CM Punk and Cody Rhodes Collide Again on SmackDown Ahead of SummerSlam

WWE SmackDown's July 24 episode built toward SummerSlam with a CM Punk–Cody Rhodes confrontation and mixed crowd reception.

CM Punk invoked his legendary 2011 'pipe bomb' promo in a confrontation with WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on Friday's SmackDown, escalating their rivalry ahead of their SummerSlam title match. The segment saw the two collide again in the ring — part of an ongoing pattern of physical and verbal exchanges between the two as the premium live event approaches. Rhodes, according to coverage, positioned himself as the aggrieved party in the exchange. The episode also drew attention for a wardrobe malfunction involving Lainey Reid, one half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions and a member of the faction Fatal Influence, which occurred following a tag team segment. Critical reception to the overall show was lukewarm, with one reviewer noting the episode may have read better on paper than it landed before a live crowd on the road to SummerSlam.

Why it matters

SummerSlam is WWE's second-biggest annual event, and the Punk–Rhodes championship program is its marquee match; how well SmackDown builds heat for that feud directly affects the pay-per-view's commercial and critical success.

What's next

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are headed toward a WWE Championship match at SummerSlam, with their SmackDown confrontations continuing to set the stage.

Key facts

• SmackDown aired on July 24, 2026
• CM Punk referenced his famous 2011 'pipe bomb' promo during a segment with Cody Rhodes
• Cody Rhodes is the current WWE Champion heading into SummerSlam
• Lainey Reid, one half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, experienced a wardrobe malfunction during the episode
• Reid is a member of the faction Fatal Influence
• At least one reviewer described the episode's crowd response as lacking energy compared to its apparent intent

Bias & framing notes

Coverage is fragmented across three sources with limited overlap on specific facts. Cageside Seats focuses on overall show quality and the Punk–Rhodes angle with an editorial, critical lens, while ewrestlingnews leads with the wardrobe malfunction as its primary hook. Neither source provides substantial play-by-play detail, making it difficult to fully corroborate the specific details of the Punk–Rhodes segment. The Cageside Seats headline on the Punk–Rhodes story editorially frames Rhodes as making himself 'the victim,' which reflects a clear interpretive angle rather than neutral reporting.

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