CM Punk Says Not Main Eventing WrestleMania in First WWE Stint Is Why He Came Back: ‘Everything Happens for a Reason’

“If I main evented WrestleMania before I left, I don’t think I would have come back, cause I would have done it, what am I coming back for?” — CM Punk has revealed that his long-standing frustration over never headlining the “Grandest Stage of Them All” during his first WWE stint is actually the key reason he returned in 2023, suggesting that unfinished business gave him something to chase nearly a decade after his infamous departure.

In an interview with Sam Roberts on “WWE Now,” Punk reflected on finally achieving his long-sought goal last year when he main evented WrestleMania 41 against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. But rather than bitterness over the delay, Punk expressed something closer to gratitude.

“I mean, it’s a little weird that everything happens for a reason. It’s just one of those things, I did it last year,” he explained.

The Moment That Mattered

Punk described the emotional aftermath of that main event match — not the result, but the moment itself.

“I didn’t win, and it’s far beyond being about that and I was just standing in the ring by myself … if this was the last time I’m ever going to be in a ring, I did it.”

The statement is striking from a performer known for his intense competitiveness. Punk, who has never been shy about his frustrations with WWE creative and management, suggested that the act of main eventing — not winning — was the achievement that mattered.

That perspective represents a significant evolution from the man who walked out of WWE in 2014, disillusioned and physically broken. Time, distance, and the perspective of a nearly decade-long hiatus appear to have shifted Punk’s priorities.

The WrestleMania 42 Main Event

Punk is once again in the main event of WrestleMania — this time challenging Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship in a one-on-one match. The buildup has been intensely personal, with both men engaging in promo battles that have blurred the line between storyline and reality.

Punk addressed that dynamic directly.

“There’s a line and what I do is I blur it. And he kind of threw it back at CM Punk and I think that’s fascinating.”

He then turned the tables on his opponent, suggesting that Reigns has no one to blame but himself for any frustration he feels.

“For everything he says he’s mad about and he hates me, well then, why did you let me back in man? You did it to your damn self, and I think WrestleMania is going to be a lot of fun.”

The Reigns Dynamic

Roman Reigns has portrayed himself as the “Tribal Chief” and “OTC” (Only Tribal Chief) — a dominant, manipulative champion who controls everything around him. Punk’s argument cuts to the core of that character: if Reigns truly had all the power, he could have kept Punk away.

But he didn’t. And now Punk is in the main event, challenging for the title, with the chance to do something he never did in his first WWE run: win the main event of WrestleMania.

The Journey Back

Punk’s return to WWE in 2023 at Survivor Series was one of the most shocking moments in modern wrestling history. After years of public animosity, legal battles, and pointed criticism, Punk walked back through the door.

The journey since has not been smooth. He was injured at the 2024 Royal Rumble, missing what would have been his first WrestleMania main event opportunity. He returned, feuded with Drew McIntyre, and finally got his main event last year — a triple threat that he lost.

Now, with a clear one-on-one shot at Reigns, Punk has perhaps his best chance to not only main event but to win.

The Bigger Picture

Punk’s comments reveal a performer who has made peace with his past — or at least found a way to reframe it productively. The bitterness that defined his post-WWE years has softened into something closer to acceptance.

“Everything happens for a reason” is not a phrase one would have expected from the CM Punk who walked out of WWE in 2014. But time, marriage to AJ Mendez, a successful UFC run (however brief), and a triumphant return have apparently shifted his perspective.

Whether that perspective holds if he loses to Reigns at WrestleMania 42 remains to be seen. But for now, Punk is approaching the biggest match of his return with something rare: gratitude.

What’s at Stake

For Punk, a win would add a WrestleMania main event victory to a resume that already includes multiple World Championships, Money in the Bank wins, and the longest WWE Championship reign of the modern era.

For Reigns, a win would extend his legendary title run and cement his status as the defining champion of his generation — having defeated not just the roster, but the one legend who seemed impossible to bring back.

For fans, the match represents the culmination of a story nearly 15 years in the making: CM Punk, the man who left because he never got his main event, finally getting a one-on-one shot at the biggest stage, against the biggest star, with the biggest prize on the line.

“WrestleMania is going to be a lot of fun,” Punk promised. For millions of fans, that is an understatement.

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Writer: Sam Michael