For some, Night One’s main event is the premier storyline heading into WrestleMania 41 this weekend. The work between Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and CM Punk has been stellar (when all together) since the premiere of RAW on NETFLIX, but it started at Survivor Series: WARGAMES when the now infamous ‘favor’ was bartered for between Punk and ‘his best friend’ Paul Heyman.
By the time you get to Royal Rumble, the stage is set for an implosion. The direction was not always clear, but the intensity was never lacking. The cage match between Rollins and Punk solidified this program after Roman pulled Seth out of the ring only to beat down the man he had just helped to victory. Roman set his sights on Punk after that, and a week or two later, the match was booked, and contracts eventually signed.
For The Glory Of…
It is difficult to summarize the stakes for this weekend’s triple threat main event, but if they can play it just right and deliver a quality finish, this could beneficially position the winner for the rest of the year. But it could be argued that it is much more important to the three competitors not to lose than it is to win. There is a distinction between winning and not losing.
The winner does not get a title or a title shot, but it is about what they will not get with a win. They will not get criticized or have the feeling of a setback that will stay with them for months.
Triple Threat “Go-Home” Angle?
There is a strong likelihood that Roman Reigns and CM Punk will pull the typical A-side disappearing act following Mania, and taking that win with you is the difference between enjoying the break and agonizing over it. Still, if either man hopes to be circling Cody, Cena, or whoever holds the belt at the time, they need to emerge victorious.
On the other hand, Seth needs the win more than either Punk or Reigns. After his 2023-2024 injury run, Seth Rollins has come back with a mission to reclaim the luster that defined him as a generational talent. More so, Rollins lost to Punk clean on one of the biggest shows of the year—RAW’s debut on NETFLIX.
Rollins has felt like the odd man out for much of this feud despite having a deeper history with both Roman and Punk than the two have with each other. With Roman, the feud is biblical—brother turns on brother. For Punk, their feud is well-documented throughout social media, but the problem is that WWE never played into it.
After Punk’s Survivor Series comeback in 2023, a video of Rollins having a meltdown was used to initially sell the feud. Imagine, though, that WWE used Rollins’ now infamous ‘Punk is a Cancer’ clip being played in a montage of stories and clips highlighting their beef before Punk’s return. The bottom line is that there was virtually no chance Seth would find himself in a match against Punk at Mania without the addition of Roman—the opposite cannot be said about a Roman-Punk matchup without Rollins.
You Are Going To Do Me A Favor You Can’t Refuse
Notwithstanding incredible performances from one or all three participants, the match’s finale will almost certainly involve Paul Heyman. Thrust into the central theme of this storyline, Heyman, and Heyman alone, could decide Saturday’s winner based on the actions he takes and, more importantly, on whose behalf he takes them.
The ‘favors’ from Paul started to stack up against him, and the recent developments have shifted online sentiment in favor of a Rollins victory. After Rollins showed ‘mercy’ to Paul for consecutive weeks, the logic is that he is now owed two favors from Paul. But Seth said that he does not expect Paul to fulfill any obligations to him, which is why some are predicting that Rollins wins the match and, along with it, the honor of being the new ‘Heyman Guy.’
What Each Guy Offers Paul Heyman
Seth Rollins
For Paul, this gives him a fresh relationship to build on, and he is a very capable superstar who could benefit from his insights. Seth has never needed someone on the mic, but going silent for a time could add a new allure to “Monday Night Rollins.” But if Paul is not looking to ‘start fresh’ with talent at this stage in his career, then using Rollins gives him equal power. Unlike Roman and Punk, Seth’s best shot at a win is with the assistance of Heyman, so there is a mutual need for each other that does not exist between Paul and either Roman or Punk.
Roman Reigns
Paul credits Roman for airdropping him into the ‘island of relevancy’ and revitalizing his career post-Brock. Eventually, Heyman was forced to choose between Roman and Brock, and so he did. Now, he has been forced into a similar situation, but after everything they have been through, it is clear that Roman did not expect Heyman to ‘choose’ the other guy.
There is no doubt that Paul is on the outs with Reigns and declaring loyalty to the “OTC” by helping him secure victory. If Paul hopes to mend fences, doubling down on that stage and under that spotlight would be the grandest gesture. And if Roman cannot get over things with Paul at that point, then at least he’ll know the bridge is burned.
CM Punk…The Extreme Pick
It could be argued that Paul has already ‘picked Punk’ by fulfilling the favor of being in his corner heading into the main event of night one. However, Paul’s favor does not specify walking out of night one with Punk, which is the entire crux of this program. For all the reasons Paul has to back up anyone else, choosing Punk after Punk forced him into the selection is the biggest move.
No motivation is needed to justify best friends aligning, but the ramifications are worth exploring.
Truthfully, Punk is not truly fulfilling his ‘dream’ of being the Mania main event because the main storyline (belt and all) involves the champ, Cody Rhodes, and John Cena. Punk has played along with the technicality, but this is in the same vein as Cody Rhodes attempting to fulfill his father’s legacy by winning the new heavyweight championship from Seth Rollins—the guy he first feuded with upon returning to the company.
Imagine if Cody’s dream to win THE WWE world title did not go through Roman, and, instead, we are all forced to pretend that the secondary championship somehow fulfills that destiny. Sure, Punk is in the main event for Mania, but does anybody count the British Bulldog as a Mania headliner because he wrestled on the Chicago portion of WMII in a tag match? Or is Mania better remembered for the (terrible) steel cage match between Hogan and King Kong Bundy (or Piper-Mr. T’s boxing match)?
Dusting Off The Leather Hat And Trench Coat?
Punk and Paul have a bigger connection than wrestler and manager because they represent the best of both ECW iterations: the OG company founded and booked by Paul and the revival that was not thought of fondly by fans (or anyone). Still, Punk was the one bright spot, and he still gets ECW chants these days.
Instead of Paul repackaging himself or keeping the same schtick alongside Roman, what if Punk helps Paul bring back an old-school persona: the giant phone carrying Paul E. Dangerously? Punk and Paul could turn the company on its head by staking their own path with an “EXTREMELY” heelish makeover. Punk has always been the antiauthority, but at this stage in his career, he needs to ‘get it while the getting’s good. With Paul, Punk has an advocate with the suits and power behind closed doors with The Rock and Triple H.
While it is unlikely that Punk will join Cena and Rock’s vague partnership, we must remember that Rock has been ‘counting down’ with his PLE appearances. Does he have a few more members in mind, or will it be Punk ‘using them’ in the ways Cody decided against? Is this Punk’s safest route to a genuine title shot in the main spot at Mania?
That is a lot of assuming, sure. But if Rollins is not getting over then his rejuvenation in this program is just a misdirection. And, after Roman put his hands on Paul this past Monday, Paul could be in the mood to simply cost Roman out of spite, and if it helps Punk win, then you get ‘two daggers’ in the back for the price of one.
As we inch closer to WrestleMania Night 1, the main event match may not steal the show, but the psychology behind the story may have everyone wondering before Saturday what will happen and, when it does, why it happened. Who will end up being the “Paul Heyman guy?”
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