Cody Rhodes CM Punk Face-Off Set For January 22 WWE RAW

A WWE Raw face-off between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes has been confirmed for next Monday's episode by the promotion.

The encounter was initially suggested by Punk on his own Instagram page, writing:

"I think it's time you ask me what I want to talk about @americannightmarecody. Face to face. Cards on the table next week in New Orleans. Live on @wwe @raw"

Punk made a shocking return to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, and has since been a key figure in the build to the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. Although only competing in a pair of house show matches against Dominik Mysterio so far, he has encountered various main event names on the roster.

Recent in-ring promo segments on Raw have seen Punk clash with the likes of Drew McIntyre and current World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. The upcoming confrontation with Cody Rhodes will surely continue to raise tension as we near the Royal Rumble event on January 27.

Cody lost last year's WrestleMania main event, failing to take the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns, who still holds the belt now. Before Punk's return - and the recent involvement of The Rock - he was widely assumed to be in line for a rematch against the Tribal Chief at this year's WrestleMania.

These recent developments have complicated things for the American Nightmare in terms of WWE's active world titles, with many now theorising that Punk will win the men's Royal Rumble match to set up a showdown with Rollins, while Reigns will instead end up facing The Rock. Despite this, Rhodes has continued to talk of "finishing the story" - a mantra used in the build to his unsuccessful title match in 2023.