WWE wrestler Sami Zayn delivered an emotional backstage promo after losing the Undisputed WWE Championship to CM Punk, who made a surprise return on "Monday Night Raw" in Chicago. Zayn had been booked for a match against Cody Rhodes, but after Rhodes was taken out by Gunther, Punk stepped in as a replacement and defeated Zayn in the main event to capture the title, ending Zayn's brief reign.

Backstage, a tearful Zayn raged that after 24 years of struggling to reach the top he had held the championship for only nine days before Punk "waltzed" back in after months away to take it from him. The article recaps the surrounding storyline: Rhodes had earlier booked himself into a triple-threat match at Night of Champions but was pinned by Zayn, then regained the number one contender spot on "Friday Night SmackDown" by beating Jey Uso, only to be sidelined by Gunther's attack. The event took place at the Allstate Arena on 6 July 2026, and with SummerSlam less than a month away at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Punk now appears set to head into it as champion.