As CM is expected to remain WWE Champion until SummerSlam despite a shock title win against Sami Zayn, latest reports suggest that the newly crowned Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk is officially headed to Friday Night SmackDown, marking his first appearance since capturing the title. WWE has recently confirmed that Punk will appear on the July 10 edition of SmackDown from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Punk returned after a long hiatus from WWE programming and stepped into the night’s main event as a last-minute replacement for Cody Rhodes, who was unable to compete after being attacked backstage by Gunther earlier in the show. During the match, Zayn was defeated by the Second City Saint in the main event to become the new champion.
CM Punk officially moves to SmackDown after defeating Sami Zayn to become the new WWE champion
WWE star CM Punk has officially moved to SmackDown after defeating Sami Zayn to become the new WWE champion. WWE has confirmed that Punk will appear on this upcoming edition of SmackDown and will go live from Oklahoma City this Friday. His appearance at SmackDown is expected to provide more information about his plans leading up to this year’s SummerSlam premium live event (PLE).Announcing the same on X/Twitter, WWE stated, “New Undisputed WWE Champion @CMPunk will be live in Oklahoma City this Friday!”Besides, reports also suggest that Punk’s move to the blue brand is nothing new; rather it had been discussed internally before his return, positioning him for a marquee championship program in the coming week of SmackDown as well as the SummerSlam.In the latest episode of RAW, Punk stepped in as a last-minute replacement for “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, who was unable to compete against Sami Zayn on RAW due to not being medically cleared following a brutal attack by GUNTHER, as per PW Mania. He then defeated Sami Zayn, who became the new Undisputed WWE Champion for a brief moment. This did not sit well with fans and Zayn himself.As per reports, WWE’s creative team had always planned for Zayn’s reign to be a brief transitional one. The company reportedly viewed the title change at Night of Champions as a key step in advancing its long-term creative direction rather than the start of an extended championship run for Zayn. Meanwhile, WWE has no immediate plans to take the title off Punk as the company is intending for the veteran star to carry the championship into SummerSlam, where he is expected to defend the title in one of the event’s marquee matches. The development suggests that Punk’s championship victory was not a last-minute creative decision. In fact, WWE had been planning his return and title win for weeks. With the company positioning him as a central figure, it would be an advantage for him and the company for the biggest event of the summer, as plans are underway for a major event involving Punk and Cody Rhodes in the SummerSlam.The SummerSlam event is scheduled to start on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2, 2026. The event will be held at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
