John Cena has disclosed that a 47-year-old WWE star's redemption made him emotional during his retirement tour. The 17-time World Champion is all set to step away from pro wrestling on December 13 at Saturday Night's Main Event.
His farewell tour in the company saw him revisit his old rivalries that defined his career in the ring. One such rivalry saw him lock horns with CM Punk at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia.
Before the fight was made official, there was a lot of conversation about Punk's previous comments about WWE's association with the Gulf Nation. Hence, his wrestling in Saudi was met with criticism in some corners, but Champ was a fan of the decision.
During an appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, John Cena said he turned emotional when Punk came to Saudi to wrestle him for the WWE Championship.
"Gosh, one of the moments in sports entertainment that’s larger than sports entertainment is Phil Brooks (CM Punk) going to Saudi Arabia. That sh*t made me cry, like, awesome, awesome,” he said.
The Cenation Leader said it represented accountability on his in-ring rival's part and was a part of his redemption.
“Accountability, vulnerability, apology, forgiveness. Cultures melding into each other...And what a trip for him, like, redemption, acceptance. He can go there wherever he wants, and he can entertain fans who are incredible over there," he added.
Earlier, Punk had called out The Miz over WWE's partnership with Saudi in a tweet in 2020. During the recent visit, he apologized for his comments and said he was very happy to be in the country.
Though the 47-year-old was unsuccessful in taking the WWE Championship from John Cena, it was still a memorable moment in Cena's road to retirement.
John Cena names CM Punk as his wrestling soulmate
During the chat on INSIGHT, John Cena was questioned to use word or phrase to explain his opponents over the years. When CM Punk's name was brought up, the Cenation Leader called him as his "wrestling soulmate."
The two stars first crossed paths in 2011, when the story revolved around Punk's expiring WWE contract. They faced each other at the Money in the Bank event that year, with the Second City Saint winning the WWE Championship and walking out.
They had a few more memorable fights in the following years and revisited their rivalry with the roles of heel and face reversed.