Published: Mar 17, 2026 by Liam | Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026 by Liam
Liam has been reporting & analyzing wrestling news for over eight years, and is currently the Managing Editor at WrestleTalk.com. Immersed in wrestling for 18 years, he has over 11,000 published articles in addition to leading and overseeing WrestleTalk.com's coverage.
WWE/AEW
An AEW star got a mention during the CM Punk and Roman Reigns closing segment of tonight’s March 16 edition of WWE Raw.
During the segment, Punk pointed out that Reigns keeps referring to Punk by his government name, Phil.
Punk then mentioned he doesn’t even know what Reigns’ government name is other than the shortened version of it being Joe – and he doesn’t want to call him Joe because of a real Samoan Joe that he has some love for.
He said:
“You keep calling me my government name like it’s supposed to be an insult. My friends and family call me Phil.
“I’d call you Joe but that’d be insulting a REAL Samoan that I respect…”
If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.
That was a reference to AEW star and former WWE star Samoa Joe.
Samoa Joe’s History With CM Punk & Roman Reigns
Both Punk and Reigns have history with Joe, with Punk’s dating all the way back to 2003, but most recently in 2023 when they had some of CM Punk’s last AEW matches including his final one in the opener at All In London 2023 straight after the infamous Punk and Jack Perry backstage incident.
Reigns, meanwhile, faced Joe numerous times from 2017 to 2020 including a feud over the Intercontinental Championship when Reigns was champion, and both being part of the Universal Championship match at WWE SummerSlam 2017 along with Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman.
How WWE Raw Went Off The Air
The end of the CM Punk and Roman Reigns confrontation saw Punk get physical and strike Reigns, with Reigns essentially baiting Punk in by saying:
“That title on your waist, it’s an embarrassment, you’re a tryhard making us all look terrible because at the end of the day… you’re old!”
If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.
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