WWE star CM Punk gets his long-awaited WrestleMania main event in Las Vegas. The signing of the contract at SmackDown in London includes another highlight.
He has been waiting for his big moment for almost two decades – and for many years it seemed impossible that it would ever come true. But now it will.
The equally popular and controversial WWE top star CM Punk is to compete in a main event at WrestleMania for the first time. The triple threat between Punk, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins will headline one of the two evenings of the 41st edition of the mega show in Las Vegas. This was revealed by the league at the end of the current edition of the TV show SmackDown in London – which had another highlight in store at the end.
CM Punk’s WrestleMania dream comes true
Despite his very successful career with WWE, Punk had so far waited in vain for the WrestleMania accolade: at the height of his career in 2012/13, the “dream match” between John Cena and The Rock always stood in the way, after which the ugly rift followed that drove Punk away from WWE and to his temporary career end.
His relationship with WWE seemed permanently broken, with the league repeatedly giving Punk the cold shoulder when he expressed an interest in making a comeback – before and after his return to rival AEW, which also ended with a bang. In the fall of 2023, the sensational return finally happened, and after an interim setback due to injury, the 46-year-old crowd favorite has now reached the pinnacle of his career.
The irony of the story: the career highlight is taking place at the same venue where he held his legendary “Pipe Bomb” promo in 2011, in which he expressed his frustration at not being in the WrestleMania main event.
It was the beginning of his big duel with John Cena – the same Cena who will face WWE Champion Cody Rhodes in his last Mania match on the other WrestleMania evening.
Revelation at SmackDown in London
The big three-way feud between Punk, Reigns and Rollins was finalized in the final segment of SmackDown, in which all three participants successively put their signature to the contract.
Once again, the spicy constellation that Reigns’ manager Paul Heyman also has a special relationship with his former protégé Punk was discussed – whose career he had significantly promoted behind the scenes since their time together in the former farm league OVW in 2006.
The old gang was picked up last fall when Heyman hired Punk as the fifth man for the “War Games” between Reigns and his Original Bloodline against the New Bloodline around Solo Sikoa – and in return, Punk promised an enigmatic “favor” from Heyman.
Heyman then revealed to the moved Punk that the match set up at the Royal Rumble would decide one of the two WrestleMania evenings – whereupon Reigns asked Punk to thank him for fulfilling his favor.
The segment’s final punchline: Punk thanked Reigns and revealed that he was pleased with the gesture – but that it was not the favor he had been promised. What Reigns actually still owes Punk remains a mystery for the time being…
