When CM Punk returns to WWE television, the plan is reportedly for him to do so on a different brand than before, moving to the SmackDown roster.
That is according to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, in which Dave Meltzer addresses the speculation around Punk’s time away.
Punk dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42 and has not been on WWE TV since the following episode of Raw. Amid unverified rumors this past week that Punk and WWE were at odds, Meltzer reiterated that he has been told the absence is creative-related, with Punk taken off television because there was no creative for him and set to return once his angle is ready to begin.
Per the report, the current plan is for Punk to come back on SmackDown as part of a roster balancing act. The thinking is that with Raw stacked with Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, The Usos, Jacob Fatu, Bron Breakker, and Logan Paul, Punk fits better on a SmackDown top tier that includes Cody Rhodes, Gunther, and Rhea Ripley, with Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre also in the mix. A Cody Rhodes versus CM Punk program has also been floated as a direction.
The report notes that a return date of the July 6 Raw in Chicago has been discussed, and while that is a Raw date rather than a SmackDown one, Chicago, Punk’s hometown, makes sense as a place for him to appear regardless of brand.
WWE teased a program between Punk and Rhodes on the Raw after WrestleMania. Rhodes, the current Undisputed WWE Champion, is currently working with Gunther and Sami Zayn and has a title defense against Gunther booked for the June 19 episode of SmackDown. With Night of Champions set for June 27, a Saturday Night’s Main Event special on July 18, and SummerSlam 2026 scheduled for August 1-2, there are several landing spots on the horizon for Punk’s eventual comeback.
