CM Punk says his life without wrestling would have been a complete disaster, and not in the dramatic, headline-chasing way.
The WWE Raw superstar, real name Phillip Brooks, just admitted he’s “narrowly avoided jail multiple times” and believes if it weren’t for finding the ring, he’d either be behind bars or dead.
“I’d be dead or in jail right now, 100 per cent,” Punk told Metro in a raw and unapologetically honest interview. “It’s hard for me to even imagine what I would’ve done otherwise.”
At 46, Punk is one of WWE’s most recognizable, and most rebellious, figures. He’s held the WWE Championship twice, walked away from the company in 2014 in a blaze of controversy, made a shock return to AEW, and then stunned everyone by re-signing with WWE in 2023.
But all the career twists come second to this: wrestling quite literally saved his life.
He didn’t pretend to have other dream jobs lined up as a backup. “You ask kids nowadays, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ and a lot of them say, ‘I want to be famous.’ That sucks. Fame sucks. Fame is a side effect of being successful at what I do,” he said.
Punk’s journey from troubled youth to locker room leader has always made him one of the most layered personalities in wrestling, equal parts anti-hero and unlikely role model. And even now, while The Undertaker thinks Punk deserves his own full-blown retirement tour, the man himself says he’s not done yet.
“No, because you never know what’s going to happen,” Punk said. “If you’d asked me at 26 if I’d still be wrestling at 46, I’d have said no way.”
He’s not wrong, the landscape has changed. Today’s WWE superstars don’t have the same brutal weekly grind. Fewer matches, smarter scheduling, and massive streaming deals like the $5 billion WWE-Netflix partnership have shifted the game. Punk recognizes it.
“It’s interesting,” he said about the Netflix move. “I think the company wants to specifically find projects for guys like me and others they feel can cross over.”
Crossover is right. With John Cena now entering retirement mode after 23 years in the business, the idea of Punk and Cena teaming up one more time isn’t just nostalgia bait, it’s good business.
“I’d love to do stuff with Cena and with anybody, really,” Punk said. “But I want it to be fulfilling. I don’t want to just take the money and run some half-baked project I don’t believe in.”
That last part feels like a mission statement for Punk. He’s never been the guy chasing checks or applause. He’s always been chasing meaning, even when it nearly cost him everything.
Now, with WWE giving him space to breathe, a possible role in its new streaming era, and the chance to craft projects on his terms, CM Punk might be entering his most powerful chapter yet.
Just don’t expect him to bow out quietly.
- Diogo Jota Dies at 28 in Spain Car Crash – Just Weeks After His Wedding - July 3, 2025
- Chiefs Legend Dan Meers Retires After 35 Years as KC Wolf - July 2, 2025
- Where to Watch Wimbledon 2025: Full Streaming & TV Guide - June 30, 2025
