CM Punk will defend the WWE Undisputed Championship against Cody Rhodes at WWE SummerSlam after the blockbuster title match was officially confirmed on this week's episode of SmackDown.

The announcement came during the opening segment of Friday night's show, where the newly crowned champion addressed the WWE Universe for the first time since capturing the title earlier in the week.

Punk reflected on his championship victory, noting that he is now officially part of the SmackDown roster after defeating Sami Zayn for the WWE Undisputed Championship on Raw. The title change came after Gunther attacked then-champion Cody Rhodes, creating the opportunity that Punk capitalized on to win the gold.

With the championship now around his waist, Punk vowed to be a fighting champion on Friday nights, promising to defend the title against anyone willing to step up. He specifically mentioned potential challengers including Sami Zayn, Gunther, Finn Bálor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest, and Trick Williams.

The celebration was interrupted by Cody Rhodes, who confronted the new champion and reflected on their previous interaction following WrestleMania. Rhodes suggested that a championship clash between the two had been years in the making, while Punk admitted he had always envisioned the match taking place in the main event of WrestleMania but acknowledged that they could no longer avoid facing each other.

Rhodes made it clear that he wanted his opportunity to reclaim the WWE Undisputed Championship at SummerSlam. The two stars shared a respectful handshake before SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis made the match official.

CM Punk will now defend the WWE Undisputed Championship against Cody Rhodes at WWE SummerSlam, which takes place on August 1 and August 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The championship bout immediately becomes one of the marquee matches for WWE's biggest event of the summer.

Sami Zayn...
Gunther...
Finn Balor...
Royce Keys...
Damian Priest...
Trick Williams...

THE UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMP is ready for you! 👀 pic.twitter.com/oEzzhPvNnK

— WWE (@WWE) July 11, 2026

"Just say when..." 👀

CM PUNK will battle CODY RHODES for the UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPIONSHIP at SUMMERSLAM! pic.twitter.com/bfFrsQhEwT

— WWE (@WWE) July 11, 2026