WWE considered alternate result for Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk at WrestleMania | Exclusive
Dave Meltzer addressed the main event of WrestleMania 42 night two in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Meltzer wrote that WWE had considered a different finish for the match that would have seen CM Punk defeat Roman Reigns to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. This would have led to a rematch at Backlash where Reigns would win the title.
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.”
As for the match itself, Meltzer awarded it a five-star rating. It was Punk’s fourth time receiving a five-star rating. His previous five-star matches came in 2024 against Drew McIntyre in Hell in a Cell, in 2011 against John Cena at Money in the Bank, and against Samoa Joe in Ring of Honor in 2004.
As for Reigns, this marks his first five-star match, although he has also had four matches rated four and three-quarter stars.
Meltzer wrote of the match:
“Reigns’ win over Punk was clean, and among the best matches in WrestleMania history. They went 33:56, ending when Punk had Lesnar on his back for a second GTS, and then collapsed and Reigns then pinned hi with a spear. The storyline played into the interviews, where the match was long and grueling, and Punk got old and collapsed in the deep waters.”
The full edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is available here for subscribers.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.