For the second time, the summer of CM Punk is upon us. Following a lengthy hiatus from WWE programming, CM Punk made an epic return at RAW in Chicago and left his hometown arena as the new WWE Champion.
CM Punk Wins WWE Championship in Stunning Return
GettyCM Punk won gold in his epic WWE return
The Best in the World has reclaimed his throne.
Cody Rhodes, who earned No. 1 contender status last week on SmackDown, was slated to face Sami Zayn for the WWE Championship in the episode’s main event.
However, he was ambushed by Gunther backstage in the opening segment of the July 6 episode of RAW.
With Rhodes medically unable to compete, general managers Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce had to get creative in finding a replacement for the championship match promised to Chicago.
Enter CM Punk.
Punk’s return nearly blew the roof off Allstate Arena, which was filled with Chicago-area fans excited to see their hometown hero.
Punk last appeared on WWE programming on RAW After WrestleMania. Back then, Punk was fresh off losing the Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes was the WWE Champion.
During a friendly exchange between the two stars, Cody Rhodes essentially offered Punk a chance to challenge him for the title whenever he’s ready.
Months later, the circumstances changed drastically.
As fate would have it, a championship opportunity opened up against Sami Zayn, who won the coveted title at Night of Champions.
With a title shot available in Chicago, the Second City Saint didn’t flinch.
Following a slobberknocker of a main event match, CM Punk won the WWE Championship for the third time in his career.
Now, the Summer of Punk is upon us once more.
Who Will CM Punk Face at SummerSlam?
GettyCM Punk could face Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam
CM Punk has always prided himself on being a fighting champion.
Now, possessing the most prized championship in the company, fans shouldn’t expect that to change.
In all likelihood, Punk will be defending the WWE Championship at SummerSlam.
The question is, who will he face?
Cody Rhodes, who was initially slated to compete for the title tonight, makes a ton of sense.
Punk essentially stole Rhodes’ title opportunity in Chicago. Plus, Punk may want to return the favor extended to him by Rhodes at RAW After WrestleMania.
The biggest question will be if Rhodes is medically cleared to compete in time for SummerSlam.
A rematch with Sami Zayn also seems plausible. Since Zayn wasn’t aware that he would face Punk tonight, he couldn’t adequately prepare for the bout.
Perhaps Punk will afford him ample time to prepare for a rematch at SummerSlam.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post CM Punk Wins WWE Championship in Epic Return appeared first on HEAVY.