Why SmackDown May Be the Best Place for ‘The Best in the World’ in 2026
After losing the World Heavyweight Championship to the ‘OTC’ Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 42, CM Punk stepped away from WWE television. ‘The Best in the World’ has seemingly taken some time off after carrying the red brand as the top champion over the past few months. With rumors speculating that Punk is close to making a return, his future might not be on the red brand. Punk has done it all on Raw, but what if a move to Friday nights can provide a major help to the blue brand?
As a member of the Raw roster, Punk has left a lasting impact and even accomplished some lifelong dreams. At WrestleMania 41, Punk was able to main event night one for the first time in his career, squaring off against Reigns and Seth Rollins. Although he lost the match, his dream of main-eventing a Mania for the first time was finally accomplished. What he might not have expected was main-eventing WrestleMania yet again the following year. After Rollins went down with an injury and was forced to vacate the World Heavyweight Championship, ‘The Best in the World’ took the reins as world champion and held on to the gold for the next few months. Punk would not only main event his second straight WrestleMania in Las Vegas, but he would defend the world title as well. Although Punk fell short once again and lost the world title to Reigns, Punk was once again in the spotlight where he truly belonged. After many fantastic matches and amazing feuds on Raw, it just seems that Punk really has nothing more to offer on Raw.
If Punk makes his way over to SmackDown, there are many new faces and encounters that he can find himself feuding against over the next few years. One of the main targets on Punk’s radar is the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. Punk has teased a faceoff with ‘The American Nightmare’ ever since he returned to WWE, including a showdown between the two in the 2024 Royal Rumble match. A one-on-one encounter has yet to happen, but with Punk possibly heading to the blue brand, the dream match might finally happen. There are also other feuds that Punk can easily reignite, such as his stellar 2024 blood feud with Drew McIntyre, a rematch against ‘The Ring General’ Gunther, and even setting up a showdown with an old foe in Randy Orton. Punk could also throw down with the newest members of the blue brand, such as Ricky Saints, Royce Keys, and Trick Williams. There is no shortage of matchups for Punk at his disposal should he make the move to SmackDown.
With Raw making its way to Chicago in the next few weeks, WWE could use that show as a goodbye from the red brand for Punk. A move to SmackDown gives the brand a much-needed main event changeup they’ve so desperately needed. Even placing Punk as a midcarder could help SmackDown become a must-watch show in the blink of an eye. Whether it’s to open the show or to close it out, there is no doubt that having Punk on SmackDown is best for business.
