CM Punk vs Cody Rhodes: Head-to-head record in WWE
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Let us analyze the rivalry between the two friends.
‘The Second City Saint’ CM Punk and ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes have been very vocal fans of each other, heaping praises on each other. Going into WrestleMania, Punk was the World Heavyweight Champion, while Rhodes was the Undisputed Champion.
However, Punk lost the title at Mania, while Cody retained it, and WWE teased a major feud between the two that started speculations among fans. It all started on Raw after WrestleMania 42, when Punk came out during Cody’s segment, and the promo battle between the two led to the two teasing a title showdown, with Cody telling Punk to just say when he wants the match.
Fast forward to July, and CM Punk is now the Undisputed Champion, as after his prolonged absence since April, he returned on the July 6 edition of Raw in Chicago to replace Rhodes, who failed to get medical clearance after an attack by Gunther.
Punk replaced Rhodes in the Undisputed title rematch against Sami Zayn, who pinned Rhodes to win the title at Night of Champions. Punk defeated Zayn to capture the title and was confronted by Rhodes on the July 10 edition of SmackDown, setting the stage for their showdown at SummerSlam 2026.
Rhodes is a second-generation professional wrestler who joined the WWE in 2007. On the other hand, Punk has no family backing in pro wrestling and made a name for himself after joining WWE in 2005.
Rhodes left the promotion in 2016 over creative frustration, while Punk had a very public fallout, leaving the company in 2014. Rhodes found major success in AEW with his new ‘American Nightmare’ moniker. Similarly, Punk also joined AEW in 2021.
Both Cody and Punk left AEW in 2022 and 2023, respectively, to return to WWE. Rhodes became the face of the company, leading the SmackDown brand, while Punk realized his dream of main-eventing WrestleMania, both Night 1 and 2, after this year’s main event battle against Roman Reigns.
Head-to-Head record
| S.No | Event | Stipulation | Winner |
| 1. | WWE Raw (September 22, 2008) | Singles match | CM Punk |
| 2. | WWE Raw (December 29, 2008) | Singles match | Cody Rhodes |
| 3. | WWE SummerSlam 2026 | Singles match for the Undisputed title | TBD |
CM Punk and Cody Rhoḍes first engaged in a head-to-head clash back in 2008 during a September 22 edition of Monday Night Raw in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Punk picked up the win.
Meanwhile, their second encounter took place after two months, in December in Manchester, New Hampshire, with Rhodes emerging victorious this time around.
Notably, the SummerSlam match will be their first head-to-head encounter since both returned to WWE from AEW.
Total matches: 02
CM Punk: 01
Cody Rhodes: 01
How many times have CM Punk and Cody Rhodes faced each other in singles competition?
Punk and Rhodes have battled twice in head-to-head competition.
What is the head-to-head record between the two?
After two encounters inside the squared circle, the head-to-head record between Punk and Rhodes is 1-1.
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.