CM Punk, Cody Rhodes Face Gunther, Sami Zayn in July 18 Tag Match

Q: Did a GM's bizarre 'reward' for an assault just pave GUNTHER's path to the WWE Championship?

Yes — at least in storyline terms, the GM decision has opened a real path for GUNTHER to reach the WWE Championship match. What made it bizarre is that after GUNTHER attacked SmackDown GM Nick Aldis, acting GM Adam Pearce did not strip him of opportunity. Instead, Pearce announced that Aldis still wanted the scheduled Saturday Night’s Main Event tag match to go ahead: GUNTHER and Sami Zayn vs. CM Punk and Cody Rhodes at Madison Square Garden. The stipulation is enormous: if GUNTHER and Zayn win, they are added to Punk vs. Rhodes at SummerSlam, turning it into a Fatal 4-Way. So while GUNTHER was not handed the championship directly, he was effectively given a shortcut back into the title picture despite assaulting an authority figure. That is why the move reads as a “reward,” even if Pearce also warned that any repeat on Raw would get GUNTHER fired. The broader context matters. GUNTHER was already near the top of the title scene after recent involvement in the championship shuffle involving Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk. But this ruling gives him the clearest immediate route: win one tag match, and he is back in the SummerSlam main event with a chance to leave as champion. Whether it truly “paves” his path depends on the result Saturday night. For now, the answer is yes: Aldis’ decision has created a direct, high-stakes opening that GUNTHER did not lose even after attacking the GM.

3 articles · Updated · WWE · Jul 18

Saturday Night's Main Event will center on CM Punk and Cody Rhodes teaming against Gunther and Sami Zayn at Madison Square Garden on July 18.
The match grows out of a chaotic WWE title sequence: Zayn won the championship at Night of Champions, Rhodes earned a rematch, Gunther attacked Rhodes, and Punk then ended Zayn's 9-day reign.
Punk and Rhodes have already agreed to a SummerSlam title showdown, adding tension over whether the two allies can coexist against another uneasy pairing in Gunther and Zayn.
A later stipulation raised the stakes further: if Gunther and Zayn win, they join SummerSlam's WWE title main event, turning it into a fatal four-way.