Plans for the closing segment of Monday Night Raw featuring Roman Reigns and CM Punk reportedly changed before the show went live, altering the direction of one of the night’s biggest moments.

BodySlam reports the segment wrapped up the 3:16 Day edition of Raw from San Antonio, Texas, with Reigns making his return after several weeks away. He stepped into the ongoing war of words involving CM Punk and his cousins, Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. What followed was a tense confrontation that quickly escalated, ending with Punk dropping Reigns after being called “old,” delivering a strong statement ahead of their World Heavyweight Championship clash at WrestleMania 42.

However, that version of events was not said to be the original plan. A different creative direction had reportedly been discussed earlier in the day, which would have taken the rivalry into even more personal territory. The initial idea involved Reigns firing back at Punk’s remarks about his father with a darker, more pointed response tied to “Larry,” a reference that would have intensified the emotional stakes between the two.

It remains unclear when the decision was made to pivot away from that concept or why WWE ultimately opted for the version that aired. Given how personal the feud has already become, particularly with Punk’s earlier comments about Reigns’ family, the scrapped idea could have pushed things to another level entirely.

Elsewhere on the show, Brock Lesnar made a major return but was quickly confronted and taken down by his WrestleMania opponent Oba Femi in a standout moment. The episode also saw AJ Lee successfully defend the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Bayley, while Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer faced Raquel Rodriguez in non-title action.

WrestleMania 42 is set to take place across April 18 and 19 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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