More Info on CM Punk's Move to SmackDown and Title Reign

The Best in the World now calls SmackDown home. CM Punk won the WWE Championship on Monday, which requires him to switch brands, and more information has come to light regarding that change.

CM Punk | WWE

CM Punk is no stranger to Friday Night SmackDown, but he now has plenty of time to get a bit more comfortable on the Blue Brand.

The "Best in the World" returned from a months-long hiatus from WWE programming this past Monday night on Raw in his hometown of Chicago and unexpectedly won the WWE Championship from Sami Zayn.

Rumors had been swirling for weeks that Punk would not only be moving to SmackDown, but that he'd be involved in the WWE Championship Match at SummerSlam the first weekend of August. Many assumed that he would be the challenger against Cody Rhodes, but it's now expected to be the exact opposite.

CM PUNK IS UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPION!!!! 🏆

CHICAGO HAS ERUPTED!!! pic.twitter.com/FFKaN4zk7o

— WWE (@WWE) July 7, 2026

The American Nightmare was screwed out of his WWE Title rematch against Zayn on Monday night. He was attacked backstage by Gunther and ruled medically unable to compete after having his head slammed in a car door. Rhodes' sudden absence allowed suspended SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis to place a call to Punk, who was a quick drive away from the Allstate Arena.

It was a genius move by Aldis. Not only did he find a replacement before Adam Pearce, but he was also able to stick it to his Raw counterpart by stealing away one of his top stars. The WWE Championship is tethered to SmackDown, which means whoever holds the title is assigned to the brand throughout the duration of their reign.

That was the storyline move crafted by the creative team to get Punk to SmackDown. The real reason for his brand change has more to do with the network that airs the program.

The USA Network reportedly wanted CM Punk on SmackDown

CM Punk | WWE

This shouldn't come as a surprise, because he's one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling, but The USA Network really wanted CM Punk on SmackDown.

Sources with NBCUniversal told the guys behind WrestleVotes on Fightful Select that USA had been pushing for Punk to switch to SmackDown for over a year, as representatives rightfully view him as one of the company's premier performers.

"One source feels that Punk being on the show could help SmackDown pick up the momentum that has dipped in the last few months," WrestleVotes said on their show Thursday. "The plan is for Punk to be primarily featured on SmackDown, with occasional appearances on Raw when needed."

While he's made several appearances on the Blue Brand since re-signing with the company in 2023, CM Punk hasn't wrestled a match on SmackDown in over 12 years. That streak will presumably come to an end in the near future. Although, his WWE Champion reign may not.

A source within WWE creative told WrestleVotes that there is no indication that Punk's run with the gold will be a short-term thing, which means that Cody Rhodes may be out of the WWE Title picture for a while after SummerSlam.