CM Punk offers an approximate date for his retirement from in-ring competition

In just under a month, two major figures in the business, John Cena and Hiroshi Tanahashi, have hung up their boots. They will be followed by another heavyweight, AJ Styles, who will end his professional career at some point this year, as "The Phenomenal One" has reiterated on several occasions.

All of this has led many veteran competitors to consider their own retirements, as is the case with CM Punk, one of the most prominent figures of the 21st century, whose final chapter may not be far off, as he stated in a recent interview with CinemaBlend.

"When I was 15, if you had asked me if I’d be wrestling at 40, I would have said, 'No, that’s crazy. 40 is so old.' I’m 47, and I still don’t feel old. Terry Funk wrestled for a long time, Ric Flair wrestled for a long time. I mean, there are masked wrestlers who are close to 70 and still active. Do I want to be doing that? Probably not. I’d estimate that around 50 might be when I should gracefully retire. Knock on wood, if nothing else horrible happens," he said.

"Many times you don’t get a choice. That’s why it was special to see John retire. To me, it was a perfect retirement. We’re celebrating a guy who isn’t dead and can still walk," he continued. "I always tell people none of us get out alive. He got out at the right time. He showed us a way to exit with dignity and grace, and I don’t know if mine will look like that. I don’t know what mine will look like. I do know it’s coming sooner rather than later. I’m still having fun performing at a high level, no matter what anyone says, and until I can’t contribute, I will keep doing it."

CM Punk is one of the most important figures in WWE today, leading Monday Night Raw as the World Heavyweight Champion. He will defend the title next Monday in Belfast, Ireland, against Finn Bálor. Once he hangs up his boots, "The Best in the World" could take on a role as a coach or producer behind the scenes, as he has hinted on several occasions.