CM Punk will get his singles match with Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. (Credit: Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images)
WWE via Getty Images
At WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk took one step closer to their blockbuster SummerSlam match.
Over the past few weeks, SmackDown’s WWE Championship picture has been thrown for a loop. First, Rhodes lost the WWE title to Sami Zayn at Night of Champions. Then, after just nine days, a returning CM Punk beat Zayn for the title in an instant classic on Raw. Throw an enraged Gunther into the mix, and SmackDown’s title scene has become crowded with a handful of WWE’s biggest stars.
At SummerSlam, Rhodes and Punk will go one-on-one in a dream match of ex-AEW stars, but first, they were forced to team up against Gunther and Zayn at Saturday Night’s Main Event inside the world famous Madison Square Garden.
WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 2026 Results For Cody Rhodes And CM Punk Vs. Gunther And Sami Zayn
At WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, Punk and Rhodes had to be on the same page against two of their formal rivals. Spoiler alert: They did just fine.
The two megastars were able to coexist well enough to defeat Gunther and Zayn and keep their SummerSlam singles match intact. Thanks to an unexpected assist from SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, Punk and Rhodes won the match and will now face each other for the WWE Championship inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Here are the key highlights and moments from Punk and Rhodes vs. Zayn and Gunther at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 2026:
- As soon as the bell ring, a massive brawl broke out between all four stars after Zayn jumped Punk. The ref quickly got things under control, and Rhodes got the early advantage on Zayn. Moments later, Zayn took over as he attacked Punk and beat him down.
- Punk finally hit a top rope crossbody block as both Zayn and Punk tagged in their partners. Rhodes nailed Gunther with his patented power slam and a Disaster Kick. Zayn entered the ring, but Rhodes eventually hit a Cody Cutter on Gunther and a dive onto Zayn on the outside.
- Rhodes hit Gunther with yet another Cody Cutter for a two-count, which fired up the MSG crowd. Gunther tagged in Zayn, and Rhodes missed a corner splash then avoided a Blue Thunder Bomb. Zayn nearly stole the pin, and then hit the BTB this time around for a nearfall.
- Zayn missed the Helluva Kick on Rhodes, who tagged in Punk. The WWE Champion nailed his patented comeback ending with a running bulldog. Punk hit his Macho Man-esque elbow drop for two, then locked in the Anaconda Vice. With that locked in, Rhodes locked in the Figure Four on Gunther as well.
- Gunther was able to poke Punk in the eye to break up the submission on Zayn, who returned the favor. Zayn hit a suplex onto Punk that sent him crashing into the turnbuckle. He then nailed the Helluva Kick, but Rhodes was able to interfere with the Cross Rhodes. Gunther then blasted Rhodes with a huge clothesline.
- Finally, Punk picked up Gunther and planted him with a devastating GTS as the crowd went berserk. Gunther or the tag and went for a sleeper, Punk reversed and then Gunther sent Punk into Rhodes on the apron. That allowed Gunther to lock in the sleeper again as Punk tried to fight out of it.
- Punk tagged Rhodes while still in the Sleeper. Rhodes entered the ring and hit a Cross Rhodes on Gunther, but Zayn ran into Punk and sent him into Gunther, Rhodes and the referee. With the ref down and out, Zayn attacked Rhodes. Punk picked up Zayn and hit him with a monstrous GTS, sending him out of the ring.
- Back in the ring, Punk and Rhodes blasted Gunther with a series of haymakers. Rhodes went for the Disaster Kick, but Gunther moved and accidentally took out Punk. Gunther grabbed the WWE title and blasted Rhods in the head, laying him out.
- Gunther picked up Rhodes and planted him with a vicious powerbomb. A second ref entered the ring to count the three, but SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis showed up, pulled the ref out of the ring and then hit Gunther with the title.
- Punk picked up Gunther for the GTS, hit it and then dragged Rhodes on top of Gunther. Punk dragged the ref back into the ring, and he counted the 1-2-3. That finish should set up the highly anticipated SummerSlam match between Aldis, a former TNA World Champion, and Gunther.
WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 2026 Results: What’s Next For Cody Rhodes And CM Punk?
Both Rhodes and Punk are, pun intended, at a crossroads in their WWE careers.
As the once red hot WWE continues to cool off, WWE finds itself in an awkward situation with both stars. Punk and Rhodes are still beloved, of course, but the former is arguably more popular at the moment. Rhodes’ dominance of the WWE title picture over the past few years is beginning to feel a bit tiresome, and some drastic changes may be needed.
Might that come in the form of a blockbuster heel turn? Maybe for Punk. Perhaps for Rhodes, too.
Rhodes has been largely resistant to a heel turn in recent years but recently expressed some willingness to move to the dark side. After John Cena’s epic failure of a heel turn last year, however, WWE itself may be less willing to turn arguably its most popular star into a fan favorite, even though that could be precisely what WWE needs right now.
Punk vs. Rhodes is a lot like Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins. They are two feuds between a pair of stars that have a lengthy history with one another but don’t currently feel embroiled in an intense rivalry. After WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, there are no obvious signs of potential tension between Punk and Rhodes.
As much as WWE likely wants to avoid turning either star, it’s worth the risk. After all, Reigns’ heel turn a half decade ago worked wonders for WWE and helped lead to its biggest boom period in more than two decades. A lengthy Punk vs. Rhodes rivalry, with either star turning heel, could do the same.
With WWE SummerSlam rapidly approaching, the creative team desperately needs to create interest in its marquee rivalries. An epic heel turn could fix that, if well-executed.