What is a “Second City Saint” to a “Tribal Chief,” whose only god is his own ego? Las Vegas bore witness to the clash of immortals in WWE WrestleMania 42 Sunday’s main event, when Roman Reigns challenged for CM Punk’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Their battle tested the limits of WWE’s finest competitors, but when it was all over, Reigns stood, the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Punk and Reigns’s old-fashioned wrestling lock-ups did not last long. After some choice words, they exchanged shoves before Punk struck Reigns on the cheek with a jab. The night’s first canvas-shaking blow came when Reigns dropped Punk with a Samoan Drop before hitting him with a right fist.
A trip to the outside briefly saw a comeback for Punk, but Reigns quickly sent him rolling around the announce tables and into the crowd. Reigns’ habitual showboating, however, opened the door for Punk to nail him with a clothesline from the barricade. Back inside the ring, Reigns whaled on Punk, but a missed Superman Punch allowed for Punk to nail Reigns with a crossbody takedown.
The Best in the World acknowledges The Tribal Chief
After nailing Reigns mid-Superman Punch with two knee strikes, Punk took the fight outside again with a suicide dive. Reigns was manhandled across the Spanish and English announce tables, but when Punk attempted to capitalize with a top-rope dive, Reigns toppled him over and into a treacherous strike exchange on the apron. Punk’s night went from bad to worse when he found himself hung in a Tree of Woe position, and Reigns’ night drastically improved as he laid Punk out with three Superman Punches and a blow with the steel steps.
With Punk busted open, Reigns attempted another Superman Punch, just to get caught with a GTS. Reigns responded with a Spear and attempted a GTS of his own, but Punk refused to be humiliated. Punk, fueled by his own ego, returned the emasculating favor with a successful Superman Punch before grabbing the ula fala from the crowd, jaunting around with it before preparing for a Spear. He ran straight into Reigns’ enraged grip, and Reigns began choking Punk out. The two of them exchanged submissions, but while both men were broken and battered, their spirits refused to yield.
Allegiant Stadium gasped as Punk tossed his discarded wrist wrap to Reigns, only to use the referee’s disposal routine as a window for a low blow. Punk followed up with a top-rope Elbow to Reigns through the announce table, but both men could not follow up on their GTS and Spear attempts as their bodies collapsed in the ring. In the end, Reigns was the first to his feet, and two Spears secured him his fifth world title win.
Reigns earned the right to challenge for Punk’s title when he won his second Royal Rumble in late January. Now, Reigns has fulfilled his Royal Rumble right to claim his seventh WWE world title.
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