This Sunday, Roman Reigns challenges CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42. The match is among the most highly anticipated bouts on the card, and it follows last year's Triple Threat main event that saw Paul Heyman betray both men and ally with Seth Rollins.
Punk is 47, but still working a full-time schedule. Reigns, meanwhile, is 40 and has been what some fans would consider a "part-timer" for the past few years. Both remain on top form, but retirement rumours have followed both after the recent departures of John Cena and AJ Styles.
Doing the rounds to promote their match at the Show of Shows in Las Vegas this weekend, both men have commented on their respective in-ring futures. Talking to SHAK Wrestling, the Second City Saint made it clear that he has no intention of hanging up his wrestling boots.
"I think in Showcase with CM Punk, it encompasses my entire career," he said of being put front and centre in the WWE 2K26 video game. "The beginning, the middle, and we’re obviously creeping towards 'the end.' Not any time soon."
"Everybody stop asking me, stop freaking out," Punk added. "But to me, it just solidifies the consistency I’ve had over my career. As a top talent, as a huge draw, as somebody with great hair."
Reigns, meanwhile, shared a similar sentiment despite speculation that he might leave WWE to kickstart his Hollywood career, similar to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Speaking with Nico Leonard, the OTC confirmed that, despite achieving so much in the company, he's still eager to step between the ropes and compete as a WWE Superstar.
"There is still a little more juice to squeeze. Almost there, but not quite," Reigns shared. "I still feel like I have a lot to offer. I’m 40 years young. With everything that we have within sports science, nutrition, all the information we have, careers have been extended."
"We also get to a point where you grind it out early in your career, and then once you get towards the back end, that equity kicks in, and then you get into a different ballpark as far as finances. I’m not going to leave the park now. If the ATM machine is broken, you’re not going to run away from it. You’re going to keep collecting that money."
"I still feel like, creatively, there is so much left for me to do, and there is still a great deal of earning for me to take advantage of," he continued, adding, "There is no true competition for us. There are other promotions and places to work in wrestling, but if you want to be in the top show and you want to be considered at the very tippy top of the mountain, you have to be in WWE."
"I’ve done everything you can do there, but you still continue to dominate the scene and still be the number one guy. The moment they think you’ve done everything you can do, you can still pop up and show them, ‘here is another layer. Here’s another little sliver of entertainment that you didn’t think,’ or we can evolve the culture a little bit, one way or another," Reigns concluded.
As WrestleMania 42 nears, Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk could be considered more than just a title match; it's two proud veterans refusing to slow down. Following last year's chaotic betrayal, their Las Vegas showdown carries serious personal stakes and is one of the hardest matches to predict the outcome of.
Now, with both making it clear that they still have plenty left to give to WWE, both men will leave Las Vegas proving they remain at the very top of the mountain, with more chapters still to write.