When is CM Punk going to retire from pro wrestling?
The 47-year-old reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion discussed this topic during an interview this week with Mick Joest of Cinema Blend.
The following are some of the highlights from the interview.
On how long he has left in his WWE career before he joins other legends from his era that have retired recently: “When I was 15, if you asked me if I’d be wrestling when I was 40, I would tell you ‘No, that’s crazy. 40 is so old.’ I’m 47, and I don’t feel old yet. Terry Funk wrestled for a long time, Ric Flair wrestled for a long time. I mean, there’s luchadors that are like in their 70s that are still doing it. Do I want to be doing that? Probably not. I would estimate probably the big 50 is when I should maybe gracefully bow out. Knock on wood, if nothing else horrible happens.”
On what he feels made John Cena’s WWE retirement match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event special: “A lot of the times you don’t get a choice. That’s why it was special to watch John retire. To me, it was a perfect retirement. We’re celebrating a guy who isn’t dead and can still walk. I tell people all the time none of us are getting out alive. He got out at the right time. He showed us a way to exit with dignity and grace, and I don’t know if mine will look that way. I don’t know what mine’s going to look like. I do know it’s coming sooner than later. I’m still having fun operating at a high level, no matter what anybody says, and until I can’t contribute, I still will.”
CM Punk defends his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor at WWE Raw in Belfast, Northern Ireland next Monday, January 19, 2026, live on Netflix.
