Summary

CM Punk opened the April 6 edition of WWE Raw with a promo focused on his upcoming WrestleMania 42 match against Roman Reigns, but part of that segment quickly turned into a pointed shot at Vince McMahon.

While addressing Reigns, Punk contrasted his own path in WWE with what he framed as Reigns' family-backed position, and he directly referenced McMahon in the middle of that argument.

Quote from CM Punk

"I have paid my dues, and I have earned everything. You are just a buck-toothed nepo baby who ate dog food for a weird old man.

That weird old man for years treated me like a dog, and he expected me to smile. But I had F-you money, so I took that and my dignity and I left. And that's why you hate me, is because you can't control me like you control some of the people, like you control your cousins and your family. They can't control me."

CM Punk and Roman Reigns heading into WrestleMania 42

Punk's promo gave the WrestleMania 42 program a more personal edge, because he did not just frame Roman Reigns as an opponent, he framed him as part of the power structure Punk believes he has been fighting for years. That makes the match feel bigger than a standard title rivalry, especially with Punk tying Reigns to family control and old WWE power dynamics.

The McMahon reference also adds another layer to WrestleMania week conversation. It comes shortly after Tommy Dreamer predicted a huge crowd reaction if Vince McMahon appears at WrestleMania 42, which keeps McMahon connected to the event's wider discussion even without any official role in this story.

Sources

As reported by NoDQ.