During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns commented on CM Punk’s previous comments about part-timers returning and getting main event slots, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On past criticism by Punk and others about part-timers getting main event PPV slots: “I can see it from both perspectives. But I think you said it before, that ‘high tide raises all the boats’ and everybody benefits. So I do think there’s that strange threshold, but I think those statements are coming from bitter people who possibly thought they were better than they really were. When it comes down to it, CM Punk was not as good or as over as a John Cena, wasn’t as good or as over or moved the needle like The Rock. It just was what it was.”
On seeing it from the perspective of a full-timer: “From a full-time performer, I understand the frustration and wanting more, but like I said before, you gotta take it. I’m a full-time performer but I’ve done everything that needs to be done to stay in this position, to be in this position, to continue to make the opportunity for myself to be in a main event at SummerSlam against a John Cena. If anybody ever comes along to try to push me out of that scenario, I’m going to fight like hell to keep the ground that I’ve made. It’s just one of those debatable … we can go back and forth, and we can change our perspective. If you’re one of those types of people who can see it in a different set of eyes, but I really think if more eye-balls are being brought to our product, and of course it depends on who it is.
“But a guy like a John Cena, who is starring in multiple movies this summer, and when it comes down to it, earns the right, and he’s at that portion of his career where if he is a part-time performer, I’m not going to complain. I’m just going to capitalize on him being here, and everything that he brings with that, and that’s my goal, that’s the whole gimmick to me, is this is John Cena… why wouldn’t I want to be in the ring, why wouldn’t I want him to come at me? You know what I mean? This is the biggest movie star of the summer right now, why would I… and he came to me, he came to The Head of The Table, he came to Roman Reigns. He wanted to be in the ring with me, and I’m not going to complain about that. “But I think other people who think they should have more or be more, and aren’t willing to actually do it, they’re going to have a different explanation than what I just did.”
"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 👀 pic.twitter.com/0JK37sjkTi
— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) August 19, 2021
