CM Punk's WWE Return Planned for SummerSlam 2026

WWE is reportedly planning to bring back former World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk in the not-so-distant future.

CM Punk hasn't appeared on WWE programming since the post-WrestleMania 42 edition of Raw. The 47-year-old superstar dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania, then teased a future title match with WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on Raw before going on hiatus.

During a Q&A session, WrestleVotes reported that CM Punk is part of the plans for SummerSlam 2026 (h/t Ryan Clark of eWrestlingNews). WrestleVotes indicated that Punk could return for Saturday Night's Main Event XLV on July 18.

"It felt like it was going to be a bit of an extended stay. He'll be back for SummerSlam," the report said. "He'll be on the marquee in some form or fashion - on every poster for downtown Minneapolis in 6–8 weeks. Maybe July 18th, Saturday Night's Main Event at Madison Square Garden."

SummerSlam 2026 will be held inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the Aug. 1-2 weekend. WWE usually stacks up the SummerSlam card with its top stars, so it would certainly be a surprise if CM Punk were absent from the card.

CM Punk Is 1-1 at Summerslam Since Returning to WWE

The future Hall of Famer has competed at each SummerSlam event since returning to WWE at the Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 pay-per-view. Punk lost his singles match to Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam 2024, with Seth Rollins serving as the special guest referee.

However, CM Punk defeated Gunther via pinfall at SummerSlam 2025 to become the new World Heavyweight Championship.

Usually, WWE superstars receive a rematch if they lose their championship. The Punk-Reigns feud for WrestleMania 42 was certainly a success, so there's a good possibility we haven't seen the end of their on-screen rivalry.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 7:14 PM.