CM Punk Admits That Cody Rhodes Has Surpassed Him In WWE
CM Punk admits that he feels Cody Rhodes has surpassed what he’s done in WWE.
The comparisons between the two wrestling stars have followed them for years, and now they will finally collide in a dream match at SummerSlam, where CM Punk will defend the WWE Undisputed Championship against Cody Rhodes. Both men have taken similar paths throughout their careers, leaving WWE at different points before eventually returning and reaching new heights they had yet to achieve.
During a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, the 8-time World Champion admitted that seeing Cody Rhodes accomplish things he never did in WWE has been “fun to see,” adding that he has no shame in saying he is proud of Rhodes.
“Cody might not want to admit that at some point in time, maybe even currently, he has looked up to me. I have no problem admitting, no shame in saying, damn, I’m proud of where he came from because I think he’s surpassed what I did. He did the same thing I did. He left and he came back a bigger star for it, and then he accomplished things that I never did at that point. It’s fun to see. It really is.”
-CM Punk
The Undisputed WWE Championship match at SummerSlam will mark the first singles meeting between Punk and Rhodes in 18 years, with their only previous one-on-one match taking place back in 2008. The stakes are equally significant, with Rhodes seeking his fourth championship reign since first capturing the title from Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 in 2024.
Punk will look to retain the title after surprisingly defeating Sami Zayn on the July 6 episode of Monday Night RAW in Chicago. Zayn had captured the Undisputed WWE Championship by defeating Rhodes and Gunther in a triple threat match at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, but his reign lasted just nine days before Punk returned from an 11-week absence.
That absence began after Punk lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42. Zayn was originally scheduled to defend the title against Rhodes in Chicago, but after Rhodes was taken out by Gunther beforehand, Punk stepped in and capitalised on the opportunity to leave as champion.
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As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on CM Punk, Cody Rhodes and their Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam as soon as we hear more.
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