CM Punk is set to headline one of the biggest events of the year, and he isn’t taking the moment lightly. Appearing on Good Guy / Bad Guy with Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, the former WWE Champion opened up about his highly anticipated SummerSlam clash against Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship – and he made it clear that the stakes are deeply personal. Punk didn’t mince words when it came to his respect for his opponent.
“Gunther’s a guy that I feel I’m super excited to get in the ring with,” Punk said. “Like you said it, he’s on fire. Like this dude is the best wrestler in the world. He’s got the gold to prove it, too.”
But the admiration went beyond championship accolades. Punk emphasized how Gunther’s style transcends eras. “Everything about him is a throwback. He’s refreshing. He’s real,” Punk said. “You could take him and drop him into a territory in the 60s and he would thrive. You could put him in Madison Square Garden in the 70s across from Bruno or whatever, and he would thrive. He transcends decades to me.”
With the weight of that recognition comes the gravity of the challenge. Cormier reflected on Punk’s iconic WWE Championship reign alongside Paul Heyman and asked what it would mean to once again wear WWE gold. Punk acknowledged that this run feels different and perhaps more meaningful.
“At this stage in my career, when I’m obviously closer to the end than I am the beginning, I think to me it kind of validates the work I’ve been doing,” Punk said. “Winning a belt at this stage would just kind of put a stamp, you know, it’s an exclamation point on me returning to WWE. Everyone having whatever their expectations were be kind of shattered.”
Punk made it clear he believes he’s still operating at the highest level. “I feel like I’ve been doing the best work of my career these last two years,” he said. “The belt, to me, that’s what that belt means. It’s a little thank you. You’re the centerpiece. You’re the guy on top. You’re the guy carrying the show.”
With SummerSlam expanding to a two-night format for the first time, Punk sees it as a defining opportunity, as he confirmed that his match against Gunther will be the main event of Night 1 on Saturday.
“I think it’s important. It’s important for the title. It’s important for Gunther,” Punk said. “I think the title should more often times than not always be featured in a main event. I’m looking forward to not only main eventing SummerSlam, but stealing the whole weekend,” he declared.
For Punk, who described his WWE return as “extra credit” and “a love letter to pro wrestling,” this SummerSlam match is more than a title bout – it’s a career moment.
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