CM Punk ripped the WWE Championship off a still-triumphant Sami Zayn, and the pro wrestling world is still slightly reeling from it. What’s even wilder? Punk immediately accepted a SummerSlam challenge, but get this, it is not against Zayn. Nah, he’s facing Cody Rhodes, and honestly, this whole thing already has that corporate stink all over it.
The Rhodes Challenge Feels Way Too Convenient
Sure, there’s a story here. Punk’s been friendly with “Dusty’s kid” since his WWE return and promised a title shot. Rhodes is cashing that in now. But for a “blurred-lines” era, this just feels wrong. Punk went to SmackDown, immediately won a title, and now he’s immediately in a main-event program with Rhodes at the second biggest show of the year. It has “pleasing broadcast partners” written all over it, you know? Forget the short-sighted booking, the pops they got with Zayn in Saudi Arabia and Punk in Chicago. Now we’ve got Punk defending a title he just got, pushing Zayn aside, all to feud with Rhodes. The guy infamously won’t go heel and has been overexposed for a while.
What Does This Mean For SummerSlam?
If Rhodes wins, it just means more of the same for him. We’d be looking at another exhausting WrestleMania run, possibly spoiled by TKO or Pat McAfee, or whoever else they drag in. If Punk wins, that’s cool, but then Sami Zayn and a bunch of others better get their title shots. WWE deemed them “not big enough” to headline SummerSlam alongside him, which is just bogus. And then who does Punk feud with at next year’s WrestleMania if he’s still champion? The whole thing feels better suited for a WrestleMania match, but with ‘Mania heading overseas, it gets tricky. They’re probably worried about the injury bug, too. How many “dream matches” have we seen get ruined by injuries? Punk himself, now 47, had a lengthy feud with Drew McIntyre while rehabbing.
So, what’s the play? Rhodes is above going heel, but Punk could totally turn to retain. From an in-ring psychology standpoint, he’s one of the greatest ever. We saw that with the “old man” narrative against Roman Reigns at ‘Mania. What if he goes the “savvy veteran” route, uses heel tactics to get the win over Rhodes? They could slow-burn it, turn a respectful friendly bout into a bloody mess. Punk winning would keep the main-event scene compelling, and Rhodes is always better in chase mode anyway. This Punk title win feels like outside meddling, fair or not, but good old-fashioned storytelling can totally save it. Punk has to remember being “too old” to beat Reigns. He’s going to do whatever it takes against Rhodes, even if it means going from morally grey to full-blown villain. SummerSlam is gonna be wild, let’s see what happens!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Leave a Reply