John Cena reveals 47-year-old WWE star's "redemption" made him cry

John Cena has revealed that a 47-year-old WWE star's redemption made him cry during his retirement tour. The 17-time World Champion is all set to call it a day on December 13 at Saturday Night's Main Event.

His farewell run in the promotion saw him revisit his rivalries that defined his career in the squared circle. One such feud saw him take on CM Punk at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia.

Before the match was made official, there was a lot of chatter 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 The Champ was a fan of the decision.

During an appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, John Cena said he got 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 Last Real Champion 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.

You can watch the interview below:

Previously, 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 grateful 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 stop in The Champ's road to retirement.

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John Cena named CM Punk as his wrestling soulmate

During the chat on INSIGHT, John Cena was asked to use a word or phrase to describe his opponents over the years. When CM Punk's name was brought up, the Never-Seen 17 referred to him as his "wrestling soulmate."

The two icons first feuded 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 matches in the following years and revisited their rivalry this year with the roles of heel and face reversed.

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If you use quotes from this article, please credit INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.