CM Punk earned a favor from Paul Heyman last year by helping the OG Bloodline at Survivor Series WarGames, which left the wrestling world anticipating what that favor is.
During the contract signing between Punk, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins last week on SmackDown, many thought the favor had been fulfilled when The Best in the World got what he wanted — the main event at WrestleMania. However, Punk reminded everyone that this wasn’t the favor, keeping the suspense alive.
Finally, after months of speculation, during this week’s edition of SmackDown, Punk pulled back the curtain by revealing exactly what he wanted.
CM Punk Cashes in the Favor
Punk kicked off the Apr. 4 episode of Friday Night SmackDown by announcing he would reveal the favor to the OTC later that night. In the final segment, Reigns arrived and called Punk out to ask what he wanted.
But Rollins — also curious about it — stepped into the ring. He came out to remind his former Shield brother of a history lesson, saying that reality always hits him hard. Just moments later, Punk came out and proved Rollins’ words true.
The Second City Saint grabbed the mic to make the big reveal. He recalled a heartfelt conversation he had with Heyman before leaving the company in 2014 and made his intentions clear:
“You (Heyman) said, ‘You’ll be fine,’ and I apologised for making it about me and asked, What can I do for you? You said, ‘Punk, when you are at WrestleMania, force them to deal with us.’ Well. They are no longer here, so I am going to force you (Reigns) to deal with us.”
The mystery was finally revealed. But instead of being shaken, Reigns laughed it off, overly confident that his Wise Man wouldn’t leave him. He told Punk:
“You do understand that he loves me, right? He needs me, and I save him. Even if I let him, he wouldn’t go.”
Reigns then turned to his Wise Man, expecting him to shut Punk down. However, the WWE Hall of Famer stood silent, tears welling in his eyes. Then came the shocker.
“No, my Tribal Chief, I cannot do that.”
.@CMPunk wants @HeymanHustle in his corner at #WrestleMania 👀#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/OmAZ1EJyoB
— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2025
Reigns stood in disbelief as Heyman — the man who stood by him for years — refused his command. Meanwhile, Rollins watched from the corner, laughing and enjoying the moment.
Punk didn’t waste any time. He delivered a GTS to the OTC, sending a message loud and clear: Heyman will now be standing in Punk’s corner at WrestleMania.