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CM Punk’s intense showdown with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins on the April 4 WWE SmackDown had fans in Chicago and across the globe losing it—but now the real story is about who was behind the mic-dropping moment.
According to Fightful Select, the mastermind behind that entire segment was none other than Michael Kirshenbaum, who wrote the segment, with WWE Hall of Famer Michael Hayes serving as the segment’s producer.
This war of words played out at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, and marked WWE’s return to the States after an overseas run. With WrestleMania 41 around the corner, tensions couldn’t be higher—and this promo segment delivered on every level.
CM Punk kicked off RAW in his hometown of Chicago earlier in the week, but the real heat came when Roman Reigns arrived late into SmackDown. Reigns wasted no time throwing verbal jabs, claiming, “CM Punk wouldn’t be back here if it wasn’t for me. CM Punk wouldn’t be in the main event of WrestleMania if it wasn’t for me.”
But it was CM Punk who dropped the hammer when he revealed that the long-standing favor Paul Heyman owes him will be cashed in at WrestleMania—because Heyman will be in his corner. “This promise goes back to OVW,” Punk told the world. “When I main event WrestleMania—to force them to deal with us.”
Roman Reigns laughed off the idea, only for Paul Heyman to break down in tears and tell Reigns he “can’t tell CM Punk no.” Punk capped it all off with a brutal GTS that left Reigns laid out, while Seth Rollins hit the mat laughing hysterically.
It was the kind of emotionally charged segment fans live for—and now we know who to thank. Kirshenbaum and Hayes nailed the storytelling, timing, and execution. The road to WrestleMania just got real.
What did you think of the segment? Did Kirshenbaum and Hayes deliver one of the best build-ups to a WrestleMania main event in recent memory? Sound off in the comments and let us know how you’re feeling about CM Punk, Paul Heyman, and the triple threat drama.
What did you think of the segment? Do you think CMPunk's favor only makes the Wrestle Mania match that much better? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
