CM Punk Reveals Reason Behind ‘Phil Is The Best’ Shirt on WWE RAW

CM Punk’s Philadelphia shirt moment on WWE RAW wasn’t some deep marketing strategy — it was just him trying to pop the locker room.

On the February 2, 2026 edition of WWE RAW in Philadelphia, Punk came out wearing an arena-exclusive shirt that originally read “Philly Is The Best City In The World.” But he cleverly covered the “ly” and part of “City,” turning it into “Phil Is The Best In The World,” playing off his long-running “Best in the World” moniker. Many immediately noticed the tweak. Now Punk has explained why he did it.

Speaking to ROCK 95.5 on February 25, 2026, Punk was asked about the decision to alter the shirt and what the thinking was behind it. The interviewer even referenced being in the building that night and seeing the altered version live. Punk admitted there wasn’t some elaborate plan behind it since he just wanted to pop the locker room: “It was honestly just to make the boys giggle. That was it.”

The Second City Saint added that the joke may have even sparked a subtle on-screen ripple effect involving Roman Reigns during their promo segment.

“And I think I got Roman with that. When I turned around and showed it, you could obviously read it. I think that’s why he ended up using my government name on television a couple of times. So I’ll take credit for that one.”

When the interviewer mentioned being confused at first — and then cracking up once Punk revealed the altered wording — Punk confirmed that reaction was exactly the goal: “Mission accomplished. That’s exactly what I was trying to do.”

In typical Punk fashion, what looked like a marketing twist was really just him entertaining himself — and maybe needling a few people along the way.

Did you catch the shirt twist live in Philly — and did it land for you? Let us know what you thought of CM Punk’s latest inside joke.

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