CM Punk is scheduled to face “Original Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns at this year’s WrestleMania after Reigns chose him as his challenger following his Royal Rumble victory. However, with Elimination Chamber set to take place soon in Chicago—Punk’s hometown—a new report suggests there are talks about Punk potentially going up against a different opponent for the World Heavyweight Championship at that event.
WrestleVotes Radio, speaking on Fightful Select, revealed that one proposed matchup is Punk defending the title against Finn Balor, despite Balor’s recent unsuccessful attempt to capture the championship. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp further explained that Punk’s involvement at Elimination Chamber was always planned due to the event’s location, and that Punk may be interested in a title rematch on familiar ground, especially since their previous bout occurred in Balor’s home country of Ireland.
This storyline build-up was hinted at on WWE Raw before the Royal Rumble even took place. While Balor initially showed respect to Punk backstage on the January 26 episode of Raw, he later interfered in Punk’s main event world title match against AJ Styles, spoiling what many expected to be their final encounter—particularly now that Styles is reportedly retired after losing the Royal Rumble to Gunther. Then, during the February 2 Raw, Punk confronted Balor in the ring but soon shifted his focus to a surprised Roman Reigns standing right beside him.
Fan Take: This development fuels excitement by adding unpredictability to Elimination Chamber, especially with Punk possibly defending his title in front of his hometown crowd. For WWE fans, this hints at fresh rivalries and high-stakes drama that could reshape the landscape leading into WrestleMania, elevating the sport’s storytelling and in-ring action.
