With John Cena's retirement tour in the rearview mirror, many began to clearly define whether or not he actually should be considered the Greatest Of All Time in not just his own generation of wrestling, but in all of WWE history. As one of his oldest rivals, CM Punk reflected on Cena's GOAT status during the Saturday Night's Main Event Post Show.
"There's so many metrics... There's gate records, there's how much money you drew, and John's very pragmatic. If you've talked to him, he'll tell you. We just had an emotional rollercoaster back there watching John, saying goodbye to him, and the show must go on," Punk expressed.
Punk believes that Cena is well aware that, in time, people will forget about him, but never forget about how he made them feel.
"That's legacy. So, you put him up there with some of the biggest stars from some of the biggest territories: Bruno [Sammartino], [Hulk] Hogan, [Steve] Austin, Rock, John Tolos, Cowboy Luttrell," Punk explained, rhapsodizing on the many trailblazers in wrestling. "[Cena's] definitely Top Three, if you think about it."
Punk looked back at the final match he had against his rival at Night of Champions 2025, briefly touching on Cena's controversial heel turn.
"You can make what you want of John Cena selling his soul, saying it wasn't the right idea; he obviously made amends and apologized to the fans," Punk explained, adding that he has a blast working with Cena, and reversing the roles for once was something with which both men had a ton of fun.
Punk touched on Cena's longevity in a company from which even Punk spent years away
"Bruno had a falling out with [Vince McMahon] Snr. and Jnr...Hogan had a falling out. I left. I had a falling out," he expressed, and yet Cena has been a regular presence for over 20 years. "I got a chip about John Cena on my shoulder; man, he's a Boy Scout."
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit WWE and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
