Booking CM Punk from WWE SummerSlam 2024 to WrestleMania 41

A CM Punk return to WWE seemed almost unfathomable this time one year ago, but now he finds himself amid one of the company's biggest blood feuds heading into SummerSlam 2024.

His shocking comeback at last November's Survivor Series kicked off what has been an outstanding run despite his in-ring activity being limited to only one televised match.

In that time, he's had excellent interactions with Seth Rollins, competed in the men's Royal Rumble match and traded verbal jabs with Drew McIntyre, who was responsible for putting him on the shelf with an injury at the end of January.

The two will finally face off one-on-one at SummerSlam on Saturday when Rollins will serve as the special guest referee.

Regardless of the outcome in Cleveland this weekend, it's unknown where Punk goes from there and what the company has planned for him in the remainder of 2024.

Anything can change in the WWE landscape between now and WrestleMania 41, but the following looks to be his most likely path back to The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Punk vs. McIntyre in a straight-up singles match would have been ideal for SummerSlam considering the heated feud they've had in the last seven months, but appointing Rollins as the ref is perfectly logical given his history with both men.

Not only does it put Rollins in an obvious role and prominent position at the event, but it also gives Punk or McIntyre an out for losing. The Visionary simply calling the contest down the middle would be underwhelming, so it's important for him to factor into the finish in order to maximize his involvement.

Rollins accidentally costing Punk the win accomplishes multiple things.

It wouldn't necessarily count as a heel turn for The Visionary if it isn't on purpose, but even if it was, it can be what rekindles his rivalry with Punk coming out of SummerSlam. Furthermore, it gives McIntyre a tainted win over The Best in the World to maintain their rivalry.

McIntyre has a lot more to gain from beating Punk at this juncture than the other way around. The Scot needs to redeem himself after his rival has had his number all year, and Punk can always avenge the loss later down the road.

The next step in the storyline post-SummerSlam should be for Punk, McIntyre and Rollins to collide in a Triple Threat match. And Bash in Berlin on August 31 would be the perfect pay-per-view to host such a high-profile matchup.

To raise the stakes, a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship at Bad Blood on October 5 can be put up for grabs.

Punk vs. McIntyre should be a strong contest at SummerSlam, but adding Rollins to the mix would make it that much better. Considering the level of talent between the three former world champions, it'd be impossible for them to have anything less than a terrific Triple Threat.

Rollins emerging victorious would make the most sense to set him up for a match with Gunther (who should be world heavyweight champion by then) and allow Punk and McIntyre to resume their rivalry separately again by cancelling each other out.

Bad Blood falls on the 27th anniversary of the inaugural installment headlined by the first-ever Hell in a Cell match. Thus, it would be only fitting for the McIntyre vs. Punk program to culminate inside The Devil's Playground.

Punk scoring the decisive win in emphatic fashion can put their rivalry to rest once and for all.

Punk vs. Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40 was clearly the direction WWE was headed in prior to the former's injury at the Royal Rumble. Triple H said as much in the recent WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain documentary.

Although it is a 'Mania-worthy encounter, they've had enough interactions recently that waiting until next April would be too long. Thus, the only alternative would be for them to feud in the months preceding the showpiece event instead of on the grand stage itself.

This would effectively keep both men busy until WrestleMania season starts and give Raw the jolt of excitement it's bound to need in the final stretch of the year.

Whether they have their first major match at Survivor Series or somewhere else, nothing needs to be at stake for it to be an attraction. Once he overcomes the obstacle of McIntyre, Punk should continue building momentum for 'Mania by besting Rollins as well.

It wouldn't be a stretch to see them as the final two in the 2025 men's Royal Rumble, but either way, Punk has a greater goal to achieve come WrestleMania 41.

Immediately upon returning to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, Punk was considered to be a heavy favorite to win the men's Rumble match.

The seeds were planted for a WrestleMania 40 match with then-world heavyweight champion Rollins, and winning the Rumble was one of the only accolades that had alluded him his entire career.

Of course, he was ultimately unsuccessful, but a Rumble win wouldn't be completely out of the question for him in 2025. In fact, it might just be the best possible outcome for the men's match and make for the strongest story.

Once Punk wraps up his rivalries with McIntyre and Rollins, the next target on his hit list should be Gunther, largely because he'll be holding Raw's top title by then.

Punk and Gunther are such polar opposites in virtually every way that they'd make for tremendous rivals. The promos have the potential to be phenomenal and the match is WrestleMania main event-caliber.

It isn't imperative Punk be the one to dethrone The Ring General as champ, but he does belong in a marquee match at 'Mania next year and an outing against Gunther would be exactly that.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.