Chicago erupts as Punk ends Sami Zayn’s short reign on Raw
Summary
– CM Punk defeated Sami Zayn on WWE Raw to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion
– Cody Rhodes was removed from the title match after GUNTHER attacked him backstage
– Punk won in Chicago after hitting Sami with a Helluva Kick and a GTS
CM Punk walked into his hometown and left WWE Raw as the new Undisputed WWE Champion.
Sami Zayn entered the July 6 episode as champion after his shocking title win at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. The original plan appeared to involve Cody Rhodes getting another shot at the championship, but that changed early in the show.
GUNTHER attacked Cody backstage and left him badly hurt after a powerbomb through a table on the concrete floor. Cody was taken to a medical facility and was not cleared to compete.
Adam Pearce then confirmed that Zayn would still defend the championship in Chicago, but he did not reveal the challenger right away. Later, Nick Aldis told Pearce that he had secured an opponent for the champion.
The Chicago crowd knew what that likely meant. When CM Punk made his entrance for the main event, the building erupted as Zayn realized he had to defend the title with almost no time to prepare.
Punk and Zayn opened fast, turning the match into a tense championship fight. Punk leaned on his hometown support and mixed in familiar offense, while Zayn kept finding answers and nearly stole the match more than once.
Zayn hit big counters, including a Blue Thunder Bomb and even Punk’s own GTS. Punk survived those near falls and kept fighting as the crowd stayed firmly behind him.
The match grew more personal when Zayn repeatedly slapped Punk and told him he was the champion now. That fired Punk up and led to the final stretch.
Zayn missed a Helluva Kick, and Punk answered with one of his own. Punk then followed with the GTS and scored the pinfall to win the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The victory ended Zayn’s reign after nine days and gave Punk a massive Chicago moment. After the match, Punk celebrated with the title and delivered a quick message to AJ Lee before heading to the back.
The win now changes the SummerSlam picture in a major way. Cody Rhodes still has unfinished business, GUNTHER has forced himself into the title scene, and Punk’s new reign gives WWE a fresh direction heading into the summer.
