CM Punk says he may have never returned to WWE if he got a WrestleMania main event spot in his first run

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CM Punk used to watch WrestleMania like everyone else, looking up at the larger-than-life superstars in the marquee. Now, he's chasing them.

Punk headlines WrestleMania 42 on Sunday, defending the world heavyweight title against Roman Reigns in Las Vegas. It's his second straight Mania main event, something that felt out of reach for a long time.

"WrestleMania is and always will be the pinnacle, top-shelf show in pro wrestling," Punk told CBS Sports at the WWE 2K26 hands-on event in Stamford. "Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, those are the guys who were always talking about and hovering around the main event when I was watching. I developed that same attitude."

Shawn Michaels headlined WrestleMania five times. Bret Hart did it three times. Punk, 47, is older than both legends were when they retired. He's wasting no time covering ground.

"The best guys main event the biggest show," Punk said. "So to do it once is sweet. To do it twice in back-to-back years, like being on the cover of the video game for the second time, it's still a big deal to me."

It's the kind of belief that's shaped his career, even when the results didn't match it. For years, Punk was absent from these conversations despite having the accolades and fanfare to headline Mania. Being snubbed was a catalyst for his nine-year WWE exit. Last year was the breakthrough.

Nearly three decades into his career, Punk finally headlined WrestleMania, sharing the ring with Reigns and Seth Rollins in a triple threat match. It was an emotional, full-circle moment that didn't seem possible when he walked away from WWE in 2014, frustrated and overlooked.

"I think the juice is worth the squeeze," Punk said. "It's probably sweeter because it's something I had acquiesced in my head that would never happen.

"So coming back and climbing that mountain, and planting my flag on it, made it much sweeter. Recency bias, though, last year," Punk said. "I'm still riding that high and wave."

Punk might not be here today had a different story played out a decade ago. WrestleMania had a lot to do with Punk's comeback, a reconciliation with WWE that no one thought possible.

"If it had happened 10 or 15 years ago, there's probably part of me that would've never have come back because there was nothing on the horizon for me to conquer."

Punk has had many opportunities to reflect lately. His second WrestleMania main event comes one month after his second time as a WWE game cover star. It's been 14 years since the last time he was the poster boy for a video game.

"It encompasses my entire career," Punk said of WWE 2K26's showcase mode. "The beginning, the middle, and we're creeping towards the end -- not anytime soon, everyone, stop asking me. Stop freaking out. To me, it solidifies the consistency I've had over my career as a top talent and huge draw."

The distance between one main event and two isn't just a number. It's how legacies take shape. Whether Punk has reached the impossible standard set by Michaels and Hart is up to interpretation, but he's closer than he's ever been.