CM Punk Gets the Triple H Nod After Shocking WWE Title Win on 07/06 Raw

CM Punk has returned to WWE with a bang. He beat Sami Zayn to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion on this week's Raw.

CM Punk Gets the Triple H Nod After Shocking WWE Title Win on 07/06 Raw

Triple H and CM Punk posed after Raw [via- Triple H/@X and WWE]

The rumors of CM Punk returning on this week’s Raw in his hometown of Chicago had picked up steam in the last month. And guess what? They proved true. ‘The Best in the World’ not only showed back up on WWE television after a 11-week hiatus, but he also added a major feather in his cap in the main event.

Punk ousted Sami Zayn in a classic to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion. The local hero later posed backstage with the WWE CCO Triple H doing his signature finger-point to make up for an incredible photo. ‘The Game’ didn’t miss out on mentioning that it had been 15 years since Punk last won the WWE title at the Allstate Arena.

Back in 2011, CM Punk overcame John Cena in front of a partisan Chicago crowd. Fast forward to 2026, as ‘Hunter’ noted, the opponent might’ve changed, but the outcome didn’t. ‘The Second City Saint’ even blew a kiss out there at ringside in quite a similar fashion to his highly-acclaimed Cena match in 2011.

However, as Michael Cole said on commentary, Punk wasn’t on the best of terms with WWE back then, which isn’t the case anymore. The smile on his face said it all. Punk wasted little time in making a beeline for the crowd and celebrating the fact that he was now an 8-time world champion in WWE. Moreover, it had been 13.5 years, to be precise, since he last held that title in January 2013.

Speaking of CM Punk‘s social media antics after the show, he made sure to post that ‘WWE title in the refrigerator’ picture on Instagram. He did the same after taking the belt from John Cena in 2011, and he has done it again.

And how couldn’t his wife, AJ Lee, have reacted to her husband’s big win on Raw? She reshared the reel featuring Punk blowing Chicago a kiss after putting the championship on his shoulders. Lee also left a heart with “BITW” written next to it.

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Cody Rhodes getting ambushed opened the floodgates for a CM Punk return on Raw

For those wondering how CM Punk even got to be in the WWE title match on Raw when it was supposed to be Sami Zayn defending the belt against Cody Rhodes, one has to go all the way back to the start of the show. Just after pulling up to the arena and talking some smack to Rhodes, Zayn left. However, as ‘The QB1’ kept staring at the now-former WWE Champion, he got ambushed by Gunther.

CM Punk returned as Cody Rhodes' replacement on Raw
CM Punk returned as Cody Rhodes’ replacement on Raw [via- WWE]

‘The Ring General’ powerbombed Rhodes through a table and then warned Zayn that he would be coming after him and that he was merely a fluke of a champion. Gunther didn’t leave without causing the left side of Rhodes’ head to leak some blood. ‘The American Nightmare’ received immediate medical attention, but the doctors ultimately refrained from giving him the nod to compete.

After it was finally announced that Rhodes was no longer challenging Zayn for the WWE Championship in the main event, ‘The Last Real Good Guy’ felt sorry for Rhodes. Just as he was talking about canceling his title defense on Raw altogether by citing that the entire night had felt cursed to him from the beginning, Adam Pearce barged in and affirmed that he would find a replacement for Zayn.

Pearce was stressing over the phone but couldn’t find success until Nick Aldis informed the Raw GM that he had successfully secured a replacement for Cody Rhodes to face Sami Zayn for the title. It was none other than CM Punk. He was revealed backstage as the shutterway to the Allstate Arena went up and the crowd went bonkers.

Punk made that long walk to the ring with the cameras following him the whole time. ‘The Voice of the Voiceless’ then had his first match since losing the World Heavyweight title to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42. ‘The Second City Saint’ looked leaner than before and that 20-minute struggle with Zayn in the ring only proved that he hadn’t lost a step.

Now that the so-called “Summer of Punk 2.0” is upon the WWE Universe, it sure does have the legs to provide a shot in the arm to the Friday nights of WWE programming on SmackDown. The upcoming weeks of television leading to SummerSlam are expected to be interesting, to say the least. Also, who would face Punk for the gold at the Biggest Party of the Summer would be something to keep an eye on.

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