CM Punk didn’t hold back during his sit-down with Corey Graves, especially when the conversation turned to Roman Reigns and how often he actually shows up.
While speaking with Graves, Punk was asked about Roman’s priorities outside the ring, particularly his dedication to family life. Punk made it clear he respects Roman as a father, but he also believes being a top WWE star carries responsibilities that shouldn’t be ignored. Before criticizing Roman’s schedule, Punk made sure to acknowledge what he respects.
“I think anybody would be a fool to not look at Roman and respect the fact that he puts his family above everything else. I love that. I love the fact that he can say, my kids will never know what not having their father around is like, ’cause he did that with Sika, his cousins with Rikishi and countless other of the Samoan greats. And I think that’s great. He has his priorities and they’re right.”
That respect quickly turned into criticism once Punk explained how he views Roman’s role in WWE.
“But it’s real hard to sit back and look at a man who will do that and be a part-timer and think that that’s okay. Because there is a responsibility that comes not only with being a WWE superstar, with being a champion, this is about pro wrestling versus cinema.”
Punk also compared Roman to other top stars who stay active despite outside responsibilities.
“I don’t wanna say anything nice, or good, or positive about Seth Rollins, but Seth seems to balance things perfectly fine. My good friend Cody Rhodes seems to balance everything super fine. Why can’t Roman? He’s a part-timer who wants to come in here and act like he calls the shots. And I’m the old school pro wrestler who will not let him.”
Punk clearly sees this rivalry as more than just a WrestleMania match. To him, it’s about proving that showing up consistently still matters in WWE.
With WrestleMania 42 closing in, Punk is making it clear he sees himself as the one carrying the responsibility of leadership — and he doesn’t believe Roman has done the same.
Do you think Roman Reigns being part-time helps keep him special, or does it hurt his credibility? Let us know what you think.