Report: CM Punk To Join SmackDown Upon WWE Return

Published: 2 hours ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 1 hour ago by Dave Adamson

Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.

Report: CM Punk To Join SmackDown Upon WWE Return

CM Punk is reportedly set to join the SmackDown roster once he makes his return to WWE television, according to a new report.

CM Punk has been absent from in-ring action since losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns at WWE WrestleMania 42 on April 19, with his last appearance on TV coming the following night on the Raw after WrestleMania 42.

WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reported that Punk is set to return on the July 6 episode of WWE Raw, with that taking place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, close to Chicago. And while it seems like that may still happen, Punk is said to be set to switch from Raw to SmackDown.

In the current issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer states that Punk will join the SmackDown brand, with it being seen as a way to balance the rosters. It was slo noted that Punk vs. Cody Rhodes is a potential future creative direction for WWE.

Meltzer writes:

“The plan right now is for him to return on Smackdown, which is basically a balancing act. The belief is with Raw having Reigns, Rollins, The Usos, Fatu, Femi, Logan Paul and Breakker that Punk made more sense on Smackdown with a top tier of Rhodes, Gunther, Ripley and soon to be Punk, Orton and McIntyre. Plus Rhodes vs. Punk has been a direction.

“The return date of 7/6 Raw in Chicago makes sense, although that is a Raw date, not Smackdown, but that’s really not material in the sense Chicago does make sense for him to appear.”

CM Punk Vs. Cody Rhodes: An Undisputed WWE Championship Match In The Making?

Having defeated Drew McIntyre on the March 6 episode of SmackDown, Cody Rhodes is now in his third reign as Undisputed WWE Champion, which is quite an achievement for a star who wanted to “finish the story” at WrestleMania 40, successfully beating Roman Reigns.

With the past reports that CM Punk was to return on July 6, there’s two options for when this match could take place, assuming it’s not on weekly television. First up, July 18 brings us Saturday Night’s Main Event at Madison Square Garden. The next major stop would be WWE SummerSlam, however the two-night PLE could see the winner of the King of the Ring opt to face Rhodes.

It’s not a shoo-in that Rhodes will face the winner of the King of the Ring tournament, however, with the World Heavyweight Championship also being an option leading to a match against Roman Reigns.

The King of the Ring tournament sees its semifinals take place on June 15, with Oba Femi facing Dominik Mysterio, while Je’Von Evans will face the winner of the upcoming first round match between Jey Uso, LA Knight, Royce Keys, and Finn Balor. Regardless of who progresses to Night of Champions on June 27, a shot at one of the two top men’s titles beckons, with the Undisputed WWE Championship surely being the ultimate prize.