Roman Reigns almost went in a different direction on WWE Raw this week.
The latest promo battle between WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and Roman Reigns ended with the latter calling the former “old,” then getting knocked down to the mat.
According to a new report, though, initial creative plans painted a different image.
WWE changed creative plans for what Roman Reigns said to CM Punk
BodySlam+ reports that WWE’s creative team originally planned for Reigns’ words to take on a “darker” tone, particularly aimed at Punk’s dog Larry, who passed away in late 2025. These words would have been a direct response to the comments Punk made about Reigns’ late father, Sika Anoaʻi, two weeks ago.
The report did not give a reason for the shift in the tone of the promo.
During their faceoff on the March 2 edition of Raw, Punk specifically told Reigns that he’d bury him next to Sika, who died in June 2024, after their clash at WrestleMania 42. Naturally, several members of the Anoaʻi family, including The Usos, Nia Jax, and Zilla Fatu, then chastised Punk for his remark.
On this week’s edition of Raw, Reigns promised that he’d get a proper apology from Punk for his family. Instead, “The OTC” suggested that Punk learn from his wife, AJ Lee, as she, unlike him, is a top player in WWE. Later, Reigns claimed that Punk wasn’t able to do anything in the ring that Reigns could because he’s “old,” which prompted Punk to deck Reigns in the face and WWE officials to separate them.
In the eyes of WWE legend Tommy Dreamer, Reigns’ final line about Punk was a big mistake.
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