The WWE Championship match at SummerSlam could be a multi-man affair.
WWE teased a match between Cody Rhodes and CM Punk right after WrestleMania 42. With CM Punk taking Cody’s spot to win the Undisputed Title on Raw, the popular belief has been that these two former AEW stars will meet in a singles match at the upcoming PPV.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Rhodes vs. Punk has always been the planned WWE title match for the Minneapolis show. He speculated, however, that the events of Raw could mean that Sami Zayn or Gunther will be added to the bout, making it a multi-man affair:
From the angle on Raw, where Gunther injured Rhodes, allowing Punk to win the title from Sami Zayn, it would feel like Rhodes would be out for revenge against Gunther first before facing Punk. Rhodes vs. Punk match would mean more than Rhodes vs. Gunther. They could also make it a three-way or even a four-way with Zayn, which would be likely to be announced next week.
Previous reports have suggested that the Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk match was originally planned for WrestleMania 43. By adding more contenders to the SummerSlam match, WWE can save the singles encounter between them for the show in Saudi Arabia. However, the reported poor ticket sales for the PPV could force the company to go ahead with the one-on-one encounter and come up with a different plan for the PLE next year.
