Predicting How CM Punk Cashes in the Roman Reigns 'Favor' at WWE WrestleMania 41
Now that the WrestleMania 41 plans have fully leaned into the massive showdown featuring CM Punk, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, this era of superb WWE storytelling can pull on a hanging thread that continues to float there.
The thread? That pesky favor that Paul Heyman, and technically Reigns, owe CM Punk.
Rewind time: While cornered in the Bloodline saga in late 2024, Heyman enlisted the help of his old friend Punk to even the odds and help out Reigns. The only hitch was a favor that the Tribal Chief was none too happy to owe Punk after his Wiseman didn’t let him in on the plans.
Punk has yet to cash in that favor, either. It was easy to think that it might happen during the Royal Rumble. Visions of Reigns clearing out the ring for Punk en route to a rumble win were layups when it comes to ideas. Ditto for him just calling in Reigns to take out Rollins during a one-on-one match.
But the focus now fully turns to WrestleMania 41, where one has to think that this is finally, finally the point in time Punk uses the favor to his advantage.
This could end up being something really basic during the triple threat, too. Simply put, Punk could link up with Heyman, who then calls it in with Reigns. Maybe the Best in the World gets to simply put his feet up and watch as the match really becomes a singles encounter between the two former Shield brothers.
Still, this is Heyman we’re talking about and he’s a scheming borderline pro wrestling genius who survives through shifty schemes. This is also the Triple H era of WWE storytelling that does a pretty consistently great job at subverting expectations.
Given those qualifiers, maybe the outcome is a little more complex. Think, Punk and Reigns teaming up for a two-on-one that effectively takes Rollins completely out of the match.
From there, the match would essentially become a one-on-one between Punk and Reigns, which was pretty heavily hinted at and implied as a possible ‘Mania main event in its own right, especially once WWE saw the downright shocking numbers the segments featuring both were doing.
For better or worse, Rollins has sort of felt like the third wheel in the main-event scene for two years in a row now at ‘Mania time. Which is a shame, because a compelling, final Shield-based showdown with Reigns would be really great right now.
But Rollins getting wrecked in an unfair two-on-one would at least keep him looking strong. Somebody in a triple threat this big will need to eat a pin and this is one way to do it. If the plan is to have him be a babyface, anyway, this is a good way to garner goodwill from fans.
Speaking of character motivations and long-term plans for said characters, this whole favor ordeal feels like a good way to fully, finally split Heyman and Reigns.
As hinted, Heyman is a snake who latches onto the big thing. Right now that’s Punk, especially with the Bloodline tale all but finished for now and Reigns secondary to Cody Rhodes and John Cena overall right now.
This could easily devolve into Heyman betraying Reigns (one can see him in a future promo calling him a “pitstop” until Punk came home) and siding with Punk again. The idea being, the Tribal Chief is well on his way to super-over babyface status once more, with a betrayal the final fuel in the fire that cements it.
Funnily enough, this result would probably get cheered, too, because Punk has transcended the traditional stuff in the sport. He’s not going to get booed by fans regardless of what he does.
The fallout? A long-term feud between Punk and Reigns while Cena-Rhodes likely occupies the overall top spot. And spinning off that, once Reigns eventually goes back to Bloodline drama, Rollins will have major beef with both guys.
It’s not a perfect solution by any means. But the favor is a narrative tool here to clean up a triple threat where all guys need to look great and major stories need to have paths established for after ‘Mania.
That means a favor trashes Rollins while Heyman and Punk reunite after a betrayal of Reigns. From there, the must-see stories write themselves.
Booking CM Punk into Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena WWE WrestleMania 41 Main Event Match
If nothing else, the last week has reminded WWE fans that they really can’t know everything in the plans before it happens.
Now, that same lesson applies in the wake of John Cena’s iconic heel turn to set up the WrestleMania 41 match with Cody Rhodes.
It sure feels like WWE will go with the cut-and-dry Cody vs. Cena tale and call it a day. But there’s a problem—The Rock, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and CM Punk are still in the same area code of the main event without a defined plan.
This is an especially pertinent thing to point out after Punk went out and traded in his pipebomb for a tactical nuke on the Raw after Elimination Chamber while addressing all of his enemies:
That’s an eviseration of the CEO Rock, a fraudulent Cena and more expected jabs at Rollins while invoking the name of Becky Lynch.
Did anyone mention that there’s still that weird “favor” thing lurking in the background that Paul Heyman owes Punk, likely involving Reigns?
So what happens now?
It feels like we can eliminate Rock from actually partaking in a match. He’ll be at ‘Mania in Cena’s corner, no doubt, but his weird retcon and ending of storylines on the Raw debut on Netflix suggests Hollywood commitments or something else won’t let him have an actual match.
Perhaps Punk is the lynchpin to the ‘Mania card, then. Since WWE already semi-wasted the huge Punk vs. Rollins payoff match on that Netflix debut, perhaps they reignite serious old wounds and let The Shield narrative play out one more time with a singles match between Rollins and Reigns.
Fans never really got a good payoff there, either. Just last year as his historic title reign came to an end, Reigns prioritized getting another cheap shot on Rollins and it cost him literally everything. There’s a lot there to still run through leading up to what could be an all-timer of a payoff finale.
Make no mistake, Punk-Rollins is worth revisiting at a later date again—but perhaps once one or the other has a title around their waist again.
That way, Punk can slide into that main event with Rhodes and Cena. While the knee-jerk reaction might be to say no thanks and keep it a one-on-one, Punk being there to eat a pin while the other two guys emerge looking good, despite the outcome, might just be the play.
And let’s not pretend the story isn’t there. Punk is one of Cena’s biggest all-time enemies and the two have shared some of their biggest-ever moments together. Rhodes and the Best in the World go way, way back before even their AEW days and have brushed shoulders in some notable ways since Punk’s WWE return, too.
There are some interesting narrative vehicles to make it happen, too. Punk could call in that “favor” from Heyman, who gets him inserted into the match. Maybe Heyman has some sort of damaging material on Rock to make it happen. Punk, after all, hates Rock for stealing his ‘Mania main event all those years ago, anyway.
Notice a theme here, though? WWE really can’t go wrong. For all we know, Rock will have a match and they opt for Punk “forcing” Rock to handle things himself. Maybe they really revisit the Bloodline saga and go Rock-Reigns, freeing up Rollins-Punk.
Point is, nothing feels set in stone. In a good way, too, compared to last year’s messy, fan-backlash heavy main-event scene that Rock clumsily inserted himself into, eventually spawning that Night 1 tag team match before the normalcy of Night 2.
Overall, though, that Punk promo and all the history sure adds some weight to the idea that he should be getting his WrestleMania main event, after all. If that enables Rollins and Reigns to finally get a conclusion to their own saga, all the better.
What’s funny is, realistically, this year’s ‘Mania could just be the midway point for lots of these stories, too. There’s a heel Cena who said he only had a year left now, too. But plans change, and when the bulk of these guys not named Cody aren’t full-time anyway, this could easily just be Part 1 of something much, much bigger.
Again, WWE can’t go wrong—but Punk’s piece of the puzzle feels especially important to the long-form storytelling WWE so loves right now.
The Triple Threat Match WWE Has to Book For WrestleMania 41—And the 1 It Must Avoid
With WrestleMania 41 right around the corner, WWE is looking to finalize the card for this year's two-night event with two potential Triple Threat matches.
Most of the biggest matchups started to take shape following Elimination Chamber and Royal Rumble. However, the opening and closing moments of Monday's Raw may have given viewers a glimpse at two more high-profile contests planned for The Showcase of the Immortals.
CM Punk opened the flagship show this week with a blistering promo, which led to another pull-apart brawl with Seth Rollins. Tension between these two bitter rivals has been brewing since The Straight Edge Superstar returned in November 2023 at Survivor Series: WarGames.
Still, it's unclear if next week's steel cage match will be enough to settle this feud or if another noteworthy star will emerge to set up a rumored multi-man match.
Meanwhile, Iyo Sky's upset win in the main event gives WWE the perfect opportunity to weave three long-standing plot threads together.
Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley Would Be A Welcome Addition
Although nothing could top John Cena's heel turn, Sky's world title win proved WWE still had some tricks up its sleeve. This is the best way to add The Genius of the Sky to this year's card.
More to the point, it will allow Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley's paths to converge with the Japanese wrestler's redemption arc. All three women have something to prove, and an encounter on The Grandest Stage of Them All offers them the chance to do so.
Losing to Lyra Valkyria in the Queen of the Ring semifinals lit a fire under Sky to eventually win without relying on Damage CTRL or the Money in the Bank briefcase. Last year, she won fans over by putting on excellent matches and earning a title shot against Liv Morgan.
When she lost her chance to compete for another opportunity at Elimination Chamber, the popular high-flyer subverted expectations. Now, she seeks to enter Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 19-20 as champion and avenge her loss to Bayley at last year's event.
Conversely, Belair is determined to reestablish herself as a singles competitor after a successful run as a tag team wrestler.
The EST of WWE hopes to put her struggles in 2024 behind her, and a rematch against the woman who has arguably become the most persistent obstacle throughout her WWE career is a great start.
Sky has had Belair's number ever since she dethroned her at SummerSlam in 2023, and their acclaimed match from the Sept. 16, 2024 episode of Raw drove this point home.
Beating her would likely lift a weight off her shoulders, and that's what Ripley doesn't seem to understand.
Their friendship and the WrestleMania match they always talked about aren't as much of a priority for The EST right now because she put her aspirations on the back-burner for a year to be a part of a team. In truth, The Eradicator should understand that better than most.
The runner-up in the 2021 women's Royal Rumble match, which Belair won, lamented about being a team player and giving her friend a fair chance to win. This motivated her to return to the event and win in 2023, but she's conflicted now because she's not the same person anymore.
After everything she went through with Morgan and The Judgment Day, Ripley wanted to believe she had a friend on Raw and that they wanted the same thing. Instead, Belair is showing signs she could turn heel if she did attack Jade Cargill in November.
There are so many layers to this storyline, and the hints at a Triple Threat became evident when they stood on the stage together after the women's Elimination Chamber match. WWE illustrated this again at the end of Raw, and it's the right call.
Putting two of its homegrown stars up against someone as experienced and respected as Sky makes so much sense, and they're both seeking a definitive win over her now.
Ripley vs. Belair could also become a major feud that will play out throughout the year.
Who Will Be Roman Reigns' WrestleMania 41 Opponent?
The fallout from the men's Rumble match was the latest chapter in Punk and Rollins' heated rivalry. Their matches have been tremendous, and their segments are electric because their animosity is so believable.
The fact that they already have a second match set for Monday would imply that the rumored Triple Threat match with Roman Reigns is still planned for WrestleMania 41. But it's hard to see how The Tribal Chief will factor into this now.
The second-generation star has been out indefinitely since Rollins attacked him outside the ring at the Royal Rumble. The angle was one of the highlights of the event, and it perfectly set up a showdown between the three.
Nevertheless, the longer Reigns is out of the equation, the more it seems like this feud never needed him in the first place. The brawl from the latest episode of Raw was so compelling without him that it would make sense to keep it going or do something else.
Frankly, every combination of these three stars is more interesting as a one-on-one match, and this seems like an attempt to please everyone. Rollins vs. Reigns is long overdue. There is plenty of continuity to lean on there, and their last interaction gave us the ideal inciting incident.
Punk's relationship with Paul Heyman, and the ominous favor he owes him, is a fantastic way to build to a match with Reigns, but that doesn't have to play out immediately. A Triple Threat match doesn't give WWE the chance to delve into his deep history with both opponents effectively.
These two storylines are too big, and throwing it all into a catch-all match does them a disservice. It would make more sense for Punk to use his favor to insert himself into the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match and move forward with Rollins vs. Reigns.
CM Punk vs. John Cena: Who Will Turn Heel vs. Cody Rhodes For WrestleMania 41 Match
The Rock added an interesting wrinkle to the WWE Elimination Chamber and the road to WrestleMania 41, which could offer the big development we’ve been waiting for.
During last week’s episode of SmackDown, The Final Boss took part in the most bizarre segment in some time. It was long and repetitive at times, and it didn’t even give fans a definitive answer on his involvement in this year’s event.
Nevertheless, his offer to give Cody Rhodes everything he initially wanted in his first run with the company in exchange for his soul has become the biggest talking point. On the surface, this Faustian deal seemed random and cartoonish compared to the rest of the second generation’s time as the undisputed universal WWE champion.
However, it also aligns with some of the seeds WWE planted with CM Punk and John Cena. It’s hard to imagine The American Nightmare will accept the offer, but this storyline could make his eventual opponent much more interesting.
Will CM Punk Join Forces With The Rock?
Straight away, CM Punk seems like the logical choice after his interaction with Rhodes from the Jan. 22 episode of Raw.
The two have also had unspoken tension since the final moments of the men’s Royal Rumble match in 2024. The 39-year-old ultimately eliminated Punk to punch his ticket to The Showcase of the Immortals and slammed the door on his chance to compete in the main event.
The Second City Saint has also set his sights on championship gold since he wrapped up his feud with Drew McIntyre last year. Now that Jey Uso vs. Gunther is official, he only has one option if he wants to challenge for a world title.
10 years ago, the idea of him siding with The Rock as a corporate champion would’ve been sacrilegious. Today, it’s pretty close to how some of his most vocal critics have characterized his return to WWE following a highly publicized and messy exit in 2014.
Frankly, some of his detractors already think he sold out, so it would make perfect sense to lean into this perception and use it to his advantage. This would create an intriguing dynamic with Rhodes, who has already said he’s “more CM Punk than CM Punk.”
Those words would hit much harder if Punk completely bought in and became the very thing he claimed to hate during his popular claim to fame.
Can WWE Finally Pull Off A John Cena Heel Turn?
WWE also has the opportunity to give fans something they’ve been clamoring for for years.
John Cena’s run as a prototypical white meat babyface was endearing for many viewers worldwide. Conversely, it sometimes became a creative albatross that stifled his character development and alienated fans who grew tired of his do-gooder schtick.
The “Super Cena” era, where he never lost, grew stale and drew a level of disdain that most villains in the same profession could only dream of. It became fun to hate WWE’s top guy and actively root against him between 2008 and 2014.
This infamously led to demands for him to turn heel, and apparently, during his feud with The Rock, there were plans to do so in 2011. So, it’s fitting that a partnership with his former rival could finally spark this character change in 2025.
After his final Royal Rumble appearance, the 47-year-old declared it’s best for business for him to main-event WrestleMania and become a 17-time world champion. It was a stark departure from the earnest promo he cut during the debut episode of Raw on Netflix.
Cena didn’t say he would give it a shot and hope for the best. Instead, he all but guaranteed a win and repeatedly emphasized, “It's what’s best for business,” which is a mantra The Authority popularized.
WWE drove this point home during the video package that aired on Monday night, laying the groundwork for what could be one of the most shocking moments of the year.
The Verdict
Rhodes vs. Cena has been reportedly slated for WrestleMania 41 for months. This leads us to believe he will accept The Rock’s offer and attempt to break Ric Flair’s record for the most world title wins.
Yes, it’s ironic that WWE would do this during his farewell tour when many fans have grown to appreciate him, but there are two ways to look at this. This would be a splendid parting gift for fans who have always wanted to see him turn heel, and it will give his avid haters the chance to boo him one last time.
The reasoning for his turn is also fairly simple. When he couldn’t win on his own as he did at the height of his success, Cena felt he had earned the right to jump the line. In fact, he already skipped the qualifying matches that all the other competitors endured, announcing he would enter the men’s Elimination Chamber match because it’s what’s best for business.
Similarly, he likely feels he has earned the right to cut corners and give in to his impulses because he has spent his entire career playing the nice guy. At his lowest point, when Father Time has caught up with him and the competition has evolved, he will sell his soul for the chance at immortality.
In reality, this will probably lead to a passing of the torch moment for Rhodes, but he needs a proper foil in Cena for it to work.