In a deeply emotional segment of his interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Paul Heyman shared the powerful words he spoke to CM Punk in the moments before their entrance for the main event of WrestleMania 41. Heyman, who accompanied Punk to the ring, revealed a private, heartfelt conversation between two men with a long and complex history.
A Moment of Validation
Heyman described the scene in the Gorilla position as Punk was about to make his entrance for his first-ever WrestleMania main event, a lifelong dream for the performer. He revealed what he told his friend in that high-pressure moment. “I told him, I said, ‘You made it, and you did it on your own terms. And there’s no charity here. And this is not a political move. It’s not a gift… You’re in the main event of WrestleMania, because you earned the right and the privilege to be in the main event of WrestleMania, and you made this happen… Enjoy it. Enjoy it, for everything that it is, because you made it,’” Heyman recounted.
“I’m So Proud of You”
The conversation continued with Heyman expressing his personal pride in Punk’s journey, which saw him leave WWE for nearly a decade before making a triumphant return. “And I told him, ‘I’m so proud of you, and I’m so happy for you. And here’s the best part, we get to walk out there together. We get to do this together… and thank you for letting me be a part of it,’” he continued.
Heyman concluded his message to Punk with an old-school wrestling phrase that signifies the ultimate respect for a performer’s drawing power. “And then I hit him with the phrase that is so long gone in our industry and shouldn’t be: ‘thank you for the house,’” he said.
The Original WrestleMania Plans
Heyman also revealed that the Triple Threat main event between Punk, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins was not the original plan for the show. “The original idea for this year’s Mania was Roman Reigns versus Seth Rollins, Gunther versus CM Punk. That was the original idea for this year’s mania,” he stated. He also confirmed that “Cody Cena was always the path” for the other night’s main event.
The Evolution of the Main Event
The plan shifted, Heyman explained, after Survivor Series, when he returned alongside CM Punk to confront The Bloodline. “The dynamic between Roman and Punk was so fascinating to watch that at some point we said, ‘Ooh, is it Roman versus Punk?’” he recalled. “And then at some point we realized it’s so much more intriguing as a Triple Threat.” This change also allowed WWE to elevate Jey Uso by having him win the Royal Rumble and challenge Gunther in the other main event.
Praise for All Three Main Eventers
While he only shared his pre-match moment with Punk, Heyman was effusive in his praise for all three men in the match. He called Seth Rollins’s microphone performances leading up to the event “the most brilliant… of his entire career.” He also praised Roman Reigns for his portrayal of “The Tribal Chief in his first WrestleMania walking out to the ring in half a decade without the title around his waist.” Heyman concluded, “All three of them deserve to hear ‘thank you for the house.’ Only one got to hear it, though, Punk, because I was with him.”
The full interview can be heard on The Ariel Helwani Show. Click below to watch it in it’s entirety.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Ariel Helwani Show with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
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