WWE Raw delivered one of the biggest surprises of the year as CM Punk returned to his hometown of Chicago and captured the Undisputed WWE Championship in a shocking main event.
The show began with Gunther brutally attacking Cody Rhodes backstage before Rhodes could challenge Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Championship. The assault left Rhodes unable to compete, forcing WWE officials to find a replacement later in the night.
Seth Rollins opened Raw by discussing his upcoming SummerSlam World Heavyweight Championship match against Roman Reigns. LA Knight interrupted Rollins, but Jimmy Uso blindsided Knight, adding another layer to the growing rivalry.
The first championship changed hands when Bron Breakker and Austin Theory defeated The Street Profits to regain the World Tag Team Championship. Logan Paul distracted the referee while Maxxine Dupri delivered a low blow to Angelo Dawkins, allowing Theory to score the victory.
Sol Ruca successfully retained the Women’s Intercontinental Championship by defeating Raquel Rodriguez. Despite interference from Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez, IYO SKY evened the odds, allowing Ruca to finish Rodriguez with the Sol Snatcher.
Ethan Page and Rusev picked up a dominant tag team victory over Chad Gable and Dragon Lee. After the match, the two continued their attack until Joe Hendry made the save, only to be overwhelmed as well.
Paul Heyman addressed Brock Lesnar’s upcoming Hell in a Cell match against Oba Femi at SummerSlam. Oba confronted Heyman and vowed to end Lesnar’s reign of destruction inside the unforgiving steel structure.
The night’s unforgettable main event saw Chicago erupt when CM Punk was revealed as Cody Rhodes’ replacement. Punk battled Sami Zayn in an emotional championship match before countering the Helluva Kick, delivering one of his own, and finishing Zayn with the Go to Sleep to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion. The victory marked Punk’s first world championship reign in 15 years and sent the Chicago crowd home celebrating as Raw came to a dramatic close.
