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CM Punk Confirmed For SummerSlam Match; Special Referee Named

By Lyle Kilbane • Published 23rd July 2024
CM Punk

CM Punk is finally cleared to compete and no time has been wasted in confirming his huge WWE SummerSlam match but it has come with a twist.

CM Punk and Drew McIntyre do not like each other but the bad blood really started flowing when Punk was injured in the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble match at the hands of McIntyre.

Since then, McIntyre has gloated but CM Punk has been more hands-on in his quest for revenge, repeatedly screwing McIntyre out of the World Heavyweight Title. That began at WrestleMania 40 after McIntyre defeated Seth Rollins for the gold but made the mistake of celebrating in Punk’s face.

Punk swept his leg while McIntyre stood on the commentary table before nailing him with his armbrace which allowed Damian Priest to cash in his Money In The Bank contract and win the title. At Clash at the Castle in Glasgow, McIntyre sought to get that belt back but in even more heartbreaking fashion, CM Punk intervened to stop that happening.

At Money In The Bank, Drew McIntyre claimed the briefcase and completed his vow to cash in on the same night, turning Damian Priest’s defence against Seth Rollins into a triple threat match before Punk struck again to ensure the Scottish star would not win the gold.

CM Punk Heading To SummerSlam

Now on Raw in Green Bay, CM Punk came looking for a fight. Uncharacteristically, however, Drew McIntyre was not ready to engage Punk and seemed intent on waiting and the reason why soon became clear. Raw General Manager Adam Pearce announced that CM Punk was cleared to compete, McIntyre’s suspension was over and the two would finally clash at SummerSlam.

However, Pearce was not done as he vowed to end the chaos but noted he had a big referee problem as Seth Rollins – a friend to neither McIntyre nor Punk – made his way to the ring. Rollins will be the special guest referee for McIntyre vs. Punk only adding to the potential drama set to unfold in Cleveland.

This will be CM Punk’s first SummerSlam match since 2013 when he was defeated in a no disqualification match against Brock Lesnar.