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Cody Rhodes lost his Undisputed WWE Championship on Saturday night at SummerSlam in Minneapolis after an unexpected intervention from Randy Orton. Rhodes was engaged in a closely contested match against CM Punk at U.S. Bank Stadium, with both competitors exchanging counters and offensive maneuvers throughout the bout.
The match took a dramatic turn when Rhodes accidentally struck the referee while attempting a Cody Cutter from the top rope. Orton then entered the ring and struck Rhodes with an RKO, creating an opening for Punk to deliver a Go to Sleep and secure the pinfall victory for the championship.
Orton had been sidelined since his loss to Rhodes at WrestleMania 42. Before departing the ring, Orton delivered a punt to Rhodes’ head, leaving the former champion injured but still conscious enough to witness his title loss.
Punk wasted little time asserting his new status, challenging virtually the entire SmackDown roster. Gunther emerged as a potential contender after defeating Nick Aldis earlier in the evening, while Trick Williams also received a callout from the new champion.
Night 2 of SummerSlam will determine the official number one contender when Sami Zayn, the previous title holder, faces Finn Balor in a matchup designed to establish the next challenger for Punk’s newly won championship.
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