The Case For CM Punk Losing WWE's World Heavyweight Championship ASAP
CM Punk is the world heavyweight champion and on track to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42. But what if he wasn't?
The goal on the road to WrestleMania is to create the biggest stories possible for The Show of Shows, getting fans talking all the way through April 18-19.
Reigns winning the 2026 men's Royal Rumble set the stage for him to compete in his 11th 'Mania main event.
On Monday's Raw, The Tribal Chief made clear that he wants to face Punk on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
However, there are over two months before The Show of Shows, and Punk should be defending the World Heavyweight Championship in the meantime.
This is the time for unpredictability, and WWE should lean into that energy.
The following is the case for why Punk should lose the World Heavyweight Championship before WrestleMania, setting the stage for another name to face Reigns at The Show of Shows.
What If: CM Punk Retained to WrestleMania?
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Before getting into many alternative options, Punk retaining his title through to WrestleMania 42 and fighting Reigns is more or less a foregone conclusion.
This is WWE's selling point for The Show of Shows at present with no other contests determined for the card in Las Vegas.
Punk vs. Reigns is a strong matchup between two of WWE's top names who have some history, especially built over the past year.
It is a familiar contest since The OTC and The Best in the World collided last year at 'Mania 41 in a Triple Threat match that also included Seth Rollins.
Not much has built up between Punk and Reigns since then, but that could quickly change with a few more strong promo segments such as the one on Monday.
This is an easy answer at a time of much uncertainty for WWE, but more interesting alternatives could make WrestleMania 42 truly must-see.
What If: Finn BƔlor Dethroned CM Punk?
2 of 7Is there a bigger "what if" in WWE today than Finn BƔlor?
The Irishman defeated Reigns and Rollins in his first month on Raw before capturing the Universal Championship.
However, BƔlor suffered a torn labrum in that match that required him to vacate the title just one day later. He has not held a world title since.
While he lost to Punk in Belfast, Northern Ireland, recently, The Prince has made clear he is still seeking the World Heavyweight Championship.
Could this be the moment for WWE to swerve everyone and give BƔlor a much-deserved world title run in 2026?
He has plenty of history with Reigns, including nearly dethroning him at Extreme Rules 2021. That encounter was the last time the Irishman truly felt like a main event threat.
The two can tell the story of the man who has been given everything fighting the veteran who has always been pushed aside.
Punk could continue to be involved in that build, setting up a Triple Threat for 'Mania 42, or BƔlor could get sidetracked by going after Judgment Day stablemate Dominik Mysterio instead.
What If: Bron Breakker Dethroned CM Punk?
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Bron Breakker has been destroying everyone and everything in his path recently in his pursuit of a rematch with Punk.
Following the normal path has not gone well for him, though, and The Badass is likely to act out in rebellion against Raw general manager Adam Pearce soon.
What better way to make his point than skip all lines and attack Punk?
Breakker has had a tendency to lose his first match against veteran talent, even dating back to his NXT days against Tommaso Ciampa and Dolph Ziggler.
He almost always wins the second encounter, though, earning both his Intercontinental Championship reigns after second encounters with Sami Zayn and Jey Uso.
Why not keep the history going and have Breakker dethrone Punk at Elimination Chamber, especially since it will be in the Universal Center in Chicago?
There are few better places Breakker could establish himself as the top heel of Raw than by beating The Second City Saint in his hometown.
The 28-year-old is young and a more immediate rival to Reigns, and this could allow Punk to move into a feud with another big name in The Vision, Logan Paul, for WrestleMania or continue his rivalry with BƔlor.
What If: Gunther Dethroned CM Punk?
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If there is anyone who could push Punk to make a mistake before WrestleMania 42, it is the top heel in WWE right now, Gunther.
The Ring General recently retired both John Cena and AJ Styles, both of whom Punk has considered friends for much of his life.
The Best in the World has not shown any fear in defending his World Heavyweight Championship in 2026, so he and Gunther could collide at Elimination Chamber on February 28.
If they face each other, the Austrian Superstar is too hot to lose and would gain more heat from that win in Chicago. He would then move on to Reigns.
The two have never fought one-on-one but did have a great home stretch sequence in the men's Royal Rumble this year.
The top heel in WWE against its top star is an easy match to sell that could absolutely main-event 'Mania, especially if Gunther tries to get Reigns to put his career on the line.
Punk would have plenty of interesting challengers following this loss, but this could allow him and BƔlor to continue their rivalry without gold into 'Mania.
What If: The Rock Dethroned CM Punk?
5 of 7Over the past two years during WrestleMania season, The Rock has arrived to disrupt the main event picture.
This year, all signs points to The Final Boss staying out of everything, but if he is physically able to compete, this might be the last opportunity for him to face Reigns at WrestleMania.
Punk has dealt with this situation before after Rock dethroned him in 2013 ahead of a match with John Cena at WrestleMania 29.
This may not go down well with fans, but it is an interesting story to tell, setting up The Best in the World to return to his anti-establishment roots in response.
Punk losing to Rock again would lead to an unpredictable road to The Show of Shows where he could do anything to get revenge.
It might even lead to a scenario in which Reigns vs. Rock is the Night 1 main event for 'Mania 42 followed by a Night 2 collision of the winner vs. Punk.
This is a far-flung idea at best, but it would have the fans as excited as they were on the road to WrestleMania 40.
What If: Roman Reigns Dethroned CM Punk Before WrestleMania?
6 of 7Is Punk vs. Reigns the match WWE wants to bet everything on at WrestleMania 42?
If there is any hesitation, the creative team could follow a rarely utilized precedent of an early Rumble victory cash-in.
WWE has not employed the option of the Royal Rumble winner using their title opportunity before 'Mania, but John Cena did take his shot at No Way Out 2008 due to his growing animosity with champion Randy Orton.
Punk and Reigns could main-event Elimination Chamber in Chicago.
The Best in the World would have the hometown advantage, creating an energy that could rival 'Mania itself.
Reigns dethroning Punk could allow Breakker or Gunther to step up while letting BƔlor get his own revenge on The Second City Saint.
Why Gunther Is Best Option to Dethrone CM Punk
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The road to WrestleMania has many hurdles along the way. Champions have been dethroned and missed the show entirely in the past.
Punk vs. Reigns has major name recognition and a strong head-start as the teased WrestleMania 42 Night 2 main event.
However, the most interesting option would be for Gunther to dethrone Punk in Chicago, gaining him even more heat ahead of fighting The OTC in a long-awaited first-time battle.
This also preserves an equally strong rematch angle for Punk vs. Finn BƔlor into WrestleMania, especially if The Prince plays a role in The Best in the World's loss.
While Punk vs. BƔlor in Chicago is likely the plan, there is almost no chance The Prince will win, taking another loss before The Best in the World moves past him.
This preserves the element of unpredictability inherent on the road to WrestleMania and would have everyone talking.
Losing the gold and the main event spotlight would be tough for Punk, who has long sold what that means to him, but it would give him back an edge he has lacked in the past year.
Punk in chase mode for revenge against everyone who took his moment away from him is a better story than the dominant champion facing the top challenger with limited heat.
