A match between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship was always the original plan for SummerSlam 2026, per Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio — a plan that Sami Zayn’s Night of Champions title victory now complicates.
“The plan for SummerSlam was always Cody Rhodes and CM Punk for the championship,” Meltzer said. “Now, does that mean they’re changing the title on Monday, or they changed plans? I don’t know.”
Meltzer traced the plan back to the post-WrestleMania 42 Raw segment where Punk and Rhodes crossed paths and teased a future match, explaining that Punk’s subsequent absence was driven by WWE preparing for his return to SmackDown ahead of the SummerSlam build.
Cody Rhodes defeated Jey Uso at the SmackDown taping on June 29 to become the number one contender and will challenge Sami Zayn for the title on the July 6 Raw in Chicago — Punk’s hometown. Punk has been pushing hard to appear at that show and is expected to make his return around that date. Whether Rhodes wins the title back first and the Punk program resumes with the belt, or Zayn’s reign extends, remains unresolved.