Roman Reigns has officially set his sights on CM Punk for WrestleMania. Appearing at the closing segment of Monday Night Raw on February 2, the Royal Rumble winner confirmed that he will challenge Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 18 and 19. What began as a formal address quickly turned into a personal confrontation, with Reigns brushing aside Drew McIntyre as the “easy choice” before zeroing in on Punk.
The exchange had also brought up the two wrestler’s shared history in the past decade. Punk reminded Reigns of his role in bringing The Shield into WWE in 2012, while Reigns countered by claiming he backed Punk’s controversial return to the company in 2023. The tension peaked when Reigns made his intentions crystal clear, telling Punk he picked him out of pure animosity.
“I’m picking you because I hate you. I’ve always hated you,” Reigns said, drawing one of the loudest reactions of the night.
The matchup is their first singles clash on a major stage. Their only previous one-on-one bout took place on Raw in 2014, just weeks before Punk’s original exit from WWE. With unfinished business stretching over a decade, WrestleMania now has its most personal feud locked in.
