At the upcoming WWE WrestleMania 41, set to take place next month in Las Vegas, CM Punk is slated to go head-to-head with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in an electrifying Triple Threat match.
While recently guesting on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Punk shared insight into the intricate dynamics of their three-cornered competition, given their shared past in WWE.
For more of Punk’s thoughts, here are several standout moments from the podcast:
Regarding his impending contest with the erstwhile Shield comrades at WrestleMania: “Here’s a slightly unconventional response for you. I see many folks often grapple with portraying their media personality differently from what’s projected on our TV show. Let’s wind back to 2012, I held the WWE Championship; I was in the midst of a run with the belt that was, for its time, record-setting. Four hundred thirty-four days, a figure since surpassed by Roman Reigns after I stepped away. What I desperately required were competitors.”
Discussing the present climate of WWE: “There was never a moment when I stopped contemplating the future. Yes, the immediate present held just me and Cena. Yet beyond that, scrutinising the lay of the land, I’d often ponder, ‘What steps can put emergent talent in the position I am in now? How can we lift up Superstars?’. Creating The Shield was a manifestation of that precise thought. I required rivals, regardless of whether I liked them, despised them, or ended up with personal issues with them.”
Stressing the requirement of collaborators: “Having talented individuals to collaborate with is a necessity, or else I’ll lack future opponents. Unsurprisingly, look who I find myself up against at WrestleMania? It’s quite amusing how life shapes our paths. The essential thing, however, is for these two not to lose sight of the reason why they were selected. I was the one who introduced them to this realm, and at WrestleMania, I aim to be the one to take them down.”