CM Punk Reveals WWE Retirement Timeline 'If Nothing Else Horrible Happens'

WWE world heavyweight champion CM Punk suggested this week that he is entering the twilight of his in-ring career.

In an interview with Mick Joest of CinemaBlend.com, Punk gave some insight into when he plans on hanging up his boots for good.

"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,'" Punk said. "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 luchadores 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."

Punk turned 47 in October, but it can be argued that he is still at the top of his game. He is one of the faces of WWE, he was among the top performers in all of pro wrestling in 2025, and he has been world champion since November.

Following a run in AEW, Punk made his surprise return to WWE in November 2023, ending a nearly decade-long hiatus from the company.

Given the many backstage issues Punk had in AEW, there was plenty of speculation about how long he would be happy in WWE, but every indication is that Punk is happy and exactly where he wants to be.

He has also stayed healthy since returning from a torn triceps in 2024, and his health figures to play a big role in how much longer Punk wrestles, as injuries piled up during his time in AEW as well.

The one thing working heavily in Punk's favor is that he doesn't necessarily have as much mileage on him as the typical 47-year-old wrestler.

That is because he took a lengthy break from wrestling from 2014 to 2021, which allowed his body to heal.

John Cena retired in December at the age of 48, and while he worked a part-time schedule in recent years, he was still an active wrestler for more than 25 years consecutively.

Punk had plenty of time to recalibrate during his hiatus, which may be a big reason why he feels he can wrestle at a high level for three more years before stepping away.