BREAKING: CM Punk’s SummerSlam 2026 opponent is officially confirmed on WWE SmackDown

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He called out a list of names on SmackDown to face, from the likes of Damian Priest to Royce Keys. One name he didn’t mention was Cody Rhodes, and The American Nightmare came out not too long after. He reminded Punk that they had avoided facing each other for whatever reason, but they both came to the conclusion that there was no need to avoid each other anymore. With a handshake and a word from the re-instated SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, the main event of SummerSlam was made official – CM Punk vs Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Title.

If you recall, Cody Rhodes and Punk had an epic segment on the RAW after WrestleMania 42, where Punk looked back at his WrestleMania loss and World Heavyweight Title run in hindsight. Once again bringing up the fact that they avoided each other despite multiple meetings, Cody simply told Punk to just say when he wanted a WWE title shot.

What played out instead was a reverse situation where Punk was in a position to grant Cody Rhodes a WWE title shot.