For Night 1 ofWWEWrestleMania 41this Saturday, the main event will be a triple threat match. CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns will go to war in the final match to wrap up Night 1. Rollins said in his promo onRawearlier this weekthat their upcoming match atWrestleMania 41is “the biggest and most important triple threat in history” because “the winner will define the future of our industry.”
WWE has made their plans quite clear thatPunk would get his main event spot forWrestleManiafor quite some time now. It’s been the story ever since he returned atSurvivor Seriesback in 2023. Once he didn’t win theRoyal RumbleorElimination Chamber, this felt like the consolation prize route. The fact that all three superstarskeep repeating how big the match is and how important it is feels more like justification than anything else.
WWE Is Trying Really Hard to Justify Giving CM Punk the Main Event of Night 1
Gunther and Jey Uso’s Match Lost the Spot It Deserved
Rollins' promo onRaw, and the repeated insistence that their triple threat is the biggest triple threat in history, is just an angle to justify finally gifting Punk the main event slot at WrestleMania. In hindsight, it’sthe spot that Jey Uso and Gunther deserved. Over the past year, one could argue thatUso has become the top babyface in the company, even more so than Cody Rhodes.
Over the past year, Uso has put together what could be looked at as his rookie year, to compare it to sports. It felt like his first full year as a solo superstar, and we’ve watched him blossom into a top star in the company. He had his first breakthrough as a solo competitor when he defeatedBron Breakkerto win the Intercontinental Championship, but it was short-lived; he lost the title after just 27 days. Ever since, the WWE Universe has been longing to see him becomethe first of the Fatu family to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
In addition to the huge story behind Uso, who has also never been able to defeat Gunther, he won theRoyal Rumble. This used to mean you were the main event on the Grandest Stage of Them All, and WWE outright stated it during the PLE several times. That’s beside the point, however. If any match atWrestleMania 41is a match that will decide the future, it is Uso versus Gunther, or Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena, considering the latter promised to retire with the WWE title to spite fans. What exactly does “decide the future” mean, anyway?
What Does “Fighting for the Future of the Industry” Mean, Exactly?
Will Only A Few Years Likely Left for Reigns and Punk, That Doesn’t Make Sense
WWE creative could take a new direction post-‘Mania and attempt to justify it with the outcome of the Rollins-Punk-Reigns match. Reigns may win, with or without the help of his Wiseman, Paul Heyman, and get back on a championship path. Two, Punk wins with Heyman in his corner, and they reunite after 10-plus years. And three, Rollins wins and, for the first time in his career, he aligns himself with Heyman in his corner. Could that be what WWE is insinuating when they include “fighting for the future of the industry” in their promos for this match?
Reigns held the wrestling industry in the palm of his hands when he unified the Universal Championship and the WWE Championship after defeating Brock Lesnar atWrestleMania 38. Until losing to Rhodes last year, he was the face of the entire industry. Throughout his legendary run, it was highlighted by having The Wiseman in his corner. However,Reigns does not have a lot of time left in the ring. The same can be said for the 46-year-old CM Punk. If “fighting for the future of the industry” means that whoever wins the triple-threat match will become the new face of the wrestling world, it’s hard to believe it could be anyone but Seth Rollins, who, however, does not seem to be the horse that the company is betting on.
This Match Perhaps Did Not Deserve the Main Event, But Paul Heyman Did
Heyman’s Torn Loyalty Is the Best Story of This WrestleMania
If anyone deserves to be the true winner of this match, it is Paul Heyman. Even though he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last year, it still feels like he deserves even more. In addition to what he’s done for ECW, he has contributed to the elevation of Lesnar, Punk, and Reigns in their careers as a whole. While that is great,his work over the past four-plus years with The Bloodline has arguably been the best work of his career as a manager.
Reigns is always highlighted for his historic title reign. The Usos are both on their own path as singles competitors and fighting for solo titles, and who was at the center of it all? It is clear thatHeyman has been the MVP ofthe Bloodline saga. He’s got a proven track record that everything he touches turns to gold. WWE knows that teasing the fans with Heyman being torn between choosing Reigns and Punk is a gold mine of a story. Honestly, if Rollins wasn’t in the mix, it would be even more effective.
The most important part of this story isn’t who the winner will be. The real story is who Heyman will align himself with after ‘Mania. Will he remain loyal to his Tribal Chief? Will he revisit a partnership with Punk and complete their unfinished business? Will he create a new era and manage Rollins and take over the industry once again with The Visionary? Or, will he leave them all and say he’s above all of this mess for now and keep us waiting for his next venture? Believe it or not, Heyman’s decision will determine what the future of the industry will look like.
