The last time anyone saw CM Punk on WWE programming, prior to Monday night in Chicago, the 'Best in the World' said he just needed to stay ready, because you never know when a title shot will just fall out of the sky.Cody Rhodes' misfortune on Monday turned into Punk's opportunity as the Second City Saint was called to the Allstate Arena to challenge Sami Zayn for the WWE Championship after Gunther ambushed The American Nightmare to open up Raw.Having not competed since losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42, Punk fed off the energy of his hometown Chicago crowd and beat Zayn in an exhilarating main event to capture the WWE Championship for the first time in 13 years. CM Punk officially moves to SmackDown this coming Friday, July 10Punk's victory means that the rumors regarding his move to SmackDown are true. The WWE Championship is anchored to the Blue Brand, which means whoever holds the gold is contracted to that show.WWE has now officially announced Punk's first official appearance as the new WWE Champion. He'll be at SmackDown this coming Friday, July 10. The week's episode will air live on the USA Network from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.— WWE (@WWE) July 7, 2026Former WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is also being advertised for this week's show, which means we could get a medical update on The American Nightmare after he had his head slammed in a car door on Monday night.Sami Zayn, Gunther and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, who is currently on administrative leave, are all expected to be in Oklahoma City as well.There are also two matches that have been made official. After suffering a 2-on-1 blindside attack last Friday night, Finn Balor will battle his old Bullet Club buddy Tama Tonga. And Carmelo Hayes has been begging for an opportunity to face his old friend Trick Williams for the Men's United States Championship.Trick Williams | WWEMelo will get his shot against Trick this Friday night, but the title will not be on the line. We'll have more information on this week's episode of WWE SmackDown when our preview goes live at 6 a.m. EST (3 a.m PST) here on The Takedown on SI.WWE SmackDown card for July 10 (announced):WWE Champion CM Punk to appearMen's United States Champion Trick Williams w/ Lil Yachty vs. Carmelo Hayes in a non-title matchFinn Balor vs. Tama TongaAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow