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Roman Reigns Beats CM Punk to Win Title in WrestleMania 42 Instant Classic

Roman Reigns is back at the head of WWE's table.

In a brilliant main event-one that will go down as an all-time classic-Reigns defeated CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship. The match marked Reigns' 11th WrestleMania main event and his first reign with this title, having previously held the WWE and Universal Championships.

From the entrances-which featured tributes to members of the Anoa'i family from Reigns and deceased WWE production members from Punk-to a closing stretch that delivered everything expected of a WrestleMania main event, the bout capped off an overall strong WrestleMania weekend.

 Roman Reigns and CM Punk face off during their match at WWE WrestleMania 42. Getty Images
Roman Reigns and CM Punk face off during their match at WWE WrestleMania 42. Getty Images Getty Images

Now that Reigns is back on top, the questions turn to where he goes next-and how often fans will see The Tribal Chief moving forward.

Here are the full WrestleMania 42 Sunday results.

WWE WrestleMania 42 Sunday Results

Oba Femi def. Brock Lesnar (A)

Penta def. Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Rusev, and Je'Von Evans (Six-Man Ladder Match) to retain the Intercontinental Championship (B)

Trick Williams def. Sami Zayn to win the United States Championship (B+)

"The Demon" Finn Balor def. Dominik Mysterio (Street Fight) (B-)

Rhea Ripley def. Jade Cargill to win the WWE Women's Championship (A-)

Roman Reigns def. CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship (A+)

Overall Show Grade: A

Match of the Night: Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk

What Else Happened at WrestleMania?

Danhausen appears during in-ring segment with John Cena at WrestleMania 42.Getty Images
Danhausen appears during in-ring segment with John Cena at WrestleMania 42.Getty Images Getty Images

WrestleMania Sunday also featured a comedic in-ring segment with John Cena, The Miz, Kit Wilson, and Danhausen. The segment ended with a missed lighting cue that Cena laughed off, as Danhausen was seen running under the ring to "escape" after delivering his signature "You Can't See Me."

Did Brock Lesnar Retire?

Yes - Brock Lesnar, one of WWE's most dominant combat sports athletes, retired from in-ring competition after losing to Oba Femi in the opening match of WrestleMania Sunday. We paid tribute to his legendary career in a separate piece earlier this evening.

What's Next for WWE?

WWE has no offseason, and the action continues Monday night with the Raw After WrestleMania-a historically significant episode that often features surprises, debuts, and a reset of the company's storytelling direction.

Athlon Sports will have full coverage of WWE Monday Night Raw tomorrow.

Copyright 2026 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 6:54 PM.

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