CM Punk retains WWE Undisputed Championship after match with Johnny Gargano

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WWE hit Cleveland for Friday Night SmackDown this week and the powers that be decided to have some fun with the main event title picture. Early in the evening, General Manager Nick Aldis was chatting with WWE Champion CM Punk, trying to figure out what to do about a number one contender after Sami Zayn screwed things up last week. Then they walked by a guy planking on a box, where he’s been for months now: OH. MY. GOD. JOHNNY WRESTLING IS ALIVE!@CMPunk | @JohnnyGargano pic.twitter.com/KgvvXQpqyH — WWE (@WWE) September 5, 2026 That right there is a pro wrestling angle if you’ve ever seen one. The only thing that got this guy out of his catatonic state is the opportunity to win the WWE championship in front of his hometown crowd. There was a zero percent chance he was going to actually do so, of course, but every performer involved in the main event deserves a ton of credit for actually selling like it could really happen. Punk bumped his ass off for Johnny Wrestling, who gave a vintage performance befitting the name. Zayn, Kevin Owens, GUNTHER, and Finn Balor all got involved, with Sami in particular encouraging Gargano to take the chance Owens refused to if it presented itself. Sure enough, it did, and we got one of the best near falls we’ve seen in 2026, at least on regular television. In the end, Punk retained the title after an overbooked masterpiece of a match, and I’m entirely comfortable calling it that, even as a noted non-fan of Gargano. We’ll see what comes next for Johnny Wrestling in WWE but Punk instantly booked himself in a championship match against Zayn for Mexico City next week. This ruled. Agree?

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CM Punk awoke Johnny Gargano from months of being nearly catatonic by offering him a title shot in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio on WWE SmackDown.

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CM Punk found his next challenger after retaining the WWE Championship over Johnny Gargano during "WWE SmackDown."