In a new interview with WWE Now, CM Punk has revealed what many have long believed: that he returned to WWE because he wanted to headline WrestleMania. Punk achieved this long-term goal at last year’s event, where he, along with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, closed the first night of the two-night event, with Punk noting that after the match, he thought to himself, “Well, if this is the last time I’m ever going to be in a ring. I did it.” And while some claim that headlining night 1 isn’t really headlining the show, Punb likely gets to end that talk with it understood he’ll be closing night two at this year’s edition.
“If I main-evented WrestleMania before I left, I don’t think I would have come back because I would have done it. What am I coming back for? It’s just one of those things. I did it last year, and there’s that moment in Unreal where there’s always cameras on us, but I didn’t know they were shooting me at that moment. That moment was just me standing in the ring after the fact. I didn’t win, and it’s far beyond being about that, and I was just standing in the ring by myself, and I was just looking at like all four sides of the crowd and like people. I could tell there’s people from numerous different countries, and I’m just kind of like looking around all four sides, just like soaking it in. Well, if this is the last time I’m ever going to be in a ring. I did it.” – CM Punk
47-year-old Punk’s WrestleMania career has been a rollercoaster of amazing highs and near misses. He exploded onto the grand stage by winning back-to-back Money in the Bank ladder matches in 2007 and 2008, and subsequently, he delivered unforgettable performances against stars like Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and The Undertaker. And while his win-loss record isn’t the best, his legendary moments continue to define his legacy, with many more likely to come.
