What did Roman Reigns say about CM Punk following his AEW debut?
Just days after CM Punk's AEW debut and return to professional wrestling, Roman Reigns hinted that CM Punk was not an actual needle mover.
In August 2021, the Straight Edge star made his most-awaited pro-wrestling return during AEW Rampage: The First Dance. The moment was then claimed to be needle-moving by fans and the wrestling promotion.
WWE SummerSlam 2021 took place the day after First Dance, headlined by Roman Reigns and John Cena for the Universal Championship. After The Biggest Party of the Summer, WWE shared that it was the company's most-viewed and highest-grossing event of all time. Reigns quickly bragged on Twitter that it was a "legitimate needle moving" event.
Before Punk's debut, Reigns also made some heavy comments towards the former WWE superstar. In an interview with BT Sport, Roman compared Punk to The Rock and John Cena and claimed he wasn't as good.
"Those statements are coming from bitter people, you know, who possibly thought they were better than they really were," said Reigns. "When it comes down to it, CM Punk was not as good or as over as a John Cena. [He] wasn't as good or as over and moved the needle like The Rock. It just wasn't what it was."
"These statements are coming from people who thought they were better than they were.
CM Punk wasn't as good or over as John Cena, he didn't move the needle like The Rock."
@WWERomanReigns talks to @arielhelwani about the fight for main event spots and putting eyes on WWE 👀 https://t.co/0JK37sjkTi
WWE continuously shaded the former superstar months later when The Tribal Chief sported a shirt that read "Needle Mover" on an episode of SmackDown.
CM Punk previously claimed WWE protected Roman Reigns
Safe to say, the former AEW World Champion's exit from WWE was not in good spirits.
Speaking on the Art of Wrestling podcast after his departure, Punk criticized the company and Vince McMahon for protecting Reigns during his match with The Shield. He also claimed the group was his idea and originally didn't even want to include Roman.
The Head of the Table hilariously responded that the only thing his rival created was the Pepsi tattoo on his shoulder.
"The only thing CM Punk ever created was the Pepsi tattoo on his shoulder."
#WWE NEWS: Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns: Who are they and why did they help CM Punk? wwe.me/2thPDk
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