WWE News & Rumor Roundup: Huge allegation against top name, AEW connection to new merch, Veteran on Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins (December 26, 2021)

#4. Roman Reigns' new WWE merchandise is a dig at AEW star CM Punk

Roman Reigns' 'needle mover' t-shirt has created a lot of buzz among WWE and AEW fans lately. The term itself has often been thrown around in pro wrestling discussions over the last few months, as it equates to any star's impact on the business in terms of numbers.

Reigns previously stated in an interview that CM Punk never moved the needle to the significant extent that megastars like John Cena and The Rock did.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently noted that The Tribal Chief's new merch is a reference to his 'needle mover' comments about the top AEW star:

"The line actually comes from the interview where Reigns claimed C.M. Punk wasn’t a needle mover. Obviously, at least short-term, Punk was. Long-term is more of a question but nobody moved numbers more short-term this year than Punk. But his context was that in WWE, Punk didn’t move the needle like Cena or The Rock, and that is true."

While there are many factors to consider regarding Reigns and Punk's overall impact on the business, both stars have certainly had several newsworthy moments in WWE and AEW, respectively, this year.