CM Punk does not believe a heel turn would work in 2026, and the reigning WWE Champion laid out the reason on Radio WWE. The problem, in his telling, is that the crowd would cheer him no matter which side he played.
Fan reaction, not booking, decides who the heel is, according to the champion.
“The good guy, bad guy thing, I think, is decided by the audience. It’s their perspective. I think I am an incredible black hat that people love so much, it wouldn’t work. I’d still get cheered. It would defeat the purpose. It’s a real double-edged sword at this point,” Punk said to Radio WWE.
The “black hat” reference is old wrestling and Western shorthand for the heel, a role Punk once played as well as anyone.
The comments arrive days before Punk defends the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam this weekend. Both men have worked as fan favorites since their returns to WWE, Rhodes in 2022 and Punk in 2023, which makes a world title match between two crowd favorites a rare sight. SummerSlam runs across two nights, Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Punk and Rhodes had not met one-on-one since the December 29, 2008 episode of Raw, long before either reached the top of the card. AEW never booked the match during their overlapping run there, leaving it as a long-running dream match until this weekend.
The build turned tense at Saturday Night’s Main Event, where Punk caught Rhodes in the eye with the championship belt after a tag match. Rhodes confronted Punk backstage, and a heated exchange followed.
Punk built his reputation in part on being a heel, including the 2011 run that produced his famous pipe bomb promo and a WWE Championship reign of 434 days. The stretch peaked when Punk beat John Cena for the title at Money in the Bank in his hometown of Chicago. The current version, though, has drawn some of the loudest cheers on the roster since his 2023 return.
Self Made Pro reported that Punk originally wanted to play the villain opposite Rhodes, comparing the dynamic to Terry Funk against Dusty Rhodes. Popularity reportedly pushed those plans aside, with the sense internally that Punk is simply too over to boo.
Punk made a similar point earlier in 2026 on GOAT Talk by Complex, pointing to John Cena’s farewell-tour heel turn as a cautionary tale. Fans kept cheering Cena even as he played the antagonist, and the switch lost much of its bite.
If anyone in the match turns, reporting has leaned toward Rhodes rather than Punk. Self Made Pro indicated the decision is largely up to Rhodes, with WWE willing to defer to him on the call.
Veteran voice Bully Ray argued on Busted Open Radio that Rhodes carries more upside as a heel, while questioning whether Punk is even the right opponent to turn him against. The debate has followed Rhodes for months, the way it tends to follow any long-running top babyface.
CM Punk understands his own act better than the fans clamoring for the black hat do. A heel turn only works when the crowd agrees to play along, and this crowd has decided it loves him too much to boo. John Cena learned that lesson in real time on his farewell run, and Punk clearly watched it unfold. Some stars are simply too over to hate, and the champion knows he is one of them.
The beauty of the SummerSlam match is that it needs no villain at all. Two beloved former WWE outcasts, both of whom walked away and came back bigger, can headline a stadium on respect and history alone. Minneapolis gets a dream match nearly 18 years in the making, with no cheap turn required. Punk versus Rhodes sells itself.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
