Report: Original WWE Plans Called For Roman Reigns To Mention Larry During Raw Promo With CM Punk

The latest promo battle between CM Punk and Roman Reigns on the March 16 edition of Monday Night Raw ended with the World Heavyweight Champion attacking Reigns after Roman called the Second City Saviour old, but that wasn't the original plan.

Monday's Raw was Roman Reigns' first WWE appearance since the March 2 episode from WWE's red brand, when CM Punk ended their promo exchange by saying: "You went from getting beat at WrestleMania. Now I'm gonna bury you. And then you won't be all alone anymore, because I'm gonna bury you next to your father."

With such a loaded end to the promo, WWE's original plans, according to BodySlam, called for Roman Reigns to respond to CM Punk's with a darker response about Punk's beloved dog, Larry, who passed away in December 2025. Why exactly WWE decided to scrap the plans for Larry to be used to get a reaction out of CM Punk in the promo is unknown.

CM Punk and AJ Lee rescued Larry from PAWS Chicago, a shelter in the Second City, in February 2015. He became a regular fixture at events with Punk, including backstage at WWE shows. Following Larry's passing, Punk helped raise $51,000 for PAWS in Larry's honour.

Roman Reigns' father, Sika of the Wild Samoans, passed away in June 2024 at 79 years old.

CM Punk will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns in the main event of WWE WrestleMania 42 night two on Sunday, April 19. The show, for the second year in a row, will be held at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium.