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On this week’s WWE SmackDown, Cody Rhodes challenged CM Punk to a WWE Title match at SummerSlam. Up until a few weeks ago, there weren’t many fans who were expecting this bout to take place so soon.
Granted, WWE had already teased a Rhodes vs. Punk match during the Raw after WrestleMania. But this seemed like a rivalry that could potentially headline next year’s WrestleMania. So why is WWE doing it so soon? And could it be a mistake on their part?
Nevertheless, the match has been confirmed now. There’s no doubt that both stars will give it their all and have an incredible performance (or as Sheamus would say give fans a banger performance). Speaking of Sheamus, if you’re from Ireland, here’s a list of Irish betting sites you can use to compare the odds.
Everyone remembers that Sami Zayn shockingly defeated Cody Rhodes and Gunther during the Night of Champions Premium Live Event. Cody got himself a title rematch against Sami on this week’s Monday Night Raw. But things took an interesting turn when Gunther attacked him on the show, ultimately shattering his dreams of recapturing the World Championship.
But this wasn’t a big deal because Chicago’s CM Punk conveniently returned during the main event to deliver a title bout that was promised to the fans. The Cult of Personality ended up defeating Zayn, ending his World Title reign just nine days after it had started.
On Friday, CM Punk shows up on SmackDown. He addresses the crowd and reveals what he plans to do the same thing with the WWE Title as he did with the World Heavyweight Championship.
"That means wrestling on television, defending this belt every chance I can, because when you call yourself the Best In The World, it puts the pressure on me, because that locker room is full of talented individuals that want what I have.”
Everything was good until this point. Punk even mentioned potential wrestlers he could work with, such as Sami Zayn, Gunther, Finn Bálor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest, and Trick Williams. He didn’t mention Cody Rhodes, but he didn’t need to, as The American Nightmare appeared shortly afterward.
Both wrestlers talked to each other a bit, and somehow Rhodes ended up earning another shot at the WWE Title.
Punk had mentioned that he would give a rematch to Sami if he wanted it, but he’s not even part of the title picture anymore. And neither is Gunther. These two stars were heavily involved in the main event scene these past few months, so it definitely feels weird that only Cody Rhodes is in the World Title program right now.
What’s even weirder is how the match got announced for SummerSlam. There’s definitely some history between Punk and Rhodes, but SummerSlam is only a few weeks away, and WWE hasn’t really worked on building this rivalry. Sure, both wrestlers had teased a match before, but then what was the point of Cody losing the title in Saudi Arabia if they wanted to do him vs. Punk anyway?
A better way to approach this rivalry would’ve been to let Sami Zayn have a few successful title defenses. He could’ve dropped the title at SummerSlam, and then WWE could’ve started working on Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk for next year’s WrestleMania. Because this is a match they’ve been teasing for a long time now, and booking it in the laziest way possible doesn’t do justice to either of the wrestlers involved.
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