Alternate finish for CM Punk vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42 & TKO's creative control in WWE revealed - Report
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CM Punk and Roman Reigns battled in the main event of WWE WrestleMania 42.
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk battled 2026 men’s Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns in the main event of Night 2 of WrestleMania 42 last weekend at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The match saw Reigns defeat Punk in a gruesome and critically acclaimed match to capture the World Heavyweight title. However, a new report from the Wrestling Observer reveals that a different finish was considered for the match.
A rematch at Backlash was planned after WrestleMania
Dave Meltzer, in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, spoke about the aforementioned main event of Mania, stating that WWE had explored an alternate finish in which CM Punk would have beaten Roman Reigns to retain the title.
The plan would then have set up a rematch at Backlash, which is the next PLE after Mania, where Reigns would ultimately capture the title. As for the match, Meltzer awarded it a five-star rating. Backlash is set for May 9 at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.
“It was possible and apparently talked about that Punk could beat Reigns and then lose the title at Backlash, so they’d be ‘even’ when it was over but Reigns would end up as champion, as a way to protect Punk’s position. But the decision in the end was for Reigns to win here.”
TKO has final say in WWE creative
Metlzer also reported on TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro’s recent comments, claiming in a recent appearance that TKO has full creative control, and they’re responsible for the good or bad.
Metlzer stated that while TKO executives do have the final say over any creative decision, they rarely use it, until, during the Road to WrestleMania this year.
“They almost never use it, It was said that in this situation, they used it at the most inopportune time. There was a ton of chaos regarding those on the wrestling side who didn’t want the McAfee and Jelly Roll involvement in a world title match they had been slowly building for months and how the celebrities took the focus away.
There was a lot of internal jockeying going on and that it was encouraged by Ari Emanuel and Shapiro, It was noted to us that everyone acknowledges that at the end of the day, [TKO has] complete control, but they rarely use it and the complaint this year was that when they use it, it’s at the worst time.”
Also Read: TKO CEO Ari Emanuel & President Mark Shapiro’s 2025 pay package & The Rock’s WWE royalties revealed
Was CM Punk planned to retain the title against Roman Reigns?
Yes, per Dave Metlzer, WWE had explored an alternate finish in which CM Punk would have beaten Roman Reigns to retain the title.
Does TKO have full creative control over WWE?
Yes, per Meltzer, TKO executives do have the final say over any creative decision, but they rarely use it.
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.