WWE Champion CM Punk doesn’t believe turning heel would have the desired effect at this stage of his career.
Speaking to Radio WWE, Punk explained that fans ultimately determine who is a hero or villain, regardless of how a wrestler is presented on television.
“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.”
CM Punk is a great babyface and makes a great heel! We asked @CMPunk if he prefers to be one of the other in the @wwe 👀 #wwe #wrestling #prowrestling #cmpunk pic.twitter.com/srNzyug2UA
— siriusxmwwe (@siriusxmwwe) July 30, 2026
Punk suggested that even if WWE attempted to position him as a villain, the crowd’s continued support would undermine the role and make the turn ineffective.
The comments come ahead of SummerSlam 2026, where Punk is scheduled to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes. At present, both competitors are portrayed as babyfaces, making the championship clash a rare matchup between two of WWE’s top fan favorites.
Whether that dynamic changes during the build remains to be seen, but Punk believes audience reactions—not creative direction—will ultimately determine who fans choose to support.
Footage of Cody Rhodes elbowing CM Punk after #WWESpringfield
That was definitely not an accident 👀
There was no Danhausen to save the day this time 😭📸: @BrockLesnarGuy pic.twitter.com/YCjIgm3ebt
— Teffo (@Teffo_01) July 31, 2026
