Original Plans For Roman Reigns And CM Punk WWE RAW Segment Revealed

CM Punk dropping Roman Reigns at the end of the March 16, 2026 episode of WWE Raw wasn’t always the plan.

The show from the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio closed with a heated exchange between the two WrestleMania opponents. Roman Reigns came out to address Punk after weeks of tension, and the segment escalated quickly once Punk joined him in the ring.

The confrontation eventually turned physical after Reigns mocked Punk for his age, leading to Punk firing off a punch that dropped The Tribal Chief to the mat to close the show. That moment got a huge reaction, but it turns out WWE originally had something much different in mind.

According to Bodyslam, the creative direction for the segment was changed prior to airtime. The original plan reportedly called for Roman Reigns to respond to CM Punk’s earlier comments about his father, Sika, with a much darker line involving Punk’s dog, Larry.

Instead of going in that direction, WWE pivoted to the version that aired, which centered around the personal insults between the two and ended with Punk getting the physical advantage. The change in direction ultimately gave Punk the final moment of the night, but it also avoided taking the segment into even more controversial territory.

With WrestleMania approaching, the tension between Reigns and Punk continues to escalate, and if this latest update is any indication, WWE is still adjusting how far they want to push the rivalry on television.