WrestleMania 42: Reigns and Ripley win titles, Lesnar retires

WWE wrestler Roman Reigns enters the Stadium ahead of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against CM Punk during WrestleMania 42 on Sunday April 19, 2026 at Allegiant Stadium. LAS VEGAS -- It would have been hard to imagine a WWE Universe without Roman Reigns. Fortunately for The Tribal Chief and his legions of adoring fans, he lived to see another day in the industry by defeating CM Punk in an instant classic main event at WrestleMania 42.

Reigns secured the win after a 23-minute long battle in which he himself was nearly finished several times, landing his signature spear on a bloodied and battered Punk to regain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and more importantly salvage his career. Every so often, there are moments in time in sports and entertainment where you just know you’re watching something that you’ll remember for life. WrestleMania has had a handful of those moments over the years, and Sunday’s bout between Reigns and Punk stands among some of the greatest.

Even in defeat, Punk exhibited the exact kind of effort and put on the exact kind of performance that made him one of the most captivating wrestlers in history to begin with. And what can you say about Reigns? Year after year, time and time again, he proves he’s not just the biggest star in the modern WWE but is among the pantheon of the greatest wrestling stars in history.

For all the criticism his lengthy reigns received over the years, it’s been almost a guarantee throughout the last half-decade plus that he would register a classic on the biggest stage. With a worker as notorious as Punk on the other side, it was all but a guarantee that Sunday’s match would live up to the billing. And boy, did it ever.