CM Punk is one of the greatest wrestlers on his generation, not to mention a lightning rod for controversy.

A performer who will speak his mind, but then go to the ring and have an epic encounter with the top guys in the industry, he is one of the most controversial and beloved competitors in the industry.

People genuinely care about him and what he is doing on any given show, meaning how he is handled creatively will also be a topic of conversation.

Ahead of SummerSlam on August 3, where he is expected to make his first in-ring appearance since January's Royal Rumble against the man who injured him on that night, Drew McIntyre, find out what creative direction Punk should take in the next eight months, culminating with his role at WrestleMania 41.

SummerSlam 2024

From the moment Punk tore his triceps taking a Future Shock DDT from Drew McIntyre in the 2024 Royal Rumble match, then vowed revenge the next night on Raw, it was readily apparent that the two of them would clash as soon as The Straight Edge Savior was cleared to return to the squared circle.

While Punk still is not officially cleared to compete, all creative signs point to him returning to the squared circle for his long-awaited showdown with The Scottish Warrior.

There is a potential wrinkle in the equation in the form of Seth "Freakin" Rollins, with whom Punk is not friendly and inadvertently screwed out of the World Heavyweight Championship while doing the same to McIntyre at Money in the Bank.

There have been teases that The Visionary may be added to the impending match, making it a Triple Threat, but the better booking decision is for the company to replicate SummerSlam 1997, where Shawn Michaels was the special guest referee amid his rivalry with Bret Hart.

Like that match, Rollins would attempt to screw Punk out of the victory, only to inadvertently cost McIntyre.

To end the night, a grinning Punk would celebrate his win, all the while taunting Rollins over his failure and escalating the issues between them along the way.

Survivor Series 2024

At Survivor Series, Punk receives his first shot at the World Heavyweight Championship against Gunther in one of the night's marquee matches, by way of his victory in a battle Royal on Monday Night Raw.

In a physically grueling match that tests the Chicago native's grit and will, Punk finds himself rolling late and potentially in place to defeat the Ring General and win a title he had not held since 2009.

Instead, a late-match appearance by Rollins provides just enough of a distraction for Gunther to lay in one good chop to the chest of Punk that drives the air out of him and allows the champion to deliver a power bomb for the win and successful title defense.

After the match, Rollins brutally beats Punk down and leaves him lying to end the show, flashing the same taunting little smirk he was the recipient of two months three months earlier at SummerSlam.

In this scenario, Rollins begins to show the same cracks that ultimately turned Bret Hart heel after years spent as the most respected workhorse in professional wrestling during the 1990s in WWE.

It is the latest example of a downward descent caused by his antagonistic rival and while he will not be accepted as a full-blown heel yet, it is clear that is the trending direction.

Royal Rumble 2025

After two months away, Punk returns at No. 24 in the 2025 Royal Rumble.

The conquering hero battles his way to the final two of the 30-man match, where he squares off with McIntyre, rekindling that rivalry. Faced with battling the man who injured him in the very same match a year ago, and with whom he has largely unfinished issues, Punk fights through The Scottish Warrior's attack and eliminates him with the Go To Sleep to secure the Rumble victory and cash his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania XLI.

Later in the show, Rollins delivers a well-timed and undetected low blow to Gunther that halts his powerbomb attempt and allows him to deliver the Stomp to regain the World Heavyweight Championship.

Punk rushes the ring to avenge the beatdown from Survivor Series but Rollins narrowly escapes, but not before the video package-friendly staredown and the Rumble winner's pointing at the WrestleMania sign.

WrestleMania 41

For the first time in his career, Punk headlines WrestleMania, challenging Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Night One at The Showcase of the Immortals.

It is a landmark moment for Punk and one that is clearly not lost on him as he takes it is, standing across the ring from a man he is solely responsible for dragging to his darkest point.

In a grueling, 30-minute epic, Punk weathers The Visionary's expansive offensive arsenal, dodges a late-match Stomp, and hoists him up for Go To Sleep. He delivers its for the second time in the match, covers, and wins the world title.

It is a triumphant moment for the grizzled veteran, who stands tall on the WrestleMania stage, hoisting the top prize on Monday Night Raw, the face of the brand still in its infancy on Netflix.