In just a few weeks, CM Punk will headline his first-ever WrestleMania, competing in a highly anticipated Triple Threat Match against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. For Punk, the moment is more than just a career milestone—it’s a full-circle moment nearly 12 years in the making.
During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Punk opened up about his role in forming The Shield, the iconic trio that launched Reigns, Rollins, and Jon Moxley (formerly Dean Ambrose) into the WWE spotlight back in 2012. At the time, Punk was WWE Champion and on a record-setting title reign that lasted 434 days.
“In 2012, I was the WWE Champion. I was on this what, at the time, was a historic run with the belt. Four hundred thirty-four days—obviously shattered by Roman Reigns since I’ve been gone—and what I needed was guys to work with.”
Punk explained that his focus was on building the future of WWE, not just protecting his spot.
“I was always looking towards the future. Yeah, there’s the now—there’s me, and there’s Cena. But outside of that, I would look at the landscape and be like, ‘What do we need to do to get money-talent in the position that I’m in now? How do I bring guys up? How do we elevate Superstars?’”
That forward-thinking mindset led to the creation of The Shield.
“The idea with The Shield was that simple. I need guys to work with—for good or for bad—whether I like them, whether I hate them, whether I’m going to wind up having personal problems with them. I need talented individuals to work with, or I have nobody to work with in the future.”
Now, more than a decade later, Punk finds himself facing two of the very men he helped bring to WWE’s main roster.
“Lo and behold, who am I working with at WrestleMania? So, life’s pretty funny the way things kind of work out. I just don’t want those two guys to forget that they were picked for a reason. I brought them into this—and at WrestleMania, I get the chance to take them out.”
Punk’s return to WWE in 2023 reignited longstanding tensions with both Reigns and Rollins, making this WrestleMania main event not just a battle for championship gold—but one rooted in personal history, legacy, and unfinished business.
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