CM Punk’s résumé is lined with championship gold and legacy-defining accolades, but on April 19, he pocketed a new accomplishment by becoming a WrestleMania main eventer.
In WrestleMania 41’s Night 1 headline match, Punk clashed with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, which Rollins ultimately won after a couple assists from Paul Heyman. And while the match marked yet another milestone for Punk, he tells Tudum something that might be surprising: “I hate talking about myself, contrary to popular belief. I’m way too self-deprecating to tell you about all the things I’ve done. … It’s kind of ironic, right?” In fact, he concedes, “it goes against every single grain and fiber of logic for pro wrestlers”: “Everyone’s talking about themselves in the third person and saying, ‘I’m the best, I’m this, I’m that.’ Ironically enough, I got ‘Best in the world’ on my shirt, but I’m more inclined to try to lift everybody else up.”
Make no mistake, while Punk prefers not to sing his own praises, he’s aware of what he brings to the table. “I’m one of one,” he says. “It’s not easy for me to sit here and tell you I’m a Superstar, but there’s nobody like me.” Punk is a multifaceted figure outside the ring too, known for his straight edge lifestyle and radical championing of political causes. He’s a mixed martial artist, he’s written for Marvel Comics, and he’s a TV and film star, appearing in Girl on the Third Floor and also Heels, which is currently streaming on Netflix. Born in Chicago, Punk was working in a comic book store when he became inspired by Roddy “Rowdy” Piper, and found his way into wrestling in the late ’90s.
Just as he champions his most cherished causes in competition, Punk wants to use his success to boost others in the sport. “I don’t like being selfish, I adopt more of a hockey mentality — it’s not about the name on the back of the jersey, it’s about the logo on the front,” he says. “I’m surrounded by so many talented people. I’m fortunate to have been able to do things at a very high level, and I think it’s important to always reach back and bring people with you. So, if there’s somebody on the roster that I think is phenomenal and maybe isn’t getting the right look, I will talk about them all day. I think that’s my job.”
In fact, he lights up at the chance to talk about his colleagues — from those he currently admires to the ones he cares for least — as well as the wrestlers he’d love to work with. “The women are carrying the show a lot of times,” Punk says. “I think Rhea Ripley is a Superstar. Liv Morgan had an MVP year [in 2024]. I like watching Gunther compete. I hate Dominik Mysterio, that’s neither here nor there. Guys I want to work with — Jacob Fatu. Got a little taste at WarGames, but one-on-one stuff is my bread and butter, [there’s] more pressure that way … Finn Bálor is fantastic. I selfishly want to lock back up with Rey Mysterio, teach him a lesson for having such a brat kid.”
There’s another Superstar Punk commends — the man who defeated Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania 41 Night 2 — John Cena, who has declared 2025 to be his final year of in-ring competition. “I think me and him are on the same road,” Punk says. “We’re [both] closer to the end of our career than we are to the start of it. He’s another guy who doesn’t like talking about himself too much. John Cena has never asked for anyone to give him any kind of credit, he always put the company before himself, always put others before himself — I think it’s time we give back, say thanks, pat him on the back. I feel like it’s my duty to talk about him. Selfishly, I’d love to be a part of [Cena’s farewell tour] in any which way he possibly sees fit. He wants to tag with me, awesome. He wants to lock back up with me, fantastic. But as a fan, I’m just excited to be here to witness it all.”
If you’re wondering why Punk is so much more comfortable boosting others than himself, he has an explanation. “I’m a lot more introverted than people think I am. I’m bad at receiving gifts. I’m bad at taking compliments,” he says, making it clear how much he appreciates fan support, even if he sometimes struggles to process the depths of it. “When somebody grabs me and says, ‘You saved my life,’ I don’t know how to take that. But something like, ‘I saw you on TV and you don’t drink, you don’t smoke, and that made me get clean, that made me sober up, I went to a program,’ I think, impact-wise, that’s always going to hit me right here. It’s always unreal to hear that I was able to have that sort of reach and impact on somebody’s life.”
Click here for more information on WWE WrestleMania 41, where CM Punk and Roman Reigns were betrayed by Paul Heyman and defeated by Seth Rollins in the main event of Night 1 on April 19.
