CM Punk made a very rare appearance on SmackDown and took on Big E Langston for the second time in recent memory. The match was surprisingly back-and-forth, with Langston gaining the upper hand quite frequently throughout the match. The crowd was lively for every near-fall, as Langston repeatedly attempted to get the three-count over Punk. Eventually, the veteran Punk would earn the victory with his signature GTS,
Immediately following the victory, Punk's former mentor, Paul Heyman, would come to the stage. Never alone, Heyman was flanked by his current clients, Ryback and Curtis Axel. Heyman congratulated Punk on his victory over Langston, suggesting that Punk's competition in the match was inexperienced and not near the competition he would face at Hell in a Cell. Heyman continued on to remind the crowd that he was victorious over Punk at the recent Night of Champions pay-per-view with "both hands tied behind my back."
As the war of words between Heyman and Punk escalated, Punk invited the three men to come down to the ring to take the confrontation to a physical level. The men obliged, and Punk met them at the base of the ramp, attacking Axel before being overpowered by Ryback from behind. The "Paul Heyman Guys" tossed Punk back into the ring and created a standoff, as Punk realized that he could not overcome being outnumbered.
To seemingly make matters worse, Punk's opponent in the match he had just completed in, Big E Langston, also joined the three men in the ring. Langston, Ryback and Axel had Punk surrounded.
The crowd rose to their feet as Langston gave Punk a nod and turned to attack Curtis Axel, leaving Punk to handle Ryback in the meantime. Punk and Langston quickly dispatched the Heyman Guys and stood strong in front of a Kansas City crowd that was completely behind the face turn.
Langston and Punk exchanged a look of respect before Langston left the ring and headed to the back. Punk would celebrate in front of the fans as Langston headed up the ramp to the cheers of the crowd.
