CM Punk WWE SummerSlam 2026 Opponent

WWE

Following WWE WrestleMania 42, CM Punk stated that he would remain ready and never knew when a title opportunity would come out of the sky.

However, Punk has been missing from WWE television with reports indicating that the company has been waiting on creative plans for “The Best In The World.”

With WWE SummerSlam 2026 on the horizon, it might be time for Punk to return for a big time opponent at the major event from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Here are seven potential CM Punk WWE SummerSlam 2026 opponents.

7. Bron Breakker

On the January 5 edition of WWE Raw, CM Punk defeated Bron Breakker to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

After suffering this loss, Breakker stated that he would keep pursuing a victory over “The Best In The World.”

While Punk has taken the past two months off from WWE TV, Breakker has since picked up arguably the biggest win of his career over Seth Rollins at Backlash 2026.

Now looking to defeat another one of the top stars in the company and another former “Paul Heyman Guy,” this could set the stage for Breakker wanting to avenge his loss against Punk at WWE SummerSlam 2026.

6. Chad Gable

At the AAA Noche de Los Grandes 2026, El Grande Americano defeated The Original El Grande Americano in a Mask vs. Mask Match.

Thanks to this loss, The Original El Grande unmasked to reveal himself as Chad Gable in an emotional scene.

Now that he is back in his original form, Gable should be positioned for a significant push back in WWE and face some top talent on the roster.

Wanting to take out “The Best In The World,” Gable could stake his claim to this nickname by defeating CM Punk on a major stage like WWE SummerSlam 2026.

5. Drew McIntyre

In 2024, CM Punk and Drew McIntyre became embroiled in a bitter and personal rivalry unlike one fans have seen for years.

This feud culminated in one of the most violent and bloody Hell In A Cell matches of all time at WWE Bad Blood 2024 where Punk came out victorious.

Now two years onward, Punk might attempt to make the move from WWE Raw to SmackDown where he could cross paths with McIntyre once again.

“The Scottish Warrior” is someone who has showcased that there is no love lost between him and Punk, which could make for a physically intense war at WWE SummerSlam 2026 in Minneapolis.

4. LA Knight

Back in 2025, LA Knight made the jump from Friday Night SmackDown to Monday Night Raw.

In pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship in a feud with Seth Rollins and The Vision, Knight found himself in opposition to CM Punk as well.

This led to a number of confrontations backstage and in the ring between Punk and Knight, but these two never faced each other one-on-one.

Punk and Knight battling at WWE SummerSlam 2026 could make for a highly anticipated first time ever meeting that fans would love to see.

3. GUNTHER

At WWE SummerSlam 2025, CM Punk defeated GUNTHER to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

This proved to be a heartbreaking loss for “The Ring General,” who went on to take several months off after suffering a nose injury during the contest.

After returning, GUNTHER has been on the warpath, going on to make John Cena tap out in his Final Match and retiring AJ Styles at WWE Royal Rumble 2026.

If Punk makes his way to Friday Night SmackDown, he might have GUNTHER waiting for him, who will look to avenge his loss last year at the same event in Minneapolis this year.

2. Roman Reigns

At WWE WrestleMania 42 Night Two, Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

While this was a conclusive finish, it feels like there is a longstanding issue that can be revisited between these two megastars.

On the road to Mania, things got extremely personal between Punk and Reigns, which could lead to an even more heated rematch sometime down the road.

Upon returning to WWE, Punk could take aim at getting a Mania rematch with Reigns and looking to regain the World Heavyweight Title at WWE SummerSlam 2026 this August.

1. Cody Rhodes

On the April 20 WWE Raw After WrestleMania 42, CM Punk was confronted by his friend and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

While it seemed like this was a friendly conversation, things got a little tense with both men teasing a potential matchup against one another down the line.

When it is time for his return to WWE, Punk could take Rhodes up on his offer and make the jump to Friday Night SmackDown to go after the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Having teased a showdown for over two years now, Punk vs. Rhodes feels like a main event worthy matchup that was made for the huge night that is WWE SummerSlam 2026.

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• wwe
• cm punk
• SummerSlam

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