shelving the other. Meltzer noted that Cody vs. Punk would be the bigger singles match, but the RAW angle makes Cody seeking revenge against Gunther the more immediate story.
“However, from the angle on Raw, where Gunther injured Rhodes, allowing Punk to win the title from Sami Zayn, it would feel like Rhodes would be out for revenge against Gunther first before facing Punk. Rhodes vs. Punk match would mean more than Rhodes vs. Gunther.”
Then there is Sami Zayn. Sami held the championship for only nine days before Punk returned and took it from him in Chicago. WWE has already shown Sami furious and completely broken over the loss, so leaving him out of the next title match would be hard to explain. That gives WWE enough moving parts for a triple threat involving Punk, Cody, and Gunther—or an even bigger four-way with Sami added back into the title picture.
“They could also make it a three-way or even a four-way with Zayn, which would be likely to be announced next week.”
A four-way would tie everything together at once. Cody would get his shot at Punk without having to ignore Gunther, Sami would get another chance after his nine-day reign, and Punk would have to defend the championship against three men with legitimate reasons to come after him.
It would also protect WWE’s bigger Cody vs. Punk singles match for later. The two could share the ring now without WWE giving away the full one-on-one match immediately. Punk’s move to SmackDown already had fans wondering who would challenge him first. Now the answer may be everyone.
Do you want to see CM Punk defend against Cody Rhodes, Gunther, and Sami Zayn in a four-way match? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
