Since leaving WWE, CM Punk has largely been out of the public spotlight, pursuing the private life that has evaded him for so long. Still, he's made appearances and done interviews here and there, and from what little detail has dropped, it's clear that Punk is in an entirely different headspace than he was before he left. Punk's first appearance after leaving the company was on the March 16, 2014 episode of Walking Dead, in which he described himself as "a changed man." Looking healthier and more well-rested than he had in years, Punk gave the impression that he was done with wrestling. He confirmed the suspicion shortly thereafter, when he began referring to himself as retired. On June 13, Punk married former (and future) WWE Divas' Champion AJ Lee, settling down after years of a well-publicized bachelor's lifestyle. With his new life set in place, nobody can deny that Punk seems more satisfied and nobody can begrudge him his happiness.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
