CM Punk

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

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Reported Reason for Punk's Booking at Bash in Berlin

CM Punk scored a decisive victory over Drew McIntyre in a strap match at Bash in Berlin last weekend, and WWE reportedly made a concerted effort to make him look strong in the win.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), the booking of the strap match had a lot to do with the fact that Punk was still in search of his first big win since returning to WWE.

Punk made his return at Survivor Series back in November, and he got injured during his first televised match, which was the 2024 men's Royal Rumble match. Punk then lost his first match back from injury against McIntyre at SummerSlam.

Per Meltzer, WWE "felt [Punk] needed a massive win because he's a massive star," which explains why he hit McIntyre with the GTS four times en route to victory at Bash in Berlin.

Meltzer also noted that WWE knew McIntyre would be fine losing in that fashion since it had a plan in place to give him some momentum back.

That played out Monday night on Raw, as McIntyre brutally attacked Punk and left him with a bloody mouth. McIntyre also took back the bracelet featuring the names of Punk's wife and dog, and destroyed it.

Punk insisted he was done with McIntyre after beating him at Bash in Berlin, but the Scottish Warrior made it clear their rivalry was far from over.

Given the fact that they have one win each against each other and because of the personal nature of their feud, all signs point toward them potentially settling things inside Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood next month.

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WWE Reportedly Planning Rhodes vs. Sikoa Rematch

WWE is teasing a WWE Championship rematch between Cody Rhodes and Solo Sikoa, but it reportedly may not happen when most are expecting it to.

According to Meltzer (h/t Mukherjee), another Rhodes vs. Sikoa match is in the works, however, it is not scheduled to occur next month at the Bad Blood premium live event.

After Rhodes beat Kevin Owens to retain the undisputed WWE Championship at Bash in Berlin, the commentary team immediately began talking about the expectation that Rhodes would face Sikoa next.

Rhodes and Sikoa clashed in the main event of SummerSlam, but Roman Reigns interfered and helped Cody win as payback against Solo for taking over as Tribal Chief of The Bloodline during his absence.

With help from Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa, Sikoa attacked Reigns on a subsequent episode of SmackDown and put him on the shelf.

Meltzer noted that while it is not 100 percent confirmed when Rhodes vs. Sikoa will happen, he "wouldn't be surprised" if it is booked for the first episode of SmackDown on USA Network.

This week marks the final SmackDown on Fox, and it will transition to USA Network starting on Sept. 13.

WWE would undoubtedly love to have a big main event to promote for that show, plus it could likely draw even more viewership with the insinuation that Reigns may return on that episode to get revenge against Sikoa again.

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WWE Wrestlers Reportedly Told to Be Mindful of Cursing

WWE leadership reportedly held a meeting Monday with a focus on reminding Superstars to be careful with their use of language.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t Wrestle Ops), WWE talent was told to be "mindful" of cursing while on camera due to the fact that WWE is still presenting a TV-PG product.

Since former longtime WWE chairman, CEO and head of creative Vince McMahon resigned from the company in January amid allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault in a lawsuit, WWE has clearly gotten a bit more relaxed with its content.

For years, there was a strict ban on the use of blood unless it happened accidentally, but new head of creative Triple H has used blood in certain scenarios to enhance stories.

Also, there have been more adult themes at times than in the past, but for the most part, WWE has refrained from having its talents use vulgar language in promos.

There are exceptions to the rule, though, with The Rock being the most obvious one, as he dropped his fair share of F-bombs during his feud with Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins leading up to WrestleMania 40.

WWE was able to censor The Rock, but most of his swearing occurred in promos he cut on social media rather than the ones he cut on Raw or SmackDown.

There is a great deal of intrigue surrounding whether WWE will loosen the reins even more once Raw moves from USA Network to Netflix in January, but as of now, WWE still wants to appeal to a family audience.

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Bash in Berlin was a massive success for WWE but the show goes on as it prepares for the next premium live event.

On Oct. 5, the global juggernaut will return to Atlanta, Georgia to host Bad Blood at the State Farm Arena. The company hasn't used the pay-per-view title since 2004 when it was a Raw exclusive event.

Nevertheless, this is the perfect time to re-establish it as a replacement for Extreme Rules, which WWE discontinued in 2022.

The Hell in a Cell match has been a staple at the event throughout its brief history. Expect the demonic structure to return at State Farm Arena in a few weeks. No one has used the stipulation since WrestleMania 39.

With one month until the next PLE, let's examine what's next for three of the company's top stars.

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Gunther's Next Challenger

Gunther successfully defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a tremendous match against Randy Orton.

Now, the field is wide open as we wait for his next challenger to emerge. However, The Viper's jump from SmackDown to avenge his loss at King and Queen of the Ring underscored Raw's lack of established contenders for the top prize.

WWE would like viewers to think that CM Punk will challenge for the world title after his win at Bash in Berlin. Still, it's hard to believe Drew McIntyre will just let him move on after everything his bitter rival has done to cost him a shot at championship gold this year.

What's next for CM Punk?!#WWEBash pic.twitter.com/IUQh2HToin

— WWE (@WWE) August 31, 2024

Elsewhere, many potential challengers are already involved in the current number one contender's tournament for the intercontinental title. So, it's difficult to predict who will step up to oppose The Ring General ahead of Bad Blood.

This could be Sami Zayn's chance to throw his hat in the ring. After all, he managed to do the impossible and end Gunther's historic IC title run at WrestleMania 40.

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CM Punk Plans To Get Back On Track

One year after Punk wrestled his final AEW match at All In London, The Straight Edge Superstar secured his first win with WWE in 10 years.

The 45-year-old delivered an impressive performance in front of the Uber Arena crowd as he regained the bracelet McIntyre stole from him and vanquished The Scottish Warrior. Later, he told Cathy Kelley he's coming for the winner of the night's main event and championship gold.

As stated earlier, that seems way too easy. McIntyre isn't just going to let him have peace after the Chicago native played spoiler for months. This feud is far from over, and a third matchup at Bad Blood is highly plausible.

The two currently hold win-a-piece, so expect a rubber match before they move on to their next opponents. Punk will likely pursue the world title later this year or enter the Royal Rumble in 2025.

After this week's strap match dialed up the intensity, it will be interesting to see what kind of stipulation they would employ. In fact, WWE could reintroduce Hell in a Cell here to wrap up this feud.

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The Growing Target on Cody Rhodes' Back

Cody Rhodes defeated Kevin Owens in this weekend's opening match to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.

However, it didn't quite feel like a definitive win because the challenger hesitated when he had the chance to exploit his injuries. Afterward, the two embraced and left the ring as friends, but it doesn't seem like Owens was satisfied with his effort.

As such, there's a very good chance we could see a rematch. Meanwhile, The Bloodline is looming as Solo Sikoa declared that he would challenge the winner of their match at Bash in Berlin during the latest episode of SmackDown.

Roman Reigns also has unfinished business with Rhodes and Sikoa, which could set up a multi-man match soon. The American Nightmare is also bound to clash with Orton after his loss to Gunther.

So, there are several options for his upcoming opponent at Bad Blood in his hometown Atlanta, Georgia. The event could be the right destination for his third match with Reigns, but a triple threat featuring Sikoa seems like a safer bet.

Although McIntyre vs. Punk could lead to a Hell in a Cell match, the stipulation would fit Rhodes' current storyline with The Bloodline as well. Using the structure to keep the stable from interfering would help the champion even the odds.