CM Punk Says WrestleMania 42 Won’t Be Good Guy vs. Bad Guy Match

Forget the traditional wrestling script—CM Punk says WrestleMania 42 won’t be a battle of heroes and villains. According to the Second City Saint, his upcoming main event against Roman Reigns is something else entirely.

In a February 5, 2026 interview on You Better You Bet, Punk explained that this showdown in Las Vegas is about two dominant personalities clashing—not a story of good versus evil.

“At this level, it’s not good guy versus bad guy. It’s superstar versus superstar. I don’t want Roman to change who he is, and I’m not going to change who I am.”

For Punk, the matchup is less about morality and more about authenticity. He says fans can expect intensity and emotion—but not a clean-cut narrative. It’s all about real-life energy. Punk admitted that while traditional roles like babyface and heel make storytelling easy, his rivalry with Roman doesn’t fit that mold.

“I can kind of distill it down to simple—simple is better. I draw on real-life situations and human emotions that are going to pull on people’s heartstrings. To me, it’s better when there’s a good guy and a bad guy. When it comes to me and Roman, I think we kind of transcend that a little bit.”

And that unpredictability extends to how fans react across arenas. But one thing is certain—no matter the crowd, the noise will be deafening. He also likened the match to a classic wrestling metaphor made famous by Gorilla Monsoon.

“Different situations are going to lend themselves to different reactions, and different crowds are going to cheer or boo more or less based on whatever’s going on. So when you get me and Roman in the ring together, all you know is it’s going to be real loud, it’s going to be electric, and it’s going to be good.

It really is… the irresistible force versus the immovable object. It’s great. You’re getting two top guys—arguably the best in the business—and you put them in the ring, and it’s going to be magic.”

When reminded of Roman Reigns’ fiery line on WWE Raw—“I’m choosing you because I hate you”—Punk didn’t just acknowledge it. He welcomed it.

“You saw the smile on my face. That’s real. You hate me? Awesome. I got exactly what I wanted. I'm under your skin. I'm in your head. That's how I win.”

That same strategy came up earlier in the week on Up & Adams with Kay Adams, where Punk doubled down on his role as the instigator. Asked if he hated Roman too, Punk simply dismissed the idea. He added that provoking his opponents to be at their best is part of his process. And once they’re emotional, Punk believes the battle shifts in his favor.

“I don’t hate him at all. I’m the guy who gets under people’s skin. I can draw that out of him. I really make people step up and become the best version of themselves because they want to shut me up. I love that. If I can get him emotional, if you know you’re in their head, you can beat them.”

With just weeks to go before WrestleMania 42, CM Punk isn’t looking to play a role. He’s staying true to who he is—and banking on Roman Reigns to take the bait.

Are you buying into CM Punk’s “superstar vs. superstar” angle, or do you think the crowd will still take sides in Vegas? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear from you.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.