The final WWE Raw before WrestleMania 42 ended with a deeply personal face-to-face between CM Punk and Roman Reigns, as tensions reached a boiling point ahead of their main event clash.
Roman Reigns opened the segment by demanding the Sacramento crowd acknowledge him, but was quickly interrupted as CM Punk made his way through the crowd. Punk said he was there to respond to what he described as a “smear campaign” earlier in the night, promising to tell the truth and inviting Reigns to call him out if he was lying.
Reigns warned Punk that if he entered the ring, words would no longer be necessary, but Punk pressed on, delivering one of the most personal promos of his current WWE run.
“The truth is that I hate you,” Punk said. “I hate you because I envy you.”
Punk admitted jealousy over Reigns’ success, including his lengthy title reign and WrestleMania main events, while acknowledging the work that went into achieving it.
“I hate that you were champion for 1,316 days… because I know how hard you worked to be that great.”
He paused to address previous remarks about Reigns’ father, offering a direct apology.
“Sika was a great man… and I hate the fact that I invoked your father’s name in vain, and I sincerely apologize to you.”
Punk then contrasted his own journey with Reigns’ family legacy, describing how he built his career from the ground up.
“I wasn’t handed anything… I busted my ass, and I made pro wrestling my home.”
He closed by predicting he would leave WrestleMania 42 still champion.
“Late Sunday night… I’m going to have gold above my head, and the ring announcer is going to be saying, ‘and still heavyweight champion of the world.’”
Reigns responded by acknowledging Punk’s connection with the audience, but made it clear their rivalry remains unresolved.
“That’s the truest thing you got… the connection with the fans. But on Sunday, that’s not the reality.”
Reigns said he has long hated Punk, pointing to that same connection as the reason, before promising a title change at WrestleMania.
“On Sunday, it’s not ‘and still,’ it’s ‘and new.’ The tribal chief takes back over, and you… will acknowledge me.”
The two stood face-to-face as Raw went off the air, closing the final chapter before their WrestleMania 42 main event.
When Will CM Punk Face Roman Reigns At WrestleMania 42?
CM Punk and Roman Reigns will do battle for Punk’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Night Two of WrestleMania 42 on Sunday, April 19, 2026. The main event of Night One of WrestleMania will see Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton face each other for Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Title.
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