What’s Next For CM Punk After Losing Undisputed WWE Championship

WWE

After dropping the Undisputed WWE Championship to Sami Zayn on the September 11 edition of WWE SmackDown, what is next for CM Punk?

CM Punk’s second reign as Undisputed WWE Champion is over almost as quickly as it began.

With a major title change on the September 11 edition of WWE SmackDown, it could be that there are some intriguing new storylines emerging.

Here are four things that could be next for CM Punk after dropping the Undisputed WWE Championship.

4. Go Another Round With Kevin Owens

One intriguing choice for CM Punk’s future would be to stay put on SmackDown and continue the fight with Kevin Owens.

Owens previously challenged Punk for the title in August, with an interference from Sami Zayn lending to that match devolving into chaos.

However on the September 11 edition of WWE SmackDown, Owens would once again found himself directly involved in Punk’s championship downfall.

After attempting to seemingly strike Zayn with the title, Zayn moved out of the way and Punk took the hit instead.

3. Attack Johnny Gargano

There has been a string of intriguing appearances for Johnny Gargano of late — first resurrecting himself at the notion of a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship.

With CM Punk’s offer of a title shot seemingly raising Gargano from his previously comatose state, Gargano would ultimately come quite close to winning after a Sami Zayn interference but alas, would fall to Punk’s GTS in the September 4 match.

With Gargano also involved in the chaos surrounding Punk’s rematch with Zayn, it could be that Punk isn’t done with Johnny Wrestling just yet.

Since Gargano has notably already pressured Sami Zayn into his first match should he have been successful, it might be that there is another round of CM Punk vs. Johnny Gargano on the horizon.

2. Return To WWE Raw

CM Punk hasn’t always been appearing on WWE SmackDown, in fact the swap to the blue brand has been relatively recent in 2026.

While CM Punk has been holding down the fort on SmackDown since winning the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes, his loss could lead to renewal.

Potentially flipping back to WWE Raw, Punk could find himself engaged in any number of rivalries.

From possibly helping out Oba Femi as he faces the entirety of The Vision attacking him, there could also be interesting ground left to cover with CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.

1. Disappear & Rebuild

One option for the next storyline direction for CM Punk could see him depart TV entirely for a period of time, leaving fans to speculate about what could be next.

With Punk being known for his innovative characters and unique takes on the microphone that keep fans captivated, it might make sense for him to return with an updated attitude in the future.

While able to overall maintain a babyface persona, there is definitely room for CM Punk to take  time away from fans in order to make his return that much more thrilling.

Should Punk effectively disappear from competition after this loss and only return at a future major moment, it could certainly make his presence even more special.

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