5 signs CM Punk will end his career in WWE
Phillip Jack Brooks, better known to the pro wrestling fandom by his nom de guerre CM Punk, has been thrilling audiences for a vast duration of time. From his humble beginnings as a backyard wrestler to the heights of his WWE stardom, the Second City Saint has always seemed to stir things up.
CM Punk may have cut his teeth on the business as a backyard wrestler, but he never intended to stop there. Punk's first wrestling stint was with a federation called the Lunatic Wrestling Federation. He later attended the Steel Dominion wrestling school in Chicago under the tutelage of veteran performer Ace Steel. Punk learned the ropes, figuratively and literally.
Punk is proud of his entire career, but the fact is he really became a force in pro wrestling when he signed with WWE in 2005. As part of the short-lived ECW revival, Punk wasted no time in doing two things: securing the ECW Championship and, more importantly, securing the support of the legions of pro wrestling fans around the world.
CM Punk is back in WWE now. The questions are already arising as to how long CM Punk will stick around this time. Is his career on the wax or the wane?
Regardless of how long Punk intends to perform, there are signs that his final run will be with WWE. Here are 5 signs that CM Punk will end his career in WWE.
#1. The Realities of Aging
In recent years, professional wrestling has seen a lot of graybeard elders taking center stage at the biggest events and pay-per-views.
Performers like Chris Jericho and John Cena amaze with their ability to pull off crowd-pleasing matches despite both being north of forty. There is little doubt that you do not have to be young in order to sell tickets or put people in seats.
However, as they say, Father Time is undefeated. Sooner or later, all of the old injuries, surgeries, and nights spent being bounced around like a human ping-pong ball are going to take their toll.
CM Punk is no stranger to injuries or surgeries or from being bounced around night after night. Punk is 45 years of age as of the time of this writing. As much as it is a pleasure to watch him perform in the ring, the sands of time are running out on the career of CM Punk.
Punk is at the sunset of his career. He knows it, and his fans know it. This is a sign that he is planning on ending the place where he made his name, WWE.
It is evident that just because CM Punk ends his in-ring career does not mean you will be seeing the last of him. In fact, it brings us to the second sign that Punk plans to end his career in WWE.
#2. CM Punk and the announcer's desk is a match made in heaven
There is a reason FOX hired CM Punk as an analyst when SmackDown aired on that network. Punk debuted on the second episode of FOX's WWE Backstage, which ran from November 5, 2019, to January 30, 2021. Actually, there are several reasons, but let's talk about the most obvious: Punk's gift of gab.
From his very first WWE promo, CM Punk has always delivered on generating fan interest. Despite not having a chiseled physique like Batista or impressive athletic ability like Dolph Ziggler, Punk nevertheless makes people want to pay attention to him.
In his early promo for the short-lived revival of ECW, Punk's growling, raw delivery combined with his confrontational drug-free knuckle tattoos gave him instant credibility with the old-school ECW audience.
Punk is pretty much the only memorable thing to come out of the ECW revival. He joined the main roster and rocketed to the top, switching back-and-forth between face and heel, depending on who he happened to be feuding with.
It was his now infamous Pipebomb promo where Punk catapulted into the same realm as Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Once WWE realized that Punk was gold with a microphone in his hand, it was a logical progression that they would want to put him in another role where he could use his gift of gab to the greatest benefit.
CM Punk is already an experienced announcer. As early as 2002, Punk was calling the action for IWA and ROH. In 2010, while recovering from injuries, Punk was a regular fixture on both RAW and Superstars, and he also lent his voice to the 2010 edition of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Premium Live Event. Punk also announced on seven episodes of Dynamite and Rampage during his stint in AEW.
In short, Punk has the skills, charisma, and experience to be a fantastic full-time announcer. He would join the ranks of Jesse Ventura and John Bradshaw Layfield as successful wrestlers turned announcers should he decide to hang up his ring boots for good.
#3. CM Punk is likely done with MMA for good
When Brock Lesnar announced his intention to compete in UFC in 2006, he was met with almost universal scorn and contempt from the MMA community.
Lesnar only had a few fights under his belt when he first began his UFC career in 2007, where he suffered a submission loss to Frank Mir. As we all know, that is not how the story ended.
Lesnar would go on to defeat Mir decisively in a rematch and eventually become one of the most marketable and recognizable Heavyweight Champions in that organization's history.
CM Punk also attempted a transition to the Octagon, with somewhat less spectacular results. In 2016, he had his first match against welterweight journeyman Mickey Gall at UFC 225. Punk would lose the match in the first round by submission.
However, one match does not make for a whole career, and even the aforementioned Lesnar lost his MMA debut match. In 2018, Punk would be given another opportunity to climb into the Octagon, where he faced off against Mike Jackson.
Punk did much better in his second bout, managing to go the distance with his more experienced opponent. His loss came via the judge's decision after the final buzzer.
While most MMA pundits point out that CM Punk's ability to go the distance with a much younger, more highly-trained opponent has merit, the fact is Punk's popularity alone is not enough to keep his career in Mixed Martial Arts going.
Without the UFC tempting him to return, Punk is far more likely to end his combat sports career in a WWE ring rather than an Octagon.
#4. WWE has more to offer CM Punk after his in-ring days are over
The path from the ring to Hollywood is a well-trod one. Hulk Hogan had a small part in Rocky III as Thunderlips, which eventually parlayed into his own stint as a leading man.
John Cena has made numerous forays into Hollywood movies, with his role as Peacemaker for the DC Universe being the most recognizable. Moreover, who can forget Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, whose success has been incredibly wild and beyond anyone's expectations?
CM Punk is well aware of the success stories above, and he just might want to carve out his own place in Hollywood. He has already appeared in the independent film Girl on the Third Floor and has television roles to his credit.
WWE, with its placement as part of the Peacock media family and linked to juggernaut TKO Group Holdings, simply has more to offer than other wrestling promotions. As they say in Hollywood, it is who you know that counts and WWE can put a post-ring Punk in the same room as movie industry movers and shakers.
#5. WWE feels like home to CM Punk
CM Punk's career has taken him all over the world. If you name a major promotion, chances are he has had a match or two there and likely held their top belt at least for a while.
However, when everything settled in his career, the fact remains that his biggest impact was made on the biggest stage. WWE is not just the name on Punk's paychecks. It is the place where he wrestled the legendary Undertaker at WrestleMania. It is the Stamford-based promotion where he went from being a respected indie wrestler to a household name.
WWE is where CM Punk has arguably cut out his greatest legacy. It is where he met his wife, AJ Lee, who is herself an accomplished WWE Superstar. It is where many of his friends in the industry continue to work.
Most of all, though, WWE is where CM Punk dropped his infamous Pipebomb promo and blew up the pro wrestling industry forever. Given that his magnum opus moment occurred in a WWE ring, it stands to reason that Punk would want to end his career there.
What better way to put a bow on a stellar run in the industry than to end it where it all truly began?
Do you think CM Punk will retire from wrestling after his run in WWE? Sound off in the comments section below!