All articles tagged with #cm punk
Pat McAfee returned to SmackDown, blasted CM Punk, and announced a 25% ticket discount for WrestleMania Saturday. Cody Rhodes clashed with him, while Randy Orton and Jelly Roll set the stage for WrestleMania chaos, with McAfee driving off with Cody Rhodes’s WWE Championship.
The Usos were scheduled to defend the World Tag Team titles on WWE Raw, but the match was changed to a non-title bout so the champions could appear with the titles during MLB Opening Day festivities on Netflix. The non-title match against Logan Paul & Austin Theory ended in a DQ when Jey Uso hit Theory with Logan Paul’s brass knuckles in front of the referee. Paul Heyman then secured a championship match for next week’s Raw at Madison Square Garden, this time a street fight, as Jey and CM Punk traded barbs in the main event and Punk smiled afterward, insisting he doesn’t need help.
WWE RAW on March 23, 2026 is set to end with a closing segment featuring Roman Reigns and CM Punk, signaling the climax of their ongoing feud ahead of WrestleMania, with Brock Lesnar making a return and championship action also on the card; Ringside News will provide live play-by-play coverage.
On Raw in Boston, Jey Uso provokes CM Punk, prompting Roman Reigns to ‘run the play’ and spear Punk through the announcer’s table; Punk fires back that he needs no help, leaving the WrestleMania storyline between Punk and Reigns heating up as the build continues.
A backstage report claims WWE planned a darker line in CM Punk–Roman Reigns on Raw that would have referenced Punk's late dog Larry, but the dog reference was not used and it’s unclear whether it was changed or scrapped. Larry died in December 2025 after health issues, a point Punk and AJ Lee reportedly held close. Reigns is slated for three more Raw appearances before WrestleMania, leaving open the possibility that Larry could still be incorporated into the storyline.
Bodyslam reports WWE originally planned a darker response from Roman Reigns to CM Punk’s comments about Reigns’s father, but the plan was changed before airtime to a more personal, less controversial exchange that ended with Punk delivering the night’s final moment, a shift aimed at preserving the feud as WrestleMania approaches.
The March 16, 2026 RAW promo between Roman Reigns and CM Punk aired with a different creative direction than originally planned; reports say the original concept would have had Reigns respond to Punk’s comments about his father with a darker line involving Punk’s dog Larry, but the change was made ahead of air and the reasons are not disclosed.
Wrestling figure Zilla Fatu publicly warned CM Punk with a blunt back-and-forth remark, saying he’ll slap Punk the moment they meet, a move that amps up tension and fuels talk about future interactions in the pro-wrestling scene.
CM Punk’s jab about Roman Reigns’ late father Sika on WWE Raw drew an immediate, real‑world backlash from the Anoa’i wrestling dynasty, with Zilla Fatu (Umaga’s son) publicly threatening Punk, turning the WrestleMania 42 rivalry into a personal feud that extends beyond the ring.
Backstage footage shows Roman Reigns quietly fuming after CM Punk taunted him with a reference to Reigns's late father on WWE Raw, signaling a potential future clash ahead of WrestleMania 42; Punk's jab followed a closing face-off, and Reigns is set to appear on several Raw episodes before the event. The night also included Penta capturing the Intercontinental Championship from Dominik Mysterio.
Raw built WrestleMania buzz, but the Reigns–Punk face-off felt more like a standard rap battle than a breakthrough, with Punk’s bite landing but Roman carrying the moment; Gunther dominated Dragon Lee in a brutal showcase; Penta won the Intercontinental Championship from Dom after Finn Balor refused to help, fueling a Judgment Day dynamic; the Vision saga opened the show with LA Knight driving the ambulance, Seth Rollins wrecking Paul, and Jey/Jimmy Uso assisting; AJ Lee pressed for a new challenger, while Liv Morgan and other segments kept the night moving toward Mania.
A March 2 RAW spoiler suggests the final segment may feature Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk instead of Dominik Mysterio vs. Penta for the Intercontinental Championship, signaling WWE’s priority on a WrestleMania‑driven storyline. The match was previously expected to headline, but the last‑segment focus could elevate the Reigns-Punk confrontation over a title bout, with other planned segments and matchups noted in previews.
Elimination Chamber 2026 in Chicago features two Chamber matches to crown WrestleMania title challengers: men (Orton, Knight, Rhodes, Je'Von Evans, Trick Williams, Logan Paul) and women (Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Kiana James, Raquel Rodriguez). Winners earn shots at WWE Champion Drew McIntyre and WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill at WrestleMania. The card also includes CM Punk defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor and Becky Lynch defending the Women's Intercontinental Championship against AJ Lee, with the event streaming on ESPN Unlimited and a 7 p.m. ET main card.
Chicago's Elimination Chamber crowned Rhea Ripley as the Women’s Chamber winner to challenge Jade Cargill at WrestleMania 42; AJ Lee defeated Becky Lynch to become Women’s Intercontinental Champion; CM Punk retained the World Championship against Finn Balor; Randy Orton won the men’s Chamber after Seth Rollins unmasked at ringside, teeing up Mania programs; the crate moment teased but fizzled, yet the show successfully kickstarted WrestleMania storylines.
CM Punk defeated Finn Balor at Elimination Chamber in Chicago, finishing with a clean GTS after a Sharpshooter moment and signaling a WrestleMania 42 world title showdown with Roman Reigns.