CM Punk retained the Undisputed WWE Championship over Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam Night 1 in Minneapolis after Randy Orton, absent from WWE television since WrestleMania 42, returned to hit Rhodes with an RKO in the match’s closing moments. A referee bump from an accidental Rhodes kick opened the door for Orton’s interference, and Punk closed the show with a second GTS. The finish reignites the long-standing rivalry between Orton and Rhodes while extending Punk’s championship reign to roughly one month.
Randy Orton returns at SummerSlam
CM Punk retained the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes on Night 1 of SummerSlam, and he didn’t do it alone. Randy Orton, who hadn’t appeared on WWE programming since WrestleMania 42 in April, stormed the ring late in the match at U.S. Bank Stadium and delivered an RKO to an already-exhausted Rhodes.The opening came when Rhodes attempted a Cody Cutter, missed, and accidentally kicked referee Charles Robinson, knocking him out cold. With no official watching, Orton rushed in and struck. Punk finished the job with a GTS, and by the time Robinson regained his bearings, the count was academic.
CM Punk retains Undisputed WWE title
The match built to that finish through a grinding, physical story. Rhodes targeted Punk’s knee for long stretches while Punk went after Rhodes’ shoulder and wrist early. The two traded finishers, and neither could put the other away cleanly. Punk survived a Cross Rhodes and a figure-four exchange; Rhodes kicked out of an Anaconda Vice and a moonsault. A late spot saw Rhodes dodge a Punk elbow drop off the apron, sending the champion crashing through the announce table instead.The costumes matched the moment’s theatrics. Rhodes entered with Street Fighter-themed gear tied to his upcoming role as Guile in the film adaptation, while Punk wore attire honoring the Minnesota North Stars, the NHL franchise that called the state home from 1967 to 1993 before relocating to Dallas.
Where the Punk-Rhodes rivalry started
Punk’s title reign began just a month earlier. He returned to WWE on the July 6 episode of Raw in his hometown of Chicago and beat Sami Zayn for the championship, stepping in after Rhodes, the original scheduled challenger, was attacked backstage by Gunther. SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis tapped Punk as the emergency replacement.Rhodes and Punk briefly set their differences aside, teaming up to beat Gunther and Zayn at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 18 and keep both out of the SummerSlam picture. That truce didn’t last. The two brawled on the go-home episode of SmackDown, setting up Saturday’s title match.Elsewhere on the card, Liv Morgan retained the WWE Women’s World Heavyweight Championship over Iyo Sky, countering Sky’s Codebreaker attempt with Oblivion for the pin. Night 2 arrives Sunday with Seth Rollins challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, along with Chad Gable defending the Intercontinental title against Penta and a ladder match to crown an interim WWE Women’s Champion.For now, the bigger story out of Minneapolis is what Orton’s return means. He and