section_path: Production/Storylines/Main event matches
section_name: Main event matches
paragraph_text: Main event matches
  
  At Money in the Bank in 2024, John Cena revealed that he would retire from professional wrestling at the end of 2025, and also announced that he would compete at WrestleMania 41. After losing the men's Royal Rumble match at the eponymous event in February, Cena entered himself into the men's Elimination Chamber match for one last chance to challenge for a world championship at WrestleMania 41, citing that main-eventing his last WrestleMania and becoming a record 17-time WWE world champion would be "best for business". Also around this time, TKO board member Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tried to bribe SmackDown's Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes to be his corporate champion, claiming that they had become friends following their clash at the prior year's WrestleMania XL and that he could elevate Rhodes's career. At Elimination Chamber: Toronto, Cena won the eponymous match, earning a title match against Rhodes at WrestleMania. Following the match, Rhodes appeared to congratulate Cena followed by The Rock to get Rhodes's answer to his offer. Rhodes declined and Cena embraced Rhodes; however, Cena then viciously attacked Rhodes, siding with Rock, turning heel for the first time since 2003. In the weeks following, Cena berated the audience, claiming they had mistreated him for the last 20+ years, and that he turned on Rhodes because he was disgusted by him. Rhodes chastised Cena and told him he wanted to face the real Cena at WrestleMania 41, not this "whiny" version. Cena also claimed that after he won the title, he would take it with him when he retired. It was later confirmed that the match would be the main event on Night 2.
  
  Upon CM Punk's return to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames in November 2023, he immediately became a target of Seth Rollins. Unable to compete for several months after tearing his triceps at the 2024 Royal Rumble, Punk returned from injury and had various encounters with Rollins, further enraging him. In November, Punk joined Roman Reigns 's team as its fifth member at that year's Survivor Series: WarGames in the WarGames match on behalf of his former manager and Reigns's special counsel, Paul Heyman, with Heyman owing Punk a favor for agreeing to the match, which they won. Punk became the target of Rollins once again due to Rollins's hatred of both Reigns and Punk. This culminated in a match on Raw ' s Netflix premiere, in which Punk defeated Rollins. At the 2025 Royal Rumble, Punk eliminated both Reigns and Rollins before his own elimination. The three brawled at ringside where Rollins performed a two-footed stomp on Reigns, ruling him unable to compete for the next few weeks. Punk also eliminated Rollins from the men's Elimination Chamber match. Following his elimination, Rollins subsequently performed a Stomp on Punk, costing him the match. On the following episode of Raw, Punk spoke about his failure to compete in a WrestleMania main event before brawling with Rollins. They then faced each other the following week in a Steel Cage match, which Rollins won after a returning Reigns pulled him out of the cage to attack him as revenge from the Royal Rumble. Then, enraged by Heyman tending to Punk in the ring, Reigns also attacked Punk. After a brawl between the three men on the March 21 episode of SmackDown, a triple threat match was scheduled for WrestleMania 41. During the contract signing the following week, Heyman announced that the match would main event WrestleMania. While grateful for finally competing in the main event of a WrestleMania, Punk stated that it was not the favor he was owed from Heyman. On the April 4 episode of SmackDown, Punk revealed his favor which was that Heyman would be in his corner at WrestleMania, much to Reigns's dismay. On the subsequent episode of Raw on April 7, Rollins confronted and later assaulted Heyman; this brought out Punk and ignited a brawl between Rollins and Punk, where Rollins got the upper hand. Whilst Heyman was tending to Punk, Rollins teased a Stomp on Heyman but stopped mid-way, stating that Heyman now owed him a favor. It was later confirmed that the match would be the main event on Night 1.
  
  At Money in the Bank in 2024, John Cena revealed that he would retire from professional wrestling at the end of 2025, and also announced that he would compete at WrestleMania 41. After losing the men's Royal Rumble match at the eponymous event in February, Cena entered himself into the men's Elimination Chamber match for one last chance to challenge for a world championship at WrestleMania 41, citing that main-eventing his last WrestleMania and becoming a record 17-time WWE world champion would be "best for business". Also around this time, TKO board member Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tried to bribe SmackDown's Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes to be his corporate champion, claiming that they had become friends following their clash at the prior year's WrestleMania XL and that he could elevate Rhodes's career. At Elimination Chamber: Toronto, Cena won the eponymous match, earning a title match against Rhodes at WrestleMania. Following the match, Rhodes appeared to congratulate Cena followed by The Rock to get Rhodes's answer to his offer. Rhodes declined and Cena embraced Rhodes; however, Cena then viciously attacked Rhodes, siding with Rock, turning heel for the first time since 2003. In the weeks following, Cena berated the audience, claiming they had mistreated him for the last 20+ years, and that he turned on Rhodes because he was disgusted by him. Rhodes chastised Cena and told him he wanted to face the real Cena at WrestleMania 41, not this "whiny" version. Cena also claimed that after he won the title, he would take it with him when he retired. It was later confirmed that the match would be the main event on Night 2.
  
  Upon CM Punk's return to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames in November 2023, he immediately became a target of Seth Rollins. Unable to compete for several months after tearing his triceps at the 2024 Royal Rumble, Punk returned from injury and had various encounters with Rollins, further enraging him. In November, Punk joined Roman Reigns 's team as its fifth member at that year's Survivor Series: WarGames in the WarGames match on behalf of his former manager and Reigns's special counsel, Paul Heyman, with Heyman owing Punk a favor for agreeing to the match, which they won. Punk became the target of Rollins once again due to Rollins's hatred of both Reigns and Punk. This culminated in a match on Raw ' s Netflix premiere, in which Punk defeated Rollins. At the 2025 Royal Rumble, Punk eliminated both Reigns and Rollins before his own elimination. The three brawled at ringside where Rollins performed a two-footed stomp on Reigns, ruling him unable to compete for the next few weeks. Punk also eliminated Rollins from the men's Elimination Chamber match. Following his elimination, Rollins subsequently performed a Stomp on Punk, costing him the match. On the following episode of Raw, Punk spoke about his failure to compete in a WrestleMania main event before brawling with Rollins. They then faced each other the following week in a Steel Cage match, which Rollins won after a returning Reigns pulled him out of the cage to attack him as revenge from the Royal Rumble. Then, enraged by Heyman tending to Punk in the ring, Reigns also attacked Punk. After a brawl between the three men on the March 21 episode of SmackDown, a triple threat match was scheduled for WrestleMania 41. During the contract signing the following week, Heyman announced that the match would main event WrestleMania. While grateful for finally competing in the main event of a WrestleMania, Punk stated that it was not the favor he was owed from Heyman. On the April 4 episode of SmackDown, Punk revealed his favor which was that Heyman would be in his corner at WrestleMania, much to Reigns's dismay. On the subsequent episode of Raw on April 7, Rollins confronted and later assaulted Heyman; this brought out Punk and ignited a brawl between Rollins and Punk, where Rollins got the upper hand. Whilst Heyman was tending to Punk, Rollins teased a Stomp on Heyman but stopped mid-way, stating that Heyman now owed him a favor. It was later confirmed that the match would be the main event on Night 1.