Booking CM Punk's Road to WWE WrestleMania 42 as World Heavyweight Champion

CM Punk is finally back atop WWE's mountaintop as world heavyweight champion, and all signs point to this reign lasting longer than any other he's had in well over a decade.

The Best in the World knocked off Jey Uso on the Nov. 1 installment of Saturday Night's Main Event to capture the prestigious prize, which may not have happened had he faced Seth Rollins prior to his injury.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the original plan called for Rollins to retain against Punk at the event, but The Visionary getting sidelined led to a significant shuffling of creative on Raw with Punk regaining the gold sooner than expected.

Punk is just over a week removed from becoming champ and already has several Superstars waiting in the wings to challenge him, most notably Logan Paul.

The Vision's Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed also expressed interest in taking down The Second City Saint in the immediate aftermath of his title win.

Raw's Road to WrestleMania 42 on Netflix should see Punk positioned as the focal point, though it isn't imperative he hold the championship for the full period. There's any number of directions WWE can go in with him from here, but the following would be the most likely and logical booking blueprint.

Finding Partners for WarGames at Survivor Series

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It was at Survivor Series two years ago where CM Punk made his shocking return to WWE immediately following the WarGames main event.

He then successfully teamed with Roman Reigns, The Usos and Sami Zayn to defeat the new Bloodline in WarGames last year.

It should be a similar story in 2025 based on what we've seen on Raw in the last two weeks.

Punk being confronted and attacked by Logan Paul, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed set the stage for him to square off with them in WarGames on November 29. He was lacked backed up by Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes, but his other two teammates remain unknown.

Regardless of what the ultimate lineup for men's WarGames looks like, Punk has nothing to gain from going over.

Breakker and Reed are on the rise and Paul can earn himself a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship by being on the winning team if not pinning Punk himself.

WarGames feels forced for the men this year and Punk would be better off defending his title in a singles match on the show, but this appears to be what WWE has in store for Survivor Series, and it should lay the groundwork for what The Second City Saint does with the belt coming out of the event.

Defending Against Logan Paul at Saturday Night's Main Event

If Survivor Series isn't where CM Punk and Logan Paul collide for the World Heavyweight Championship, the next installment of Saturday Night's Main Event on Dec. 13 would make the most sense.

Paul is a high-profile opponent for Punk to face and beat while world heavyweight champion. WWE has used Paul as a one-off world title contender in the past for the likes of Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso, and this would be no exception.

The social media megastar has no business taking the title from Punk and cutting his reign short, nor should he hold gold of any kind again until he wrestles and appears more regularly. There's nothing to be gained from putting the top title on a part-timer such as Paul, even if only for a brief reign.

From an in-ring standpoint, Punk vs. Paul works as an attraction for a Saturday Night's Main Event special. They've never gone one-on-one before and could end up having great chemistry together.

The promos alone could generate genuine excitement for the match going into their championship clash, regardless of the predictability surrounding the outcome. It would be a fun feud for Punk to close out 2025 and keep him busy until the Royal Rumble build gets underway.

Defending Against LA Knight on First Raw of 2026

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In the wake of Saturday Night's Main Event, CM Punk can engage in a short-lived storyline with LA Knight, with whom he has unfinished business dating back to before Seth Rollins' injury.

The two appeared to be on a collision course for a huge singles outing and were even part of a Triple Threat with Jey Uso on the post-Crown Jewel edition of Raw, but their weeks of animosity never amounted to anything.

If WWE doesn't do something meaningful with Knight soon, he runs the risk of losing whatever momentum and popularity he has left.

He unsuccessfully challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship on the post-SummerSlam Raw and at Clash in Paris but wasn't pinned on either occasion. He wouldn't beat Punk, either, but to at least have a competitive contest with the champ with the gold up for grabs would be an encouraging sign for his future.

Similar to the Logan Paul feud, this would be less about the bout itself and more about the potentially fiery promos leading up to it. The first Raw of 2025 marked the flagship show's arrival on Netflix, so the first Raw of 2026 should be treated like an equally important occasion, headlined by Punk vs. Knight.

Losing to Bron Breakker at Royal Rumble

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Being both established and over with the audience, Punk is the perfect person to lead Raw for right now, but his World Heavyweight Championship reign doesn't necessarily have to last until WrestleMania 42 for it to be considered a success.

After Punk overcomes Logan Paul and LA Knight, Bron Breakker should be next up for the opportunity he's been owed for some time now.

It looked like The Badass would be the one to capture the vacant title after putting Seth Rollins on the shelf in October, but their betrayal resulted in him and Bronson Reed being omitted from the No. 1 Contender's Battle Royal the subsequent week.

WWE may want to wait until WrestleMania to give Breakker his big moment, but that would simply be delaying the inevitable. Furthermore, Punk vs. Breakker isn't a WrestleMania-worthy attraction when there are more appealing opponents for both men at next year's Show of Shows.

Along with the usual men's and women's Royal Rumble matches, Punk vs. Breakker would be an excellent addition to the card in Saudi Arabia. It should be there that Breakker dethrones Punk to kick off his long-awaited run as world champion.

That shouldn't abruptly end Punk's time in the world title picture, though. He can still show up in the men's Rumble match later in the night and win it all (a la Brock Lesnar in 2022), but there's a better place for him to punch his ticket to 'Mania and ensure he isn't left out of the main event mix.

Winning Elimination Chamber and Choosing to Challenge Cody Rhodes

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The 2026 installment of Elimination Chamber is set to emanate from Chicago on Feb. 28, less than two months out from WrestleMania 42.

If CM Punk loses the World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble and doesn't defend it in his hometown in February, winning the men's Elimination Chamber match itself would be the next best thing.

Assuming one of the Chambers will determine the number one contender to the world title not chosen by the men's Rumble winner, Punk should take part and emerge victorious.

Instead of going back after Bron Breakker, though, he should set his sights on SmackDown's undisputed WWE champion, which should still be Cody Rhodes.

The two have crossed paths on multiple occasions since Punk returned to WWE two years ago, but not in a one-on-one match. Such a marquee contest would not feel out of place in one of the two 'Mania main events.

With Seth Rollins out injured and a matchup against Roman Reigns not being as interesting without something being at stake, Rhodes is the ideal opponent for Punk in Las Vegas next April.

Turning Heel and Winning Undisputed WWE Title at WrestleMania 42

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Punk has widely been beloved by the WWE audience throughout his return run, but for as great as he's been both in the ring and on the mic, it's difficult for fans to not ponder the possibility of what one last heel run for him would entail.

Amazingly, he hasn't been in the antagonist role since his feuds with The Rock and The Undertaker in early 2013. He walked out of WWE in 2014 as a babyface and never had a chance to turn during his two-year stint in AEW.

Punk opposing Cody Rhodes en route to WrestleMania 42 would make for must-see television regardless, but a heel turn for one of them would make matters all the more thrilling.

Between the two, The Second City Saint would be the stronger choice, if only because Rhodes is essentially the face of the franchise and there should be no rush in turning him until it's absolutely necessary.

That said, WWE shouldn't make the same mistake it did last year with John Cena by turning Punk before he faces Rhodes.

Executing the turn in the match itself at 'Mania by having Punk steal the Undisputed WWE Championship in nefarious fashion would not only be a monumental moment to end the event with, but it would also effectively put Rhodes back in chase mode for the remainder of their rivalry and breathe new life into The Best in the World's character.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.