When Will CM Punk Return on WWE Raw?

If there's any one thing that's painfully apparent about the current state of affairs in WWE, it's that CM Punk is sorely missed on weekly television.

The Second City Saint hasn't been seen since the post-WrestleMania 42 edition of Raw, where he was confronted by Cody Rhodes less than 24 hours removed from losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns.

Seeds were planted for a future match with Rhodes, presumably with the Undisputed WWE Championship at stake, but there's no guarantee that will be the direction for SummerSlam specifically.

Although a break from being a regular on the road was overdue and well-deserved for Punk, WWE has lacked a sense of urgency and authenticity in his absence.

Of course, it's more a matter of when than if he'll be back inside the squared circle, but fans are already anticipating his return to Raw and fantasy-booking what it will entail exactly.

Why CM Punk Is Needed More on Raw Than SmackDown Right Now

Outside of the occasional appearance on SmackDown, Punk has firmly been a member of the Raw roster since resurfacing in WWE after a decade away in November 2023.

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He has made Monday nights his home and has in many ways been positioned as the face of the brand during the Netflix era. It's where he had his memorable rivalry in Drew McIntyre, verbally sparred with Seth Rollins and won the world heavyweight title on two occasions.

The longer he stays on Raw, the bigger of a deal it will be when he jumps ship to SmackDown. That could be as soon as he's ready to return from his hiatus, especially in light of so many Superstars switching shows at the moment.

With Gunther recently making the move to SmackDown followed by Finn Bálor, there isn't an obvious spot for Punk on the blue brand heading into SummerSlam. Even Rhodes might be accounted for given his ongoing issues with The Ring General and Sami Zayn in addition to his unresolved rivalry with Randy Orton.

Raw's main event scene for SummerSlam season, meanwhile, is a lot more uncertain.

The red brand added Jacob Fatu to its ranks in the immediate aftermath of WrestleMania, and as big of a get as that was, he has since been relegated to a lackey role after failing to beat Reigns at Clash in Italy.

There's been nothing to suggest Fatu will be challenging for world title gold again anytime soon.

As such, Reigns is without credible contenders to his title. Oba Femi and Bron Breakker would have been welcome opponents for him at SummerSlam, but both appear to be busy with other programs.

Reigns remaining the world heavyweight champion until SummerSlam means Raw will continue to exist within the Bloodline vortex, so having Punk around—regardless of whether he's directly involved with the world title picture or not—would at least be a breath of fresh air and give viewers an extra incentive to want to tune into the show.

Punk has yet to lose that edge that has always made him must-see. He's also never been without formal direction, so keeping him away for a few months will ensure he feels fresh again upon his return.

There was no need to have him take part in the King of the Ring tournament if he wasn't going to win it, nor should he have.

The build for SummerSlam will kick into high gear after Night of Champions on June 27, at which point he can be brought back to television to start his storyline for the two-night event.

Best Potential Opponents for a SummerSlam Return

Punk's unfinished business with the World Heavyweight Championship, as well as Reigns and Rollins, has to be considered the first choice for him once he's ready to return.

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It would almost be illogical for him to want to do anything else seeing as how he never received a rematch for the title after losing it. That said, WWE has done enough WrestleMania rematches at SummerSlam in years past, so running back Reigns vs. Punk at the 2026 installment wouldn't be ideal.

Reigns vs. Rollins for the world heavyweight title looks to be the play for The Biggest Party of the Summer due to their originally scheduled WrestleMania match falling through, so Punk will have to wait a little longer to settle his score with The Visionary, too.

That leaves a handful of other intriguing options for The Best in the World on Raw, albeit none that are obvious or would make as much sense out of the gate.

Breakker was cooled off considerably following his loss to Punk on the first Raw of 2026. If The Badass is done with Rollins prior to SummerSlam, rekindling his rivalry with Punk and avenging that loss would be a fine use of both men on the card, even without anything on the line.

Punk could just as easily shift his focus to another member of Reigns' crew in Fatu, who he has never crossed paths with one-on-one. Similar to Breakker, that would get Fatu in a prominent spot at SummerSlam and give him a major momentum boost if he were to win.

Arguably the most compelling opponent for Punk at SummerSlam would be LA Knight, who hasn't benefited in the slightest from feuding with The Bloodline and The Vision over the last year and a half.

The few face-to-face interactions they had late last year merely scratched the surface of what they're capable of on the mic together. That would be worth exploring as well if WWE didn't have a plan in place for Punk as of now.

A championship clash with Rhodes isn't completely out of the question, but WWE would be wise to hold off on that marquee match until WrestleMania 43 at the earliest. A heel turn from either one of them beforehand would make the dynamic that much more exciting.

Punk's return to Raw is imminent, and while what he'll be doing and who he'll be targeting are up in the air, WWE TV will be infinitely better off with him around again ahead of SummerSlam.

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.