As I wrote about in my review of last Friday’s SmackDown
, I’d been bracing myself for the outcome of the Undisputed WWE championship match on Raw last night (July 6) since we learned it was happening last week.Still, I was bummed for my guy Sami Zayn when CM Punk replaced Cody Rhodes and beat Zayn to end his brief run with WWE’s top prize. And reactions around Cageside Seats definitely seem to be trending negative, with only 14% having an enthusiastic reaction to the title change as of this writing:
But the crowd in Punk’s hometown of Chicago certainly loved it, and we’re frequently reminded that the internet is not real life. But it’s what we have to go on, and it’s not hard to find critics of the move on social media. Like long-time friend of Zayn, and someone who finally believe what he’s been telling her about how WWE management conspires against them. Sami’s old Mixed Match Challenge partner Becky Lynch has her own beef with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce. Add another grievance…
And KENTA chimed in, but surprisingly not to comment on either man’s use of the finisher he invented, the Go To Sleep or GTS:
Instead, the Japanese star who’s long had an issue with Punk taking the move without his blessing and who’s intimated in the past that Punk is avoiding a match between the two of them (possible when he was out of WWE or with AEW), reacted to the latest World title win for the man who calls himself The Best in the World.
The former Hideo Itami, now back with Pro Wrestling NOAH, reposted the title change and expressed his disapproval:
Do you share either The Man or Lil K’s assessment of last night’s big angle?
