CM Punk Says Cody Rhodes Is Paranoid He’ll Turn On Him

CM Punk says Cody Rhodes is convinced that a betrayal is coming, and he wants to put those fears to rest. The comments follow their tag team outing at Saturday Night’s Main Event on Saturday, July 18, where Rhodes and Punk joined forces against Gunther and Sami Zayn.

The match took an unexpected turn when SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis made his return, intervening in a way that cost Gunther and Zayn the win. In the aftermath, Punk addressed the lingering tension between himself and Rhodes, pushing back on the idea that he’s got some hidden agenda against his tag partner.

“I am not John Cena or Randy Orton,” Punk said, drawing a direct line to two of the most notorious heel turns against Rhodes in recent WWE storytelling. Both Cena and Orton have played roles in high-profile angles where trust in Rhodes was exploited, and Punk’s remark makes clear he sees himself as operating on different terms entirely.

The dynamic between Punk and Rhodes has been a compelling subplot as the two former rivals have found themselves on the same side more often, culminating in Saturday’s tag match against the Gunther-Zayn pairing. With Aldis’ return adding another layer of intrigue to the SmackDown power structure, it remains to be seen whether the alliance between Punk and Rhodes holds steady or whether the paranoia Punk describes proves to be warranted.

For now, Punk’s message is straightforward: whatever history Rhodes has with betrayal in WWE, he shouldn’t expect a repeat performance from him. Whether that’s enough to ease Rhodes’ concerns — or whether there’s more to this story building toward a future blowoff — is something fans will be watching closely in the weeks ahead.