What does CM Punk's return tell us about WWE's plans with Roman Reigns?

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) fans were not ready for the crude shock of CM Punk’s return to the company at the recent Survivor Series, after a bitter fallout 10 years ago.

But he did return, and he stunned everybody. And in no time, Punk became a hot topic in the WWE Universe.

Punk’s return has also, in a way, eclipsed Roman Reigns' presence for a while, even though he is being projected as the current face of the company. This does give more insight into WWE's plans for Roman Reigns and shows why CM Punk was sorely needed.

Why CM Punk, then?

• The company needed a babyface, a person who could pull the crowds like John Cena once did.
• Edge had left already, Randy Orton was out due to injury, Drew McCintyre was done and dusted, and there was probably no wrestler in the locker room to drive the audience through his mic skills.
• Roman Reigns was turned into a heel in 2020, and it was only since then that the fans have shown interest in him after Reigns failed as a babyface for six straight years (2014–2020).
• The Tribal Chief's Bloodline storyline was doing extremely well, but Reigns was still not a sellable performer on the mic.
• It had become necessary for the company to have someone who could instil passion in the crowd. And the company had no other option than CM Punk.
• Punk had a fallout with AEW a while back, and he wasn’t seen anywhere, either. However, despite him being in not-so-great action for quite some time, professional wrestling was abuzz with his name.

WWE needed him not only because they wanted a good wrestler, but they also needed someone great on the mic.

Fans and the Stars

• In the professional wrestling industry, it is not just the moves inside the ring; it is your connection with fans that makes you a superstar.
• John Cena, The Rock, Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, and Triple H have been the faces of WWE at some point in their careers, not just because of their wrestling skills but also because of their ability to click with the fans.
• Those who have followed WWE in the last 10 years would contend that there is no one near CM Punk on the mic.
• Not even Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Randy Orton, or anyone in the present locker room of WWE.
• Reigns was indeed the face of the company, but he was miles behind these superstars.

The company needed the focus to shift from Reigns to Punk for some time so that it could establish Reigns as the full-fledged face of the company.

What is left for Reigns in WWE?

• In WWE, the face has never been a heel, but a babyface. Roman Reigns is currently a heel, which the company might think of changing for some time.
• In the words of former wrestler Konnan, Roman Reigns cannot be compared to John Cena or Hulk Hogan. “You can’t compare him to Bruno, Hogan, Bret, the other guys, or Cena because he’s a heel. Those guys were babyfaces.”
• So, the next step would likely be to install Reigns as a babyface after a heel run for 3 years.
• However, that also carries its own risk.
• After successfully establishing Reigns as the undisputed WWE Universal Champion for more than 1000 days, the company has slowed its run with Reigns.
• The new move of turning him into a babyface might backfire since the fans have already rejected him in that character.
• For now, Reigns hasn’t competed in WWE since November 4, his match against LA Knight in Saudi Arabia’s Crown Jewel event.

He is expected to return in a new storyline as a tribal chief in next week’s SmackDown.