CM Punk vs Cody Rhodes feud escalates, SummerSlam main event

CM Punk cut a promo accusing Cody of paranoia; WWE deleted a backstage confrontation clip. At SummerSlam kickoff, Cody shoved Punk after an accidental eye poke; Triple H intervened. Punk addressed his time off citing personal losses. Cody also warned Tom Brady in a new angle. SummerSlam main event remains Punk (c) vs Rhodes. Ticket sales still sluggish (~29k/27k per night). A #1 contender match (Sami Zayn vs Finn Balor) has been added to the card; Sami expressed frustration with being overlooked. SmackDown 7/24 segment was underwhelming. An opinion piece argues for a Cody heel turn, adding to fan debate. Live event on 7/25 featured Cody and Punk teaming with Sol Ruca against Gunther and Sami.