CM Punk’s WWE Championship reign is far from over, and it looks like WWE is pulling out all the stops to keep it that way, including engineering a massive, ongoing feud between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. According to Dave Meltzer, the whole Rhodes vs. Orton saga is specifically designed to keep both guys busy and away from Punk’s championship picture right now. But don’t you dare think these dream matches are off the table forever, because Punk vs. Rhodes and Punk vs. Orton are absolutely on WWE’s radar for bigger events down the line. It’s a long game, folks, and it’s wild.
The “American Nightmare” and The “Viper” Are Tied Up, For Now
We all saw this rivalry explode. Cody Rhodes defeated Randy Orton in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 42 to retain the WWE Championship, only for Orton to punt Rhodes after the match and vanish for months. Then, the Viper resurfaced at SummerSlam, costing Rhodes his WWE Championship match against Punk. Talk about a villainous comeback! These two have been going at it ever since, and Sunday Night’s Main Event saw Orton beat Rhodes thanks to a low blow. Yeah, you read that right. A low blow! That just screams that this rivalry is nowhere near done, which means Rhodes and Orton are staying occupied, exactly as planned.
Meanwhile, Punk isn’t exactly kicking back with the title. He’s been dealing with a string of challengers, already putting down guys like Kevin Owens and Johnny Gargano. This week on SmackDown in Mexico, he’s set to defend against Sami Zayn, who has been a thorn in Punk’s side. With Punk’s title reign showing no signs of stopping, it really does suggest those future championship clashes with Rhodes and Orton are definitely in the cards once their current bad blood boils over.
Rollins’ Ghosting Act and a Shocking Release
Speaking of things heating up, where the heck is Seth Rollins? There’s apparently a ton of uncertainty backstage about why he’s been off WWE programming and when he’ll even return. WrestleVotes reported that his name hasn’t even come up backstage “in a while.” While it’s believed he’ll be back “relatively soon,” the original plan wasn’t for him to be gone this long. The Visionary was last seen on August 2, losing to Roman Reigns in a World Heavyweight Championship match at SummerSlam Night 2. They even did the Shield fist bump, seemingly burying the hatchet, and then boom, Rollins disappears. Maybe it’s a lack of creative plans since he’s out of the world heavyweight title scene and his rivalry with “The Vision” ended before he went after Reigns. With no clear spot for him right now, Money in the Bank is coming up, and qualifiers for the October 10 event just started on Raw. Rollins won MITB last year and is a two-time winner, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see him in a qualifier soon.
And in another piece of breaking news, WWE reportedly released Wendy Choo last week. Meltzer confirmed the decision was due to a “lack of progress.” She’d been in NXT for years, and apparently hadn’t developed to the level the company expected. Sources at the WWE Performance Center were reportedly “shocked” by her release. It’s a tough business, man.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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