After decades in the wrestling business, CM Punk is finally set to headline WrestleMania for the first time in his career, sharing the spotlight with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in Las Vegas on April 19. Now 46, Punk is taking time to reflect on the personal and professional journey that brought him to this milestone.
For Punk, wrestling was more than a career—it was a lifeline.
I’d be dead or in jail right now, 100%," he admitted to Metro UK. "I’ve narrowly avoided jail multiple times. I really don’t know... it’s hard for me to say, ‘I was interested in this’ or ‘maybe I would’ve done that.’
While his early dream was to play ice hockey, that path wasn’t financially viable. Wrestling, however, gave the Chicago native purpose.
I wanted to be a wrestler,” Punk emphasized. “I never said I wanted to be a millionaire. I never said I wanted to be a WWE superstar. I got a pair of boots and I started wrestling.
After leaving WWE in 2014 and stepping away from wrestling, Punk explored other avenues including UFC and film. He returned to the ring in 2021 with AEW before making his surprise WWE comeback in November 2023.
Now, with WWE’s new partnership with Netflix, Punk is embracing the opportunity to expand into acting. He’s already involved in upcoming projects including Revival and Night Patrol, and he's open to more.
The Netflix thing is interesting, because I think they want to specifically find projects not only for me, but other superstars that they feel can cross over,” he said. “I would love to do stuff with Cena. I would love to do stuff with anybody, really. I’m in it to learn. And in that respect, I’m an artist. I want to do stuff that’s fulfilling.
With his WrestleMania main event approaching, Punk is focused on staying healthy, especially after an injury kept him out of last year’s show. Punk joked that he's tempted to "wrap himself in bubble wrap" until his big match against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. However, he really tries to not think about the risks, live in the moment and focus on what he does best.
