The “Road to WrestleMania” has taken an international detour. On the latest episode of “WWE Raw,” World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk officially accepted a title defense against Finn Balor, scheduled to take place during next week’s broadcast from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Punk opened the segment by addressing his status as champion, declaring his intention to hold the gold indefinitely. Citing the unpredictability of the season, and referencing Cody Rhodes as an example of how plans can shift.
Punk asserted that the path to WrestleMania goes through him. Following his successful defense against Bron Breakker on the Netflix premiere, Punk stated he is ready to move forward as a fighting champion at upcoming events such as the “Royal Rumble” or “Elimination Chamber.”
However, Finn Balor interrupted the address. He made it clear he had no intention of waiting for a Premium Live Event to get his shot.
He noted that Punk had previously listed him as a desired opponent. Balor stated he was there to accept the open invitation.
The champion responded with a stinging critique of Balor’s recent two-month absence. Punk accused the Judgment Day member of being occupied with distractions rather than competition.
He specifically cited “playing video games,” dealing with internal faction drama, and “shining Liv Morgan’s boots.” Punk also questioned if a match against Balor would be a fair one-on-one contest or if he would have to fend off the entire Judgment Day stable.
Despite the verbal jabs, Punk offered to fight immediately. Balor declined, instead proposing a match for next week in Belfast. Balor cited “home field advantage”—comparing it to Punk’s advantage in Chicago—and billed the contest as “Punk vs. The Prince,” promising a new Irish World Champion.
Punk accepted the challenge, apologizing to the fans in attendance for not competing that evening, but promising to apologize to the live crowd in Belfast next week after he hits Balor with the GTS.