Rumor Claims a CM Punk Win At WrestleMania 42 Discussed By WWE Creative

Rumor Claims a CM Punk Win At WrestleMania 42 Discussed By WWE Creative

WWE internally discussed a scenario in which CM Punk would retain the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42 before ultimately deciding on Roman Reigns as champion, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The report makes clear that Reigns’ winning was always the long-term plan, but the alternative finish involving Punk was given serious enough consideration to be discussed internally before being rejected.

“Reigns was always to come out as champion since long-term plans have been made for him in that position, which included a title feud with Gunther,” Meltzer wrote. “It was possible and apparently talked about that Punk could beat Reigns and then lose the title at Backlash, so they’d be ‘even’ when it was over, but Reigns would end up as champion, as a way to protect Punk’s position. But the decision in the end was for Reigns to win here.”

Credit: WWE

A Punk win at WrestleMania, followed by a title loss at Backlash on May 9 in Tampa, would have left both men level heading into whatever comes next, softening the blow of Punk ultimately not leaving Las Vegas as champion. The fact that it was considered at all shows how closely matched the two options were at some point in the creative process, even if Reigns’ winning was always the likely decision.