WWE WrestleMania 42 (Night 2) PLE Results: 4-19-26
6. CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Alicia Taylor delivered in-ring introductions for the championship match. The wrestlers fought at ringside. Punk was sent over the barricade, and he took a seat in the front row. Reigns went after him, but Punk tossed him back to ringside and jumped off the barricade onto him.
Punk climbed to the top of a broadcast table and struck a Roman pose. Reigns grabbed Punk and tossed him to the floor. Back in the ring, Reigns had Punk down when he said, “Mock me again, bitch.” A short time later, Reigns went for a Superman Punch, but Punk moved, and Reigns crashed into the corner. Punk took control and signaled for his finisher, but Reigns sent him through the ropes and into the ring post. Reigns hit Punk with a Superman Punch for a near fall.
Reigns went to a corner and let out the war cry, but Punk ran over and blasted him with a knee strike. Punk sent Reigns to the floor and then hit him with a suicide dive. Punk put his knee on Reigns and then flexed, which drew a mix of cheers and boos. Punk placed Reigns on the English broadcast table and threw punches at him. Punk returned to the ring. Referee Rod Zapata scolded Punk, who went up top for an elbow drop, but Reigns returned to the apron and cut him off.
Punk and Reigns traded blows on the apron. Reigns sat Punk on the top rope and put him in a tree of woe. Reigns went to the floor and smiled as Punk threw punches while hanging upside down. Reigns threw punches at Punk and then hit him with three Superman Punches. Reigns removed the top piece of the ring steps and struck Punk with it. Punk bled from the forehead.
Reigns picked up Punk and powerbombed him through the English broadcast table. Reigns rolled Punk back inside the ring and let out another war cry on the floor. Reigns returned to the ring and ran the ropes, but Punk hoisted him up and hit a GTS for a good near fall. Punk hoisted up Reigns, who slipped away. Punk threw a clothesline, but Reigns ducked it and speared him, which led to another good near fall.
Reigns grabbed Punk’s head and slammed his face into the mat repeatedly. Reigns signalled for a GTS. Punk threw a punch, but Reigns put him right back down. Reigns hoisted up Punk and held up his index finger. Reigns went for a GTS, but Punk blocked it and dropped Reigns with a roundhouse kick that led to a near fall.
Punk motioned for a Superman Punch by doing Roman’s Locked and Loaded bit. Punk drilled Reigns with a Superman Punch and covered him for another near fall. Punk grabbed Roman’s ulafala and put it on. Punk mocked Reigns and tried to spear him, but Reigns caught him in a guillotine. Punk countered into a rollup for a two count. Punk applied the Anaconda Vice. Reigns slipped out and reapplied the guillotine. Punk escaped and set up for a Sharpshooter, but Reigns avoided it and reapplied the guillotine. Punk countered into a pin for an ice near fall. Both men stood up and put each other right back down with simultaneous clotheslines.
Punk and Reigns got up and traded strikes. Punk hit Reigns with a knee strike, and Reigns returned the favor. Barrett said both men were driven by pure hatred. Punk headbutted Reigns. Punk removed some tape from his left wrist and motioned for Reigns to bring it. Punk threw the tape at Reigns. The referee picked up the tape to clear it from the ring, and Punk hit Reigns with a low blow. Punk hit a GTS and covered Reigns for a great near fall.
Punk brought Reigns to ringside and placed him on the English broadcast table. Punk went up top and hit Reigns with an elbow drop that put him through the table. Reigns moaned and dropped an F-bomb that was censored. Punk got up first and rolled Reigns back inside the ring. Punk hit Reigns with a GTS. Reigns fell on top of Punk, who wanted to go for another GTS, but he collapsed.
Punk stumbled as he got back to his feet. Reigns speared him. Both men were on the mat. Punk swung and missed. They both got to their feet. Reigns ran the ropes and speared Punk before pinning him.
Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk in 33:55 to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
Cole said Reigns is now a seven-time world champion. The referee presented Reigns with the title belt. Reigns looked down at Punk. Cole said Punk never said die. He said the exhaustion got to Punk, and Reigns capitalized. Barrett narrated match highlights and said it was one of the most stunning matches he’d ever witnessed.
Reigns got to his feet, went to the ropes, and held up his title belt while pyro shot off. Punk was no longer in the ring. Cole said all seemed right once again now that Reigns holds gold. The executive credits were shown. “You can all say what you want, but Roman Reigns was built for WrestleMania,” Cole said. Reigns greeted his family at ringside. Reigns got back in the ring and held up the title belt and the ulafala to end the show…
An outstanding main event. Punk and Reigns created tremendous drama and suspense, and the live crowd was with them every step of the way. I like the story that Punk may have won had he not collapsed. It protects him and could eventually be a talking point if they ever decide to run this back.
