Roman Reigns Teases Retirement Ahead of WrestleMania 42

Roman Reigns will be in his 11th WrestleMania main event this Sunday when he faces CM Punk in the final match of the weekend at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

He’s held the world title for a modern record 1,316-day reign, which ended at the 40th WrestleMania in Philadelphia against Cody Rhodes.

Reigns has been the face of the company for over a decade, and through the good and bad times, he’s accomplished it all.

In recent years, the “Tribal Chief” has gone from a weekly staple of WWE‘s weekly television to being a special attraction, often showing up for a few weeks at a time before a big event, wrestling a match on a Premium Live Event, and then taking time off before his next match needs to be built.

And with his future in Hollywood beginning to pick up, as he’s filmed multiple movie roles over the past few years, with “Street Fighter” alongside Cody Rhodes set to release this summer, there are questions about his future.

Will he follow in the footsteps of his cousin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and the recently retired John Cena, focusing on film and television?

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In a recent promo leading into his world heavyweight title match with CM Punk, Reigns might be opening the door for a longer sabbatical away from pro wrestling or an outright retirement.

"If I lose to CM Punk, I don't belong in the WWE anymore,” Reigns said in a sitdown interview before his bout with CM Punk. “I think if I were to lose on Sunday, I'd say my work is done."

Although some fans believe this is doing the opposite, almost guaranteeing Reigns will win the world title on Sunday, it has the wrestling internet community buzzing before WrestleMania 42.

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 9:54 PM.