Bully Ray Critiques CM Punk's Confrontation with The Usos on WWE Raw

WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray breaks down the promo segment, highlighting one issue with Punk's approach.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Following a heated exchange between CM Punk and Roman Reigns last week on WWE Raw, Punk confronted Jimmy and Jey Uso in the closing segment of this week's show. The confrontation turned physical, with The Usos eventually forcing Punk to the mat. WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray analyzed the promo segment, praising it overall but noting one issue he had with Punk's placement and approach during the interaction.

Why it matters

The ongoing tensions between Punk, Reigns, and The Anoaʻi family are building towards their highly anticipated WrestleMania 42 match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Bully Ray's critique provides insight into how veteran wrestlers analyze and react to these types of high-stakes confrontations.

The details

Bully Ray felt Punk should have taken a physical step back or attempted to verbally defuse the tensions with The Usos, rather than standing so close to them. Punk made comments about The Usos' late uncle Sika, which angered them, but Punk did not show any fear in the confrontation, acting as if he was the bigger star who The Usos would not dare touch. The Usos eventually did strike back, with Jey shoving Punk and Jimmy landing a right hand that sent Punk to the mat.

  • On March 6, 2026, CM Punk confronted The Usos on WWE Raw.
  • At WrestleMania 42 on April 12, 2026, Punk will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns.

The players

CM Punk

A former WWE Champion who is currently the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and is set to defend his title against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42.

Jimmy and Jey Uso

Cousins who are part of the Anoaʻi wrestling family and currently perform as a tag team known as The Usos in WWE.

Bully Ray

A WWE Hall of Famer and veteran wrestler who provided analysis of the promo segment involving CM Punk and The Usos on his radio show "Busted Open Radio".

Roman Reigns

The current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion who has a history with CM Punk and will face him at WrestleMania 42 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

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What they’re saying

“If you're going to be condescending and rude, be far enough away. The minute he said, 'Your brother came in a little bit hot,' I would have turned around and said, 'Choose your words very carefully from here, because you verbally buried my uncle in front of my cousin last week, and now you're going to start off by talking s*** about my brother? Be very careful what you say, because the next thing you say could be the last thing you say.'”

— Bully Ray, WWE Hall of Famer (Busted Open Radio)

“As much as I loved everything, there was no fear in Punk. It was as if [the dynamic was] we're friends, I'm a bigger star than you guys, you would never dare touch me.”

— Bully Ray, WWE Hall of Famer (Busted Open Radio)

What’s next

At WrestleMania 42 on April 12, 2026, CM Punk will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns.

The takeaway

Bully Ray's critique highlights the importance of understanding the emotional dynamics and family history between wrestlers, as well as the need to properly convey a sense of risk and jeopardy in high-stakes confrontations. Punk's approach, while effective in building tension, may have been improved by a more cautious and deferential tone towards The Usos given their personal history.