The prophecy told by WWE star Kevin Owens seems to be coming true as CM Punk and Cody Rhodes, who claimed to be good friends, were involved in heated altercations with each other over the weekend. The first came in the aftermath of WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, which saw Rhodes and Punk emerge victorious over GUNTHER and Sami Zayn in a tag team match.For "The American Nightmare," the celebration quickly turned sour when Punk flung the Undisputed WWE Championship over his shoulder, and in turn, nailed Rhodes in the eye with it the very same eye that swelled shut at WrestleMania 42. Rhodes later confronted Punk about it backstage, questioning if "The Second City Saint's" actions were intentional or accidental.As cameras zoomed in on the pair, Rhodes' language turned profane, with Punk attempting to calm him down. Instead, tensions and voices escalated, causing WWE officials, including Bobby Roode, to step in between them before things could get physical.One day later, Punk made sure that they did when he and Rhodes met once more on the stage of the 2026 SummerSlam kickoff event, which broadcast live from theFanatics Fest in New York City.
"A regrettable incident that probably shouldn't have been on camera," Punk said, addressing his confrontation with Rhodes from Saturday Night's Main Event. "There's cameras in our faces 24/7. They get the good and the bad of all of us sometimes. It's embarrassing. But you know, I'm not embarrassed by it. I just think sometimes brothers fight, they apologize, and they move on. I think we should just move on."Unlike Punk, Rhodes made it clear that he was embarrassed about the backstage situation. He did not, however, feel the need to apologize for it, especially as his annoyance towards Punk's "brother" remarks continues to grow.According to Punk, Rhodes' retort was a sign of paranoia stemming from some past experiences. Punk specifically highlighted the heel turn of John Cena that came at the expense of Rhodes at the 2025 Elimination Chamber premium live event. In addition, Punk brought up the fact that Randy Orton, Rhodes' long-friend and mentor, turned on him in the lead-up to WrestleMania 42.In the case of him and Rhodes, Punk promised that their upcoming title clash at SummerSlam would not lead to a personal betrayal, even if Rhodes was talking from his "ego' in that moment. Rhodes affirmed Punk's claim, but not without pointing out the element of hypocrisy behind it."I do have an ego, but you, there's so much that's unsaid between you and I," Rhodes clapped back. "It is very hard to be your friend sometimes, because don't talk to me about ego. Last night, your mask slipped. That wasn't an accident. So I don't want to hear any of this ego bull****."Amidst the crowd's subsequent chants of "let them fight," WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque stepped in between them in an attempt to defuse the tension. This ultimately proved unsuccessful, though, as Punk shoved Rhodes' face with the declaration of "That's on purpose, little brother."
