7 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE Raw (2 March - Results & Review)

1. Roman. Punk. Two Mics.

A WrestleMania main event between an aging superstar and a part-timer who shows up about a half-dozen times a year sounds like something out of the curdled brain of Vince McMahon, but what we’re getting from CM Punk and Roman Reigns seems to be the best version possible of that matchup.

The Tribal Chief returned to Raw Monday night to begin the build to WrestleMania 42, having his second in-ring face-to-face with Punk. The World Heavyweight Champion wasted little time in taking shots at Reigns, who fired back at “Phil.”

Punk said he had seven weeks to carry Roman’s bullsh** to WrestleMania and pointed out their history in Indianapolis (where The Shield debuted). He said he made Roman emotional and was in his empty head. Reigns said that if Punk didn’t have that title, he wouldn’t even be on his radar. Roman said “we” only brought Punk back to entertain 30-to-40-year-old virgins living in their parents’ home and draw a house in Chicago.

On and on it went, with the two men trading barbs. Punk is the backup plan as champ. Roman is all alone, and he fails when he’s alone.

Then Punk dropped the pipebomb, saying he was “going to bury you next to your father.” Next up, Roman will probably reference Punk’s late dog Larry.

Normally, you’d look at a calendar and say that it’s too early for them to start throwing verbal haymakers like this, but you’ve just got a feeling that they’ve measured this out and are going to escalate this feud to the point where it’s just molten by the time 'Mania 42 rolls around.

2-for-2 with Roman and Punk confrontations. Keep ‘em coming!