One of the standout moments at Wrestlemania 41 in Las Vegas took place during the Saturday night main event when longtime pro wrestling manager and creative Paul Heyman turned on his clients and real-life friends, Roman Reigns and CM Punk, to orchestrate a surprising victory for Seth Rollins. Heyman elaborated on his abrupt betrayal during Monday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, stating that he was fed up with Reigns “using” him and Punk’s relentless off-screen antics.
However, the tension escalated when Heyman referenced a current news item at ESPN, further criticizing Punk by claiming that the wrestler was tarnishing his reputation as much as Shannon Sharpe was harming ESPN’s image. “Roman Reigns uses everyone in his sight, squeezes the juice out of the fruit until it’s not useful anymore, and then discards them, like he did to me,” he said. “CM Punk does as much good to my reputation as Shannon Sharpe does to ESPN’s.”
Every ESPN executive just had a heart attack. pic.twitter.com/WSrybUEhRO
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) April 21, 2025
While some in the audience might not have fully grasped the implications of Heyman’s jab, considering recent sexual assault allegations against Sharpe that emerged earlier that day, the crowd in Las Vegas responded with boos. Following a significant WrestleMania 41, Heyman didn’t back down, retorting to the crowd, “Don’t ‘ooooh’ me, I’m not the one getting sued.” This reaction underscored the evolving relationship between ESPN and WWE since the UFC merger, enhancing the stakes involved.
Although it may be part of the performance, when someone like Heyman has an angle to pursue, it’s clear that ESPN’s internal politics are irrelevant. Instead of keeping the lawsuit under wraps as Disney’s corporate policies might suggest, Heyman brought this matter to center stage—live on-air.
