CM Punk is “The Best in the World” when it comes to professional wrestling.
He’s also not bad at spotting talent.
During a special video blog released by WWE that covered his trip to “The Land of the Rising Sun” for WWE Supershows in Japan, CM Punk shared his belief on who he feels are the two specific talents currently on the roster that will be the future of WWE.
“Iyo Sky is consistently, I think, the best wrestler that we have,” Punk stated during the WWE Japan vlog (see video below). “Rhea [Ripley] is probably a close second. But you talk about Superstar.”
Punk continued, “I don’t think it’s a secret that I was one of Rhea’s favorites when she was a kid growing up, and it’s kind of no different than the fan that says, ‘I’m sober because of you’, or ‘I waited 19 years to see you.’ I just want to give back because I’m so full of gratitude. Those two are the future.”
Also during CM Punk’s WWE Japan vlog, “The Second City Saint” offered high praise for “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles following the emotional farewell the current WWE Tag-Team Champion had at the WWE Supershows at Sumo Hall in Tokyo on October 17 and October 18.
When asked what Styles means to him, Punk spoke about the comparisons he sees between himself and the fellow pro wrestling legend, who as noted, recently confirmed that he will be ending his “Phenomenal” career as an active wrestler at some point in 2026.
“I love it when the fans chant, you know, ‘Thank you, AJ,'” Punk began. “What he means to me is he’s a guy that started around the same time as I did in a different part of the country, paid his dues, did things his way. He’s very influential and he’s a guy that you never thought would be in WWE, let alone make it in WWE. We kind of have that in common. He exceeded his expectations, just like I did.”
Punk added, “So I’m standing here now, towards the end, the end of my career and John Cena’s hanging it up and AJ Styles says he’s going to retire next year. I don’t know how long I got. I’m going to go until the wheels fall off. I just know that that’s sooner than later. It’s important, I think, for all of us, not just myself, to celebrate all the wrestlers as they retire. There’s a whole new crop of people coming up to take our spots and I think we’re anxiously awaiting that to happen in some respects.”
(H/T to Fightful.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
