Who Can Face CM Punk For The World Heavyweight Championship?
CM Punk is once again the World Heavyweight Champion. After losing the gold via Money in the Bank cash in to Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, CM Punk has now overcome Jey Uso at Saturday Night’s Main Event to crown a new champion following Rollins’ relinquishment of the gold through injury. Punk will now have a proper reign as champion in WWE for the first time in over a decade, and there are a whole host of names who can step up to face him on the Monday Night RAW roster.
Whether it be existing rivals who would be a good challenge for Punk, or new names who could pose a threat, there are several options to help make Punk’s reign a good one.
Roman Reigns
- Reigns vs. Punk can be a WrestleMania 42 main event match.
- Reigns has yet to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship.
- Punk and Reigns have unfinished business.
CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns is the highest profile world title match that WWE could possibly book on Monday Night RAW, especially since they do have some recent history of both being allies and enemies, most recently clashing in the main event of WrestleMania 41 Saturday in a triple threat match.
Reigns making yet another return to pursue Punk would be an intriguing matchup, and we can see this taking place at a show such as the upcoming Saudi Arabia Royal Rumble or WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. If WWE wants to put butts in seats, this title match is a no-brainer.
LA Knight
- Knight and Punk have had a lot of tension in recent months on Raw.
- Fans are desperate to see Knight challenge for the world title.
- Punk and Knight can have a series of matches.
For months, LA Knight and CM Punk have crossed paths amidst their respective desire to take down Seth Rollins and The Vision, leading to a lot of heat and tension between the pair. Kickstarting a world title feud between these two would ensure great segments, thrilling promo battles, and likely good matches too.
Both men have been putting on some strong work in 2025, and it would be a nice pay-off to see them engage in a multi-match series with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line.
Bron Breakker
- Bron Breakker can eventually defeat Punk.
- Punk can help make Breakker a main event star.
- This could be Breakker’s best match if it happens.
Bron Breakker made a big impact when he attacked Seth Rollins, writing him off WWE programming for the foreseeable future. He would then parade around with the World Heavyweight Title until he was forced to hand it back over. It is inevitable that Breakker and Punk will come toe-to-toe at some point.
However, WWE should wait until they are ready to dethrone Punk and crown Breakker as champion, keeping the young star strong until the time is right to pull the trigger. WWE must go all the way after Breakker’s betrayal of Seth Rollins, perhaps with even a world title win at WrestleMania 42.
Ricky Saints
- Punk and Saints have a close bond from their time in AEW.
- WWE could attach a super push to the current NXT Champion.
- In defeat, Saints could be established on the main roster.
Ricky Saints is the reigning NXT Champion, but that doesn’t mean WWE shouldn’t be seriously considering a main roster call-up soon. Saints is far too old to be in developmental, and bringing him in to challenge Punk, even for a one-off, would be a fantastic way to introduce him and his talents to the main roster.
Punk and Saints showed their chemistry in AEW, and they can repeat that again on the main roster for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Sheamus
- Sheamus deserves some spotlight again in WWE.
- Punk and Sheamus have never feuded in WWE.
- This would be a fresh rivalry for both men.
There are a host of names who could make good one-off matches or feuds for new World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, and one of those is fellow veteran Sheamus.
These two hardly clashed during Punk’s first in WWE, aside from a wild champion vs. champion match on Main Event of all shows. Either way, this would make a nice match on RAW or Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Bronson Reed
- Reed deserves a shot at a world title.
- He defeated Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel.
- Reed could pose a stronger threat to Punk like Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker.
On the back of a massive victory over Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel 2025, Bronson Reed is more than deserving of a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, and given The Vision’s history with Punk, this has a strong chance of happening.
Reed and Punk have never had a singles match in WWE, so this would be something new for both men, and it will be a strong David vs. Goliath dynamic – match structure that has suited Punk very well in the past against the likes of Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker.
AJ Styles
- AJ Styles vs. CM Punk needs to happen before the former retires.
- It would be nice to see Styles back in world title contention.
- This is a dream showdown for many fans.
Despite feuding in the mid-2000s, most fans will have not ever seen a singles match between CM Punk and AJ Styles. With Styles on his way to a retirement in 2026, facing off with Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship will be extra special.
Both men have had the reputation in the past for being the “best in the world”, and even though they are now each in their 40s, they can still put on a show.
Gunther
- CM Punk defeated Gunther at SummerSlam.
- Gunther has a history of coming back for titles.
- Punk and Gunther have proven chemistry in the ring.
At SummerSlam 2025, CM Punk and Gunther clashed in one of the best WWE matches of the year, impressing with a hard-hitting World Heavyweight Championship match. Gunther searching for revenge and redemption is an easy story to tell, and it will ensure another big-time world title clash.
After his loss at WrestleMania 41, Gunther bounced back to defeat Jey Uso, so going after Punk will create real doubt and unpredictability over the result.