CM Punk takes a big shot at "egotistical" John Cena while opening up about his own retirement

CM Punk had a sit-down interview with Jackie Redmond on WWE's official YouTube channel. He took a big shot at John Cena, referring to him as "egotistical" when opening up about his own retirement.

The seeds seem to have been planted for a potential John Cena vs. CM Punk showdown in 2025 as the 16-time World Champion gets ready to wrap up his WWE career. Being from the same generation, Jackie Redmond asked Punk how he felt about his own retirement.

CM Punk said that he doesn't feel like it's happening anytime soon, but he also acknowledged that the tricep injury he suffered at the 2024 Royal Rumble is a reminder to him that it can all end abruptly and not on his own terms.

"I feel great right now. I definitely don't feel like there's a looming doomsday clock over my head or anything like that. But saying that, I also do realize, based on what happened in the last Royal Rumble, that [snaps fingers] this could all end in a heartbeat. I never know when my last match is going to be."

While stating he thinks he is on a similar path to John Cena, he doesn't feel like he's as "egotistical" as him to announce a full-blown retirement tour. Redmond's expression told the story as Punk took a big shot at his old rival.

"And then you see guys like John Cena doing a full-blown retirement tour. I look at myself like I'm on the same road as John, just not egotistical enough to announce to everybody, 'Hey, this is it.' But I'm not setting a limit on anything. I'm doing my best to bullet-proof myself on a daily basis, working as hard on recovery as I do, in the gym and in the ring, and not making this twilight of my career extended beyond what people expect of me," said Punk. (19:40-20:44)

You can watch the full video below:

Does a CM Punk vs John Cena match make sense for the retirement tour?

The story of CM Punk and John Cena, especially in 2011, highlighted the differences between their personalities. The latter was the WWE Golden Boy, while Punk was the edgier, anti-establishment figure.

By all accounts, they seemed to have different perspectives and approaches, but these differences were what led to the magic they created, as Cena and Punk are now etched in each other's careers as defining rivals. Neither man would have the same legacy they do today if it wasn't for that rivalry.

With that said, does it make sense to run it back one last time during John Cena's retirement tour? Most fans would argue that if there's any old opponent that Cena should revisit, it should be Punk, and Randy Orton is another name that has been added to the mix.

Either way, it would be a blockbuster match, wherever or whenever it happens. Perhaps it could even be Cena's final match ever - although that would be something highly-contested among fans.

If you were to ask CM Punk himself, the answer to our question would be a definitive yes. He told ESPN that he would love to run it back and be a part of Cena's retirement tour, praising the former WWE franchise player and stating that he deserves whatever he wants.

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