CM Punk Says He Should Be the One to Retire John Cena

John Cena is officially heading toward his final WWE match on December 13 at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and WWE is currently running a Last Time is Now tournament to decide who gets that farewell spotlight. But if CM Punk had his way? That final match would’ve been his.

During an interview on ESPN’s Get Up, Punk didn’t hesitate when asked who should close the curtain on Cena’s legendary career. He admitted that while he’s not in the tournament, he believes no one fits the bill quite like him.

“Uh, well, perfect probably would have been me… but um, you know, I—you can’t really see—the title’s over here somewhere, but it’s blurry back there. Um, I put it on display for you… Yeah, there it is. No, no, no. Where is it? It’s there. You gotta take yourself off portrait mode or whatever. I don’t know what’s going on back there. I’m Generation X. I don’t know how to work any of this stuff. You’re lucky my headphones work and I can hear you.”

After getting his jab in, Punk got serious and looked at the current tournament field, which includes Gunther, Solo Sikoa, LA Knight, Jey Uso, Rusev, and one mystery entrant. Out of that group, one name stood out to him.

“Who’s the perfect opponent that’s actually in the field? I mean, right now I don’t know if it’s perfect, but it’s looking like Gunther. Because I’ve been in the ring with him and I know what he can do, and I don’t know who else in that tournament can beat him right now.”

Punk vs Cena would’ve been a poetic final chapter to their storied rivalry, but with Punk focused on WarGames and WrestleMania 42, it’s clear that he’s leaving that moment to someone else. Still, if Gunther ends up being Cena’s last opponent, it’s hard to argue against the logic—especially coming from someone who’s already tested the Ring General in combat.

November 27, 2025 10:20 am