A shocking betrayal from Paul Heyman reshaped the main event of WrestleMania 41’s opening night, as the longtime manager turned on both of his associates during the triple threat match. The unexpected development led to Seth Rollins emerging victorious over Roman Reigns and CM Punk in one of the most dramatic finishes in recent WWE history.
The match reached its climax when Heyman handed a steel chair to CM Punk, seemingly to help his longtime ally. Instead, Heyman delivered a low blow to Punk, immediately shifting his attention to Roman Reigns. After passing the chair to Reigns, Heyman again stunned the crowd by attacking Reigns with another low blow. Heyman completed his night of treachery by providing Rollins with the chair, which Rollins used to strike Reigns across the back before executing his finishing move for the win.
This contest stemmed from tensions dating back to the Royal Rumble, with decade-long animosity between the competitors. Rollins had previously expressed resentment toward Punk for his WWE departure and criticisms of the company, while also carrying lingering issues with Reigns from their Shield days.
The match itself featured several high-impact moments, including Reigns powerbombing both opponents through the announce tables at ringside. Punk had specifically requested Heyman’s presence at ringside as a condition for his participation, a demand that ultimately factored into the match’s shocking conclusion.
Rollins’ chair attack on Reigns mirrored his original betrayal of The Shield years earlier, bringing their long-running storyline full circle as Heyman aligned himself with a new client.
