CM Punk is one of the top favorites to win the Men’s Royal Rumble 2025 this Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Given his status as a major WWE star and his recent involvement with Paul Heyman and The OG Bloodline, all signs point to him potentially headlining WrestleMania.
On Monday Night Raw, Punk had a tense face-off with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, adding another possible WrestleMania match to the mix. With so many factors in play, it seems like a real possibility that he could win the Rumble, point at the giant WrestleMania sign, and finally check off one of the biggest goals of his wrestling career.
Is Winning the Rumble a Risk for Punk’s Passion?
Punk, now 46 years old, has been vocal about how much he has left in the tank. In a recent interview with Jackie Redmond, he admitted that losing the Rumble would be disappointing—but winning it might actually be scarier.
“I’ll be very honest with you, that’s a scarier thought to me than losing. Because I haven’t experienced it.”
He explained that for years, his hunger to reach the WrestleMania main event has driven him forward. But what happens if he finally gets there? Would that fire start to fade?
“Maybe what makes CM Punk so great is his constant hunger. And if I’m not hungry anymore, do I want to do this? Can I do this at this level? That scares me…be careful what you wish for, right?”
Could WWE Be Making a Mistake?
Back in 2012, during his 434-day WWE Championship reign, Punk hinted that he might walk away from wrestling earlier than expected. Some fans speculated that Vince McMahon deliberately kept him out of WrestleMania main events to keep him motivated.
While The Rock vs. John Cena was always WWE’s priority at the time, Punk’s recent comments add weight to the idea that finally reaching his dream could take away the very thing that makes him CM Punk.
If WWE books Punk to win the Royal Rumble 2025 and headline WrestleMania, could it ultimately kill his passion for the business? If so, would that make this victory a long-term mistake for both Punk and WWE?