WWE appears to have removed footage of a tense backstage confrontation between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes.
Punk and Rhodes teamed up in the main event of Saturday Night’s Main Event against Sami Zayn and Gunther. The match ended after Nick Aldis struck Gunther with a championship belt, allowing Punk and Rhodes to secure the victory.
After the match, tensions escalated when Punk accidentally struck Rhodes in the eye with the title belt during the post-match celebration. Rhodes later confronted Punk backstage, with both Superstars telling the camera crew that they did not need to film the conversation.
CM Punk and Cody Rhodes were at odds over “accidental” belt shot
The footage showed WWE producers, including Bobby Roode, attempting to calm the situation as the confrontation became increasingly heated. Punk questioned Rhodes about what his issue was, while Rhodes argued that Punk was the one who became emotional during their post-match exchange in the ring.
Punk insisted that hitting Rhodes with the championship belt was an accident, but Rhodes did not appear convinced by that explanation. The two continued arguing before the situation was eventually defused.
WWE uploaded footage of the confrontation to its social media channels, but the video has since been removed. The company has not commented on why the footage was taken down.
During the SummerSlam kickoff show, Punk refused to apologize to Rhodes. This further intensified the buildup to their Undisputed WWE Championship showdown at SummerSlam 2026.
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