‘Any Time You Want’ – CM Punk Future Undisputed WWE Championship Opponent Revealed?

WWE

CM Punk has offered an Undisputed WWE Championship match to an opponent, with an “any time you want” clause added to the mix.

At Night 1 of SummerSlam, CM Punk retained the Undisputed WWE Championship, with that victory coming following interference from a returning Randy Orton, who delivered an RKO to Cody Rhodes.

With a somewhat bitter relationship between Rhodes and Punk brewing in the run up to SummerSlam, an update emerged on how the Undisputed WWE Champion feels towards his rival at a recent non-televised house show.

Speaking at a August 6 WWE Live event in Fairfax, CM Punk addressed Rhodes after they teamed together to beat GUNTHER and Ricky Saints in the main event of the show, with footage shared on Twitter, saying:

“Now, Cody, over the past couple of weeks, the road to SummerSlam has been a lot of ‘he said/she said’, accidents, on purposes, lot of talk about friendship.

“To me, you’re not the champ until you beat the champ. You’re somebody who has been the face of this company for over four years. You’ve done everything, you’ve said ‘yes’ to everything, these people love you, and I love you.”

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Addressing the way the victory came about at SummerSlam – with Randy Orton attacking Rhodes in the closing moments of the match – Punk would tackle that next, along with indicating what’s to come for the Undisputed WWE Championship, stating:

“The way that SummerSlam went down, the way I won, it’s dirty. I don’t like it.

“Now, I know that there’s a ton of guys in the back who want a shot at the champion. There’s number one contenders, there’s superstars who deserve a shot based on the currency they have with the audience, but you, my friend, get a rematch any time you want.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

When such a rematch will take place is yet to be confirmed, but Orton may have something to say about the whole Undisputed WWE Championship picture on this week’s SmackDown.

Kevin Owens is also next in line to challenge for CM Punk’s gold, after winning a #1 contender’s match against Finn Balor, Sami Zayn and GUNTHER at SummerSlam.

The Currency Of The WWE Universe

There’s little doubt that the top WWE championships are the goal for many stars on the main roster, yet it perhaps seems like an insurmountable objective for some.

Speaking on the subject of “top spots” during the WWE SummerSlam Night 1 Post Show, Triple H laid out the reality of the “deserved” spot approach and how he sees it operating under his stewardship, stating:

“Big believer in if you want the spot, go take it. It’s there for everybody to take. When anyone says I don’t know why I’m not in that spot, I don’t know, are you more over than Cody? Roman? Punk? Liv? IYO? Those are the people in that spot, get there, make those crowd reactions happen.”

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With Punk specifically noting “superstars who deserve a shot based on the currency they have with the audience” when it comes to future contenders, it’s possible that this is a reference to the comments made by Triple H, suggesting that popularity with the fans could leave to to shot at a top prize.

There’s certainly opportunity for this and an apparent desire in WWE creative to see such chances materialize, with the challenger to Roamn Reigns’ WWE World Heavyweight Championship being determined in a tournament featuring stars from Raw, SmackDown and AAA. It’s an ideal method of exposing new stars to the title picture, instead of just relying on the same clique of main roster stars.

Of course, contending for the title in a tournament isn’t the same as getting that one-on-one match, but it’s certainly a way to test new stars seeking to secure a top spot, reflected by their popularity among a fanbase eager to see their favorites go from underdogs to big dogs.

If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk to Cody Rhodes at the Fairfax live event:

"The way I won (at SummerSlam), it's dirty, I don't like it.

"There's a ton of guys that want a shot at the champion… But you, my friend, you get a rematch any time you want."pic.twitter.com/jGrzITNqzY

— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) August 7, 2026

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• wwe
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