Add as a preferred source on Google CM Punk showed no remorse for ending Sami Zayn’s short reign as Undisputed WWE Champion.
On the July 6 episode of Monday Night RAW, held at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, Punk returned after more than two months away and stepped in for Cody Rhodes, who had been brutally attacked by Gunther. In the main event, he defeated Zayn in just over 20 minutes to capture the title.
The win drew criticism from fans, largely because Zayn had only realized his dream of becoming a world champion nine days earlier. At Night of Champions, he had defeated Rhodes and Gunther in a Triple Threat Match to win the title for the first time.
Appearing on What’s Your Story? with Steph McMahon, Punk addressed accusations that he’d done exactly what he once criticized — a veteran returning and taking the title from another wrestler. The Best in the World, however, was sarcastic about the whole situation:
“Oh. I won the title. Clean. I beat that 41-year-old youngster fair and square in the middle of the ring.”
Punk also called it a remarkable coincidence that the win came almost 15 years after his historic victory over John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011 — also in the Chicago area.
The new champion already has a major title defense confirmed. Punk will put the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam, set for August 1-2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.