CM Punk appears to be SmackDown-bound, but he may have one more stop on Raw before the move becomes official.
Dave Meltzer reported earlier this month that, upon returning from his post-WrestleMania 42 absence, Punk is expected to be moved to SmackDown, potentially to begin a program with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. The reasoning, per Meltzer, is to better balance the two rosters, as Raw currently carries more star power.
In a follow-up in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer reported that Punk has been lobbying hard for his comeback to take place on the July 6 episode of Raw, which emanates from the Chicago area, Punk’s hometown. According to Meltzer, while Punk’s time away was largely designed to set up his SmackDown move and the eventual Rhodes feud, it would not be accurate to say there are no issues at play.
Meltzer wrote, “His departure was basically to get him ready for moving to Smackdown and eventually a program with Rhodes, but to say there are no issues at all, that wouldn’t be correct. It’s not as bad as some have made it out to be, but it’s not like there aren’t any issues at all.”
Punk has been absent from WWE television since the Raw following WrestleMania 42, sparking speculation about whether his time off was purely a creative decision or tied to friction with the company. At WrestleMania, Punk lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns, and the following night on Raw, a future Undisputed WWE Title bout between Rhodes and Punk was teased.
Rhodes will defend his title against Gunther and Sami Zayn in a triple threat at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. From there, WWE will shift its focus to SummerSlam. The King of the Ring final between Oba Femi and Jey Uso at Night of Champions will earn the winner a World Title shot at SummerSlam, with the option to challenge either Reigns or Rhodes.
