WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk has addressed his own upcoming retirement after one of his greatest rivals, John Cena, brought his career to an end.
Cena lost to Gunther via submission at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C. on December 13, bringing his time in the ring to a close. Even though it is tradition for the retiring star to lose their final match, many in the Capital One Arena were unhappy with the decision, heavily booing the result and Triple H when all was said and done.
Following the match, World Heavyweight Champion Punk and Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes each shared a moment with Cena, handing the 17-time champion their titles as a show of respect.
Ahead of Cena’s last match, AJ Styles has gone on record to say that he will retire in 2026, and Cena mentioned in an interview with Chris Van Vliet that Brock Lesnar could be competing one last time at SummerSlam 2026.
With many legends set to retire soon, fans have also noted that Punk, 47, is also contemplating winding down the comeback that first began back in 2021. However, according to the man himself, it won’t be happening anytime soon.
CM Punk Not Ready For Retirement Yet
Speaking on the Saturday Night’s Main Event post-show, Punk clarified previous comments he has made, where he noted that he isn’t planning to retire anytime soon, but is aware that he is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning:
“When I make allusions to the end of whatever my career is going to look like, it’s not because I feel like I’m there,” Punk stated. “It’s because I look back at the entirety of my career and there is a lot more road behind me than there is in front of me. Trust me, I am the champion for a reason, and I’m here to stay, and nobody’s going to change that. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”
