WWE Raw is on the road to WrestleMania 41, where Cody Rhodes will defend his WWE Title against Elimination Chamber Winner John Cena, Tiffany Stratton will defend her WWE Title against Royal Rumble Winner Charlotte Flair, Gunther will defend his World Title against Jey Uso, and Iyo Sky will defend her World Title against Elimination Chamber Winner Bianca Belair.
In other news regarding WWE Raw, Seth Rollins defeated CM Punk inside a Steel Cage on Raw after Roman Reigns rag-dolled Rollins through the steel cage door, helping Rollins win the match. Reigns then proceeded to spear and curb stomp Rollins outside the ring and spear Punk inside the ring right in front of his Wiseman, Paul Heyman. There have been so many speculations about a Punk-Roman-Rollins triple threat match at WrestleMania, and this angle solidified that this is the direction WWE is going in what could be one of the deepest WrestleMania storylines in recent memory.
Roman Reigns had good reason to attack both men that night. Reigns never forgave Rollins for betraying the Shield years ago. CM Punk took Heyman, away from him upon his return to the WWE and even eliminated him in the Rumble, stopping Reigns from winning back the WWE Title from Cody Rhodes. It must also grind Reigns's gears to know that Heyman, owes a favor to CM Punk after helping their OG Bloodline Survivor Series Team in November. There is so much beef, heat, and story amongst these three, but WWE can add even more layers to this story.
The issues between Seth Rollins and CM Punk go back more than a decade
In June 2014, Seth Rollins betrayed the Shield by slamming a steel chair in the back of Roman Reigns and double-crossing Dean Ambrose (known as Jon Moxley in AEW). Many fans wondered why Rollins would sell out to the Authority and destroy a group of which he was the architect. In general, architects design buildings and structures, focusing on aesthetics, functionality, and safety, However, architects are not the ones who bring those designs to life. That's what carpenters do, as they utilize their knowledge and experiences with their materials and techniques.
Rollins did not destroy what he created because he was not the mastermind behind The Shield. According to multiple reports as well as the storytelling on-screen, the mastermind behind the Shield was CM Punk, so Rollins actually destroyed what Punk created. While Rollins was the architect, CM Punk was the carpenter who brought the idea of The Shield to life after reportedly discussing with management that he wanted guys like Rollins and Ambrose in a group of vigilantes and mercenaries under his wing while he was WWE Champ for 434 days as a way to elevate the roster and elicit buzz.
In June 2014, CM Punk was fired by the WWE on his wedding day. After departing the company in January of that year, that was the month he was officially gone from the WWE and that was also the month that his creation was officially destroyed. The timing of these two events could merely be coincidental, but anyone would be remiss to not read between the lines and visualize the implications of those two events happening so close to each other in this timeline. Rollins did see Punk as his mentor and he did say that he felt betrayed when Punk walked out on the WWE in 2014.
So, the best way for Rollins to throw a shot back at Punk was to destroy The Shield. Rollins wanted to destroy what Punk created, and Roman & Dean were merely a byproduct of his objectives. Rollins did not want to see any remnants of Punk left in the WWE after Punk left them high and dry. That betrayal was merely a way to spite Punk, and Reigns may have thought that The Shield betrayal was all about him and the broken friendship between him and Rollins. However, this posed conspiracy theory paints a bigger picture that can be revealed on the road to Mania to juice up this triple threat story.
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