“I Don’t Want To Believe It”: CM Punk Gets Emotional About AJ Styles’ Last Match

The main event of this week’s Monday Night Raw saw CM Punk successfully defend his World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles. While the match was a classic encounter, it carried a heavy undertone: it may have been the final time fans see “The Phenomenal One” compete on the red brand. Styles is set to put his career on the line against Gunther this Saturday at the Royal Rumble, and even his peers are struggling to accept the possibility that this is the end.

CM Punk Reflects On “Surviving” Gunther

Following the match, cameras caught up with an emotional Punk backstage. “I don’t want to believe it’s AJ’s last match on Raw,” Punk admitted. He noted the strangeness of Styles claiming it is his last year when it is only February, but acknowledged the massive obstacle standing in Styles’ way. Having faced Gunther himself, Punk offered a sobering assessment of the challenge ahead. “I’ve been in the ring with Gunther and I can, without ego, say that I beat Gunther but I don’t feel like I beat him. I feel like I survived.”

Punk also drew a parallel to another recent departure, highlighting the rapid changing of the guard in WWE. “We just saw John Cena retire and it’s hard to fathom in a two month span that we’re losing John Cena and AJ Styles,” he said. With the stakes set for Riyadh, Punk’s comments underscore the gravity of the situation: the industry is on the verge of losing two of its defining pillars in quick succession.

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