The more CM Punk talks, the more he comes across as a hypocritical gatekeeper.
Ahead of his match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion was asked what the company would look like if Punk retains the title.
“You have a fighting champion. You have somebody that will be here every week to do his best to lead by example,” Punk told Corey Graves in a WWE exclusive interview
.A fighting champion, you say?
When Punk steps into the ring to face Reigns this Sunday, it will
be his first title defense in seven weeks. He last wrestled at Elimination Chamber on Feb. 28, where he defeated Finn Bálor.
Now, before the inevitable pushback about how active Punk has been in 2026, it’s worth noting that while he has defended the title at a smattering of live events, WWE doesn’t recognize house shows unless it must. The same goes for most fans.
What matters is television and major live events. By that measure, Punk has four title defenses so far. But three of those came in January, followed by a month-long gap after he beat Bálor in Ireland, and his current sabbatical after beating Bálor again.
Should he leave Las Vegas with the belt, Punk said he would try to “abolish this culture that has been cultivated backstage of private jets and personal locker rooms, and buses, and hiding spots because you are afraid to show your face.”
That comes across as a thinly veiled shot at Reigns, a second-generation star whom Punk suggests benefited from opportunities tied to his lineage, as the son of WWE Hall of Famer Sika Anoaʻi.
“When your dad is a famous pro wrestler,” Punk explained, “you will be afforded opportunities. You will also not have to, regardless of what anybody tells you, you will not have to grind to prove yourself.”
It’s easy to get drawn in by the slick-talking Punk and come away thinking Roman Reigns is a tyrant. Well, that is, until you remember second-generation stars like Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes, both of whom also come from wrestling families, ride around in personal tour buses, and enjoy the perks of the industry.
Yet Punk rarely, if ever, extends that criticism beyond Reigns. Funny how that works out.
To his credit, Punk acknowledged resentment among wrestlers like himself who came up the hard way toward “people that are born on third base.”
“I carry the torch of Terry Funk and Harley Race and Bret Hart and everybody who was ever told no. CM Punk has to win because it’s the hard way. It’s not the easy way,” Punk said.
About that torch. If he looked closely, he could see the fingerprints of Dory Funk Sr. and Stu Hart, the respective fathers of Terry and Bret.
“You will be afforded opportunities… You will not have to grind to prove yourself.”
By Punk’s own words, Bret and Terry didn’t have to work so hard.
But it wasn’t all criticism. Punk said he respects Reigns for putting his family first. Yet, he quickly contrasted him with Rhodes and Seth Rollins, full-time performers who balance career and family, while labeling Reigns a part-timer who shows up on his own terms.
“It’s real hard to sit back and look at a man who will do that and be a part-timer and think that that’s okay,” said Punk. “There is a responsibility that comes not only with being a WWE superstar, with being a champion.”
If Reigns thinks that’s fine, he’s not wrong. Why? Because his employer said it’s okay. If a lighter schedule is what it took for WWE to retain his services, that’s a business decision the company chose to make. If Reigns is in the title picture, he’s there because he’s still raking in that legal tender.
All of which makes Punk’s argument feel less like principle and more like selective outrage. If you do it the right way — his way — you’re one of the good guys. But if you have a foot in the door and use your leverage to get perks, you’re a bad guy.
However, leveraging one’s fame as a wrestler to score a high-paying gig as a UFC fighter without grinding on the amateur circuit is okay. That’s different.
After it was revealed that Punk earned at least $500,000 for his UFC debut at UFC 203 — a first-round submission loss to Mickey Gall — women’s bantamweight fighter Cat Zingano wrote on social media, “CM Punk made $500k on his entry fight while the rest of us pay to fight?” before criticizing the UFC.
At least Punk didn’t ask his daddy for that job.
Reigns Responds
Early Thursday morning, Reigns posted a two-minute video clip on social media, pushing back on Punk.
“You talk about the old-timers, those were tough guys. We’ve seen what happens when you try to be a tough guy,” said Reigns, a stiff jab at Punk’s winless two-fight stint in the UFC.
Reigns also called out Punk’s lack of activity as a champion this year, and said it was the industry that coddles Punk just by having him in it. And about that storied journey on the indie scene Punk loves to talk about so much? Reigns wasn’t impressed.
“It was the shits, an embarrassment. There’s not a legend in my family that respects you. You’re the reason we don’t let marks in the business,” said Reigns, whose tone suggests he’s ready to show Punk the door on Sunday.
