Cody Rhodes and CM Punk’s SummerSlam program appears to have taken a sharper turn after Saturday Night’s Main Event. While the two were able to coexist long enough to come away with a win, the tension between the upcoming opponents reportedly spilled over once the show was over.
The rivalry for Punk’s Undisputed WWE championship had drawn criticism for not feeling intense enough, especially since it has largely been presented as a rare face-versus-face matchup. That dynamic seems to be changing as frustration that had been simmering between the two finally boiled over backstage at Madison Square Garden in New York.
That development gives the WWE title feud the kind of edge it had been missing in the eyes of some fans. Even without a traditional hero-villain setup, a post-show confrontation suggests the conflict between Rhodes and Punk is becoming more personal as SummerSlam approaches.
With both stars already central to WWE’s biggest stories, any sign of real hostility is likely to raise interest in the match. The latest incident adds momentum to a feud that had been searching for more heat and now heads into SummerSlam with a more volatile feel.
