WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk recently spoke with Metro about various topics, including how WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio inspires him. Punk admires Mysterio for his continued presence in the wrestling world, as he never leaves fans questioning whether he is planning to retire anytime soon.
Punk said, “[Rey Mysterio’s] a guy that inspires me, because I feel like nobody’s asking him, ‘Oh, hey, when you’re gonna retire?’ And I get it every other question, ‘Hey, when are you gonna retire?’ It’s like, well, slow down! Like I look at a guy like Rey and he’s timeless, and he inspires me to put my boots on and keep going.”
On his bond with Mysterio:
“Losing Eddie when we did, I think that strengthened a lot of other bonds I had with other people, especially Rey. Every time I see him, we always have a moment where it’s just like, ‘Man, look at us. Can you believe we’re still here, still doing it?’ We share feelings, and we share moments, and it’s important to do that, everybody. You need to grab the people that you love, and you need to tell them.”
On never facing Eddie Guerrero in WWE:
“He probably would have whipped my ass. [laughs] Eddie was always Eddie. I think that’s one of the cool things about the video game this year, the big ‘What Ifs?’ You get to have a little Fantasy Warfare. I think that’s a lot of fun. It’s fun gameplay for the fans… It’s a fun thought, it’s comforting. But I mean, if Eddie was still here, the last thing I would want to do is work with him. I’d just want to get a meal with him, something a little more heartfelt. But I don’t normally dwell on stuff like that. I’m more a look ahead to the future kinda guy.”
On Roman Reigns’ promo on him:
“At this stage, if you have thin skin, I don’t think you would have made it to this stage. You gotta realize that to entertain people, you gotta say and do things that would sometimes just entertain yourself.”
On the feud with Reigns being about more than the title:
“[The championship is] important to me and it’s important to him, but there’s so much more when it’s personal. This is very personal. I’m sure it’s probably going to get more wildly personal whenever he decides to show up to work.”
On where he might be if he had never left WWE:
“Oh, I’d be dead. [laughs] We don’t gotta get into the particulars, but I won’t mince words about that. I needed to get off the hamster wheel. I love the fact that I’m back and looking forward to the future. Gordie Howe played in the NHL until he was 52, and he’s Mr Hockey, you know? I try not to put a time limit. I try to never say never anymore, until I’m known as Mr Wrestling.”
