CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre Set for WWE SummerSlam with Seth Rollins as Guest Ref

Mike Chiari@@mikechiariFeatured Columnist IVJuly 23, 2024

WWE/Getty Images

CM Punk announced on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw that he has been cleared to wrestle after suffering a torn triceps at Royal Rumble in January.

WWE @WWECM Punk is BACK on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/HRtqTWiciO

WWE @WWEBREAKING NEWS: CM Punk is officially medically cleared for in-ring competition!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/nEAoO5futF

Punk called out Drew McIntyre and attempted to fight him, but Raw general manager Adam Pearce announced that the two of them would face each other at the SummerSlam premium live event on Aug. 3. Pearce added that any contact between Punk and McIntyre before the event would result in the cancellation of the match. To make things even more interesting, Seth Rollins was announced as the special guest referee.

WWE @WWEBREAKING: CM Punk gets @DMcIntyreWWE one-on-one at #SummerSlam … with special guest referee @WWERollins! pic.twitter.com/2Fic2zoKFL

WWE SummerSlam @SummerSlamCM Punk and @DMcIntyreWWE finally clash in the ring at #SummerSlam … with a VERY special guest referee in @WWERollins! 👀

📍 CLEVELAND
🎟️ https://t.co/4PdXiZp8yX pic.twitter.com/LtveCslNAb

Punk recently made his presence felt in a big way at Clash at the Castle in June, as he cost McIntyre the chance to win the World Heavyweight Championship in his home country of Scotland.

While the referee was down and out, McIntyre covered Damian Priest, prompting another ref to run down to the ring. However, the official turned out to be Punk, who stopped counting at two and then hit Drew with a low blow, which allowed Priest to retain.

Just a few weeks later, McIntyre won the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match at the Money in the Bank premium live event, and he attempted to cash in during the World Heavyweight Championship match between Priest and Rollins.

McIntyre perhaps wasn’t expecting Punk to be there since he beat his rival to a bloody pulp on SmackDown a few weeks earlier, but Punk showed up nonetheless and cost McIntyre his Money in the Bank contract.

The rivalry between Punk and McIntyre has been ongoing since before Royal Rumble when McIntyre expressed his dislike for “The Best in the World” following his return to WWE in November.

After it was announced that Punk tore his triceps in the men’s Royal Rumble match and would not be able to compete at WrestleMania 40, McIntyre reveled in his misfortune, claiming that he prayed for Punk to get injured.

That proved to be a massive mistake on his part, as Punk ruined McIntyre’s WrestleMania moment in retaliation.

After McIntyre beat Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship on the Grandest Stage of Them All, Drew decided to taunt Punk, who was on commentary. Despite his injury, Punk attacked McIntyre, which allowed Priest to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and beat The Scottish Warrior for the title.

In the weeks that followed, McIntyre and Punk traded verbal barbs, but there was no significant physicality between them until Clash at the Castle when Punk kicked Drew below the belt and cost him his title match.

At that point, it seemed obvious that WWE was going full steam ahead toward a Punk vs. McIntyre match, and the only question was when Punk would be cleared to compete.

With Punk announcing that he has been medically cleared, fans will surely be hyped to see him finally return to the ring to take on McIntyre at SummerSlam in August.

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