As WrestleMania 42 gets closer, CM Punk knows exactly how big the challenge in front of him poses, but he is not intimidated. The WWE World Heavyweight Champion admitted that a “leveled-up” Roman Reigns would scare just about anyone in WWE, just not him.
After Reigns won the 2026 Royal Rumble, he came face-to-face with Punk on Monday Night RAW and officially announced that he would challenge Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.
The segment got heated. The Champion fired some harsh words aimed at the Tribal Chief. Reigns also cut a fiery promo, accusing Punk of turning his back on WWE years ago and now trying to take everything he built since coming back. He made it clear that his resentment toward Punk is the fuel behind his goal to win the title on WWE’s biggest stage.
After RAW, Punk talked about the moment on The Pat McAfee Show and praised Reigns’ promo in classic Punk fashion. He suggested the Royal Rumble winner’s strong showing had a lot to do with his own stature.
“Oh, imagine that. In the ring with CM Punk, bringing the best out of guys? Yeah, I’ve heard that before,” the WWE World Heavyweight Champion said.
CM Punk also called the WrestleMania 42 match the biggest one WWE could book right now, saying he and Reigns are the two biggest stars in the business. He even admitted he wasn’t sure the Royal Rumble winner would choose him, pointing out that Drew McIntyre may have been the safer option. He believes Reigns picked him because he got under his skin.
CM Punk Comments on Roman Reigns Ahead of WrestleMania
In another interview with You Better You Bet, CM Punk doubled down on what he believes makes him special. He said his strength isn’t just winning matches, but bringing out the best in his opponents. He thrives on real emotion and superstar vs. superstar matchups rather than simple hero vs. villain stories.
“At this level, it’s not good guy vs. bad guy, it’s superstar vs. superstar and I don’t want Roman to change who he is, and I’m not going to change who I am, so it really is, as Gorilla Monsoon famously claimed, ‘The irresistible force vs. the immovable object,'” Punk said.
Punk also praised Reigns’ dominance but made it clear that his role is to push him even further. “For Roman Reigns, watching him and his career and his trajectory, a leveled-up Roman Reigns is a scary proposition to anybody if your name isn’t CM Punk. I need that. I need the best,” he said.
“That’s what makes me the best in the world when I beat these guys. On the microphone in the ring, I’m still showing everybody that at the highest level, there is nobody better than me. That’s your WrestleMania main event,” Punk added.
For CM Punk, that’s what makes a true WrestleMania main event- two elite stars with passionate and loyal fanbases going head-to-head in a feud mixed with some real tension.
CM Punk promoting his match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania:
— Teffo (@Teffo_01) February 5, 2026
"It's gonna be a Main Event that nobody's going to forget" ?
?: @YouBetterYouBet pic.twitter.com/zzje6umCiy
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