CM Punk announced that he plans to continue wrestling for at least five more years. Punk made the announcement at Saturday’s WWE NXT live event at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan. It came shortly after he and Bayley defeated Jackson Drake and Myka Lockwood in the main event.
Having turned 48 last month, Punk addressed rumors that he was getting ready to retire.
“There’s a lot of rumors out there that, you know, maybe because I’m 48, I’m wrapping s–t up,” Punk said. “And I’m here to tell you guys that I am not. […] Let’s put that to bed right now. Y’all stuck with me for at least five more years.”
Punk set that timeline on his own, and it’s the exact length of the contract WWE was trying to get him to sign in April 2025. At the time, during WrestleMania 41 week in Las Vegas, Punk addressed the offer in an interview with The Masked Man Show.
“They’re trying to get me to sign a five-year deal,” Punk said. “So I look at that and I go, ‘Guys, I don’t know.’”
During his promo in Detroit, Punk also said he will keep going at the same pace for as long as his body allows, explaining that he considers himself very lucky. If he wrestles the full five years, Punk will remain in the ring until at least November 2031, when he’ll be 53.
Punk’s announcement came a little over two weeks after a report from PWInsider stated that Shawn Michaels, who runs NXT, is expected to take over Bruce Prichard’s role after WrestleMania 43. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter named Punk, Bayley and AJ Styles among the names being discussed to lead NXT.