CM Punk, Cody Rhodes Beat Gunther, Sami Zayn at WWE SNME Ahead of SummerSlam After Aldis Interferes

SummerSlam opponents CM Punk and Cody Rhodes teamed up to defeat Gunther and Sami Zayn in a tag team match on Saturday Night's Main Event at New York City's Madison Square Garden, but they had major help from SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis.

By virtue of their win, Punk and Rhodes prevented Gunther and Zayn from being added to their WWE Championship match at SummerSlam.

Late in the match, Gunther hit Rhodes with a championship belt and a powerbomb. He went for the pin, but Aldis pulled the official out of the ring.

An irate Gunther yelled at Aldis, but Punk used the opportunity to hit Gunther with a GTS. Punk then dragged Rhodes onto Gunther. At that point, referee Charles Robinson, who had been taken out earlier, gained his bearings and made the three count.

This was an intense match with numerous highlights.

In the end, Punk and Rhodes were victorious thanks to Aldis, although surely we'll hear more about that interference soon enough.

Aldis, for his part, has fully taken responsibility for his actions.

The stage was set for Saturday's match on the July 6 episode of Raw in Chicago when Zayn was supposed to put the WWE Championship on the line against Rhodes after beating him for it nine days earlier at Night of Champions.

However, when Raw began, Rhodes was viciously attacked backstage by Gunther. The Ring General slammed Cody's head in a car door, leaving The American Nightmare with blood running down his face.

Because Rhodes was not cleared to wrestle that night, the search was on for a replacement, and SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis showed up to share that he had found one.

That replacement turned out to be Punk, who returned in his hometown after not having been seen on WWE programming since the Raw after WrestleMania 42.

Punk beat Zayn on Raw to become WWE champion and end Zayn's first title reign after just over a week.

On the following episode of SmackDown, Punk was confronted by Rhodes, and a WWE Championship match between them was quickly made official for SummerSlam.

Believing he was entitled to another championship opportunity, Gunther lobbied Aldis to give him one. And although Aldis did agree to let Gunther get his hands on Punk, it was in a tag team match at SNME rather than in a title match.

Aldis chose Zayn as Gunther's partner due to his involvement with Punk and Rhodes as well, setting up a blockbuster bout for Saturday Night's Main Event.

Both teams had the potential to implode because of their issues with one another, but ahead of their SummerSlam match, Punk and Rhodes were able to hold it together well enough to triumph over Gunther and Zayn on Saturday.