CM Punk Reveals Surprising Dream Opponent From WWE Women's Division

The former champion has his sights set on a match with a top female star.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 1:19am

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A fragmented, geometric painting in bold colors depicting the action and movement of a wrestling match, with the figures of CM Punk and Bayley emerging from the abstract shapes and planes.A cubist interpretation of a dream match-up between CM Punk and Bayley, two of WWE's top stars, captures the raw energy and intensity of their hypothetical clash.Chicago Today

In an interview ahead of WrestleMania 42, CM Punk shared his dream opponent in WWE would be Bayley from the women's division, rather than a male superstar like Cody Rhodes or The Rock. Punk is set to challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the big event this weekend.

Why it matters

Punk's choice of Bayley as his dream match-up is unexpected, as most wrestlers tend to call out top male stars as their ideal opponents. This suggests Punk sees the women's division as equally compelling and may want to help elevate a top female talent like Bayley on the biggest stage.

The details

Punk revealed his surprising dream opponent during an interview with the 'All The Smoke' podcast. He said he would most want to wrestle Bayley, one of the top stars in the WWE women's division, rather than male superstars like Cody Rhodes or The Rock. At WrestleMania 42, Punk will challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, while Bayley is set to team with Lyra Valkyria in a fatal four-way match for the WWE Women's Tag Team titles.

  • CM Punk will challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42 on April 18-19, 2026.
  • Bayley will team with Lyra Valkyria in a fatal four-way match for the WWE Women's Tag Team titles at WrestleMania 42.

The players

CM Punk

A former WWE champion who is challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42.

Bayley

A top star in the WWE women's division who CM Punk named as his dream opponent, rather than a male superstar.

Roman Reigns

The current WWE World Heavyweight Champion who will defend his title against CM Punk at WrestleMania 42.

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What they’re saying

“Punk's number one dream match in WWE is in the women's division and her name is Bayley.”

— Zack Heydorn, Author

What’s next

CM Punk and Roman Reigns will battle for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 42 on April 18-19, 2026. Bayley will also be in action at the event, teaming with Lyra Valkyria in a fatal four-way match for the WWE Women's Tag Team titles.

The takeaway

CM Punk's surprising choice of Bayley as his dream opponent in WWE suggests he sees the women's division as equally compelling as the men's, and may want to help elevate a top female talent like Bayley on the biggest stage at WrestleMania.