With John Cena retiring and AJ Styles revealing he plans to retire next year, WWE superstar CM Punk recently spoke about his own retirement plans. Punk was part of a massive WWE trip in Japan, where he appeared with Styles, Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, and other stars for several big shows.
It marked the final appearance for AJ Styles in Japan, and at the end of one of the events, Punk called Styles down to the ring for a farewell to the fans. Shinsuke Nakamura read a message Styles wrote to them, in which Styles thanked them for their significance to his career in Japan and worldwide.
A huge in-ring celebration of Styles followed, with Punk among those helping to briefly hoist Styles up so he could blow kisses and wave goodbye to the fans in Japan. It was an emotional moment for Styles, and it may have prompted Punk to contemplate his own retirement.
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Punk turned 47 on Sunday, so he’s certainly approaching what many might call their retirement age. Cena, who indicated he will retire from in-ring competition at the end of the year, is 48, with Styles the same age.
The WWE recently released a special vlog featuring Punk’s journeys to Australia and Japan, in which he offered his candid thoughts about when he might call it a career in professional wrestling. Based on his comments, it could happen sooner than fans might have anticipated.
A scene showed Punk backstage as his music blared over speakers in the Tokyo arena. He hugged a nearby worker as they watched a small monitor.
“Last one in Tokyo, maybe ever, I don’t know,” he said, looking at the camera, before adding, “I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I’m grateful for all the Japanese fans and I’m grateful for all the boys and girls I work with.”
Punk then made his entrance for a big tag team match where he teamed up with Shinsuke, whom he called “a Japanese wrestling legend” in part of the vlog. He said if you told someone a while ago that Punk would be teaming up with Shinsuke or lifting AJ Styles up on his shoulder, “they probably wouldn’t believe you.”
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“So I’m standing here towards the end of my career, and you know, John Cena’s hanging it up, and you know, AJ Styles says he’s gonna retire next year, and I don’t know how long I’ve got. I’m gonna go to the wheels fall off,” Punk said, adding, “I just know that that’s sooner than later.”
“It’s important, I think, for all of us, not just myself, to celebrate all the wrestlers as they retire. There’s a whole new crop of people coming up to take our spots, and I think we’re anxiously awaiting that to happen in some respects,” he said.
Punk seemingly retired from WWE in 2014 after a fractured relationship with the company. He ventured into MMA before returning to wrestling, first with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
That lasted for a few years, and amid a heated backstage incident, Punk left Tony Khan’s company. He returned to WWE in 2023 and has seemed to enjoy his experience more than ever.
Most likely, Punk will be part of some significant celebration for Cena’s final match or official WWE farewell. However, Punk still has business to take care of, with an upcoming match at “Saturday Night’s Main Event” on Nov. 1 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
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