CM Punk has ‘no regrets’ about stepping away from WWE for 10 years
In 2014, CM Punk walked out of WWE before returning almost a decade later at 2023’s Survivor Series, saying in a new interview that he has no regrets about that 2014 decision.
Appearing on No Contest Wrestling with TJ Henderson and O’Shea Jackson Jr, Punk was asked about his ten-year long gap from WWE.
“I’ll just go ahead and say it. Vince [McMahon] was still here. I don’t think anything was ever going to change, for me at least. So, no,” Punk said.
“Can I think about, ‘Man, that’s 10 years. I could have worked with AJ [Styles] a whole bunch. I could have done more with [John] Cena.’ I think I did pretty good. Tribal Chief says he graciously scaled back for two years. Well, I graciously stepped back for ten and it took him that long to become the superstar that he is. So, no. I got no regrets.”
Following Punk’s return in 2023, he first wrestled in December against Dominik Mysterio at a live show before competing in the 2024 Royal Rumble where he suffered a triceps injury. However, despite being out injured, Punk started brewing a rivalry with Drew McIntyre which culminated at Bad Blood 2024.
Punk will defend the World Heavyweight title against Roman Reigns at this April’s WrestleMania 42.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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