Roman Reigns Selects CM Punk for WrestleMania 42 Showdown
Roman Reigns has officially chosen CM Punk as his opponent for WrestleMania 42. Fresh off his second Royal Rumble victory, Reigns will challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship come April in Las Vegas.
Just a few days after his Royal Rumble win, Reigns appeared on Monday Night RAW to deliver a passionate promo targeted at his longstanding rival. It’s worth noting that both he and Punk faced off in the main event of WrestleMania 41, which also included Seth Rollins in a dramatic triple threat match.
The anticipation is definitely building as Reigns prepares to take on Punk in Allegiant Stadium this April. On Monday, during his time in Philadelphia, Reigns posed the question to the audience: should he pursue the Undisputed WWE Championship—an accolade he currently holds for over 1,300 days—or focus on Punk, who recently snagged the vacant title from Jey Uso? The crowd seemed to lean towards the idea of him going after Punk rather than the current champion, Drew McIntyre.
When Punk reached out to him, Reigns didn’t hold back. He launched into a fierce promo aimed at what he referred to as the “World’s Strongest.” The back-and-forth escalated into a personal conflict that rekindled old history from over a decade ago, leading Reigns to ultimately pick Punk as his WrestleMania opponent.
“I could have picked you because you’re popular, but no, I chose you because I despise you,” Reigns declared. “WrestleMania is going to be my greatest day, and you’ll finally recognize me.”
Fans were clearly energized by this exchange, with the road to WrestleMania feeling exceptionally clear for the two wrestling giants. If Punk manages to keep his title, it will mark his fourth defense since he became the World Heavyweight Champion, having previously defeated notable contenders like Bron Breaker, Finn Balor, and AJ Styles via disqualification.
Looking ahead, Reigns aims for redemption, especially since he lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. Interestingly, he has yet to capture the World Heavyweight Championship since its introduction.
