When WWE returns to Chicago, Illinois, the hometown of CM Punk, the Voice of the Voiceless will face Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Photos of WWE's announcement have popped up on social media. Punk and Gunther will reportedly face in a steel cage match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

The match will occur during a non-televised house show on WWE's Holiday Tour. So, sadly, it will not be broadcast on TV or streaming like a PLE. Only the fans in attendance will witness the first-time matchup.

WWE fans will have to wait and see if it comes to fruition, though. Allstate Arena's website is still advertising Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed in a steel cage match. Gunther is set to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Damian Priest, not Punk.

But they did note that “Chicago's Own” Punk will be at the show. However, they note that the “card is subject to change,” so perhaps they will update it with the Punk-Gunther matchup soon.

Chicago's own CM Punk vs. Gunther for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Gunther kicking CM Punk at the Royal Rumble.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports.

The only physical encounter between Punk and Gunther took place at the 2024 Royal Rumble. Both superstars were in the match as it came down to the final few competitors.

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But they have not had a singles match yet. Gunther only recently burst onto the main roster, joining SmackDown in 2022. He quickly won the Intercontinental Championship shortly after making his debut.

The Ring General would go on to hold the Intercontinental Championship for a record-breaking 666 days. He ultimately lost it to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania XL.

The loss did not hold him down for long. Gunther went on to win the 2024 King of the Ring tournament, and he then set his sights on the World Heavyweight Championship. He beat Damian Priest for the belt at SummerSlam and is still enjoying his first reign as champion.

Meanwhile, Punk is in the midst of his second run in WWE. He returned to the company at the 2023 Survivor Series: WarGames PLE.

His first televised match back was the 2024 men's Royal Rumble match. Punk was injured by Drew McIntyre and put on the shelf for six months.

Despite his injury, Punk continued to fuel his feud with McIntyre. They had a trilogy of matches from August to October, with Punk coming out on top. Their final match was a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood.

Punk then teamed with the OG Bloodline at Survivor Series: WarGames. He now seems bound to chase a world championship and main event WrestleMania.