Roman Reigns took control of the final minutes of Raw with a direct confrontation that reframed the road to WrestleMania 42 around his rivalry with CM Punk. Reigns entered and opened with “Acknowledge me” before Punk interrupted, shifting the segment into a tense exchange centered on the World Heavyweight Championship and who truly holds leverage heading into the biggest show of the year.
CM Punk told Roman Reigns he would have to “carry” him to WrestleMania 42 and said Reigns had chosen to challenge him for the World Heavyweight Championship. Reigns responded that he hated Punk and added that without the World Heavyweight Championship, Punk would not be on his radar. Punk then claimed he had taken Paul Heyman from Reigns and said Reigns was “all alone,” escalating the personal stakes of the angle.
Elsewhere on the episode, Paul Heyman’s night also turned physical after Seth Rollins attacked him with a chair and followed with a Stomp, with Heyman later helped to the back and described as bleeding from the nose. The show also featured a major title change, with Penta defeating Dominik Mysterio to win the Intercontinental Championship.
