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Roman Reigns has chosen CM Punk as his WrestleMania 42 opponent and will challenge him for the World Heavyweight Championship in Las Vegas in April after winning the men’s Royal Rumble.
Reigns appeared on “Monday Night RAW” days after winning the Royal Rumble for the second time in his career and delivered a blistering promo against his longtime rival. Both Reigns and Punk main evented WrestleMania 41 in a triple threat match that also included Seth Rollins.
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CM Punk and Roman Reigns face off on “Monday Night RAW” at Xfinity Mobile Arena on February 2, 2026 in Philadelphia. (Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images)
The stakes will be raised and the pressure will be palpable when both competitors step inside the ropes at Allegiant Stadium in April.
On Monday night, Reigns asked the Philadelphia audience whether they should go after the undisputed WWE title, which he held for 1,316 days, or Punk – who defeated Jey Uso to win the vacant title in November. WWE fans were more inclined to have Reigns go after Punk rather than the current undisputed champion, Drew McIntyre.
He delivered a blistering promo against the so-called “Best in the World” when Punk came to address him. The two men exchanged personal barbs, rekindling the story from more than a decade ago. Ultimately, Reigns chose Punk.
CM Punk speaks to Roman Reigns during “Monday Night RAW” at Xfinity Mobile Arena on February 2, 2026 in Philadelphia. (Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
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“I made my choice. I could choose you because you’re the biggest star available, I could. I could choose you because you’re on Netflix, and you’re on the best show, I could,” Reigns said. “But no, I choose you because I hate you. I’ve always hated you. And WrestleMania is going to be the best day of my life because, in the main event, you will recognize me.”
The showdown between the two gave WWE fans a burst of energy as the road to WrestleMania seemed clearer than ever for the two giants of professional wrestling.
If Punk were to retain the title, it would be his fourth title defense. He has defeated Bron Breakker, Finn Balor and AJ Styles by disqualification since becoming world heavyweight champion.
Roman Reigns celebrates his victory during the WWE Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium at KAFD on January 31, 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images)
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Reigns lost the undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. He has never held the World Heavyweight Championship since its introduction a few years ago.
