CM Punk has been the talk of the town in and outside of WWE this week, and now, his future in the company is becoming clearer.
Earlier this week, the rumor mill suggested that Punk was unhappy in WWE and could be on his way out. With those rumors essentially being debunked, now comes word that WWE is actually planning a blockbuster change for the former World Heavyweight Champion.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestleTalk), Punk is expected to switch brands in preparation for a major feud upon his return to TV: “Meltzer states that Punk will join the SmackDown brand, with it being seen as a way to balance the rosters. It was also noted that Punk vs. Cody Rhodes is a potential future creative direction for WWE.”
Well, that actually makes sense.
Despite WWE moving away from an official draft, there have been numerous significant changes to the top of the card over the past year. Among those big adjustments in recent months? Jacob Fatu moving to Raw while Rhea Ripley and Gunther transferred to SmackDown. With the additions of NXT stalwarts like Oba Femi (Raw) and Trick Williams (SmackDown), among others, both the WWE Raw and SmackDown rosters look drastically different now than they did at the beginning of 2026.
The first colossal domino fell when WWE pivoted away from a planned post-WrestleMania feud between Gunther and Roman Reigns. Instead, Gunther moved to SmackDown and instantly targeted WWE Champion Cody Rhodes while Reigns has been embroiled in a rivalry with Fatu as WWE has reignited The Bloodline saga.
Though not officially confirmed by WWE, Punk’s expected move to SmackDown would seemingly confirm numerous things. Among them, Punk is not, in fact, on the outs with WWE, nor is he off TV due to substantial contract or creative issues with the company. In addition, it certainly lends credence to the belief that Rhodes vs. Punk will happen, whether as soon as at SummerSlam or perhaps as far down the road as at WrestleMania 43 next year.
Rhodes and Punk had a notable in-ring segment on the post-WrestleMania 42 edition of Raw that produced fireworks and did little to quell any speculation that Rhodes vs. Punk would happen in the near future. That bout is, of course, one of the biggest potential matches WWE could do right now.
Punk and Rhodes notably left WWE, went to AEW and then returned to WWE years later only to play pivotal roles in the company’s revitalization over the past few years. It would certainly be fitting for the two cornerstones of WWE’s resurgence to meet in a world title match at one of WWE’s biggest PLEs, such as SummerSlam.
Regardless of any immediate plans for Punk vs. Rhodes, Punk badly needs a move to SmackDown. He has been a prominent fixture on Raw since his return to WWE in 2023, and two of his biggest rivals, Reigns and Seth Rollins, are currently entrenched as key stars in Raw’s main event scene. On SmackDown, Punk could potentially cross paths with Gunther and Drew McIntyre again, have a full-fledged feud with Rhodes or work with up-and-comers like Williams, Carmelo Hayes and Ricky Saints.
While there is no set date for Punk’s WWE return, Raw will be in Chicago on July 6 and could serve as the perfect stage for Punk to appear and reignite a main event storyline.