John Cena shares honest opinion on CM Punk's WWE exit in 2014

WWE legend John Cena has shared his honest opinion on CM Punk's departure from the Stamford-based promotion in 2014. Despite being onscreen rivals, the two former world champions have always praised each other in interviews outside the business.

Before heading to Australia for the Crown Jewel Premium Live Event, The Cenation Leader made an appearance at the annual Chicago Fan Expo. The 48-year-old had a live Q&A session with fans in attendance.

When asked about his rivalry with CM Punk, John Cena explained how he and The Second City Saint were so alike and different at the same time. He added that they had always wanted to bring the best out of each other.

"A few things. First of all, we both want the same spot. And I also think we both love the same thing. A lot of people that want that front spot, purely want it for selfish reasons. Every once in a while, you get somebody who wants to sit in the front that loves the business, and we love it in different ways, too. I think we’re such different personalities, but we share a lot of the same core values. So we just want to bring the best out of each other," Cena said.

John Cena then spoke about CM Punk's controversial exit from the global juggernaut over a decade ago. The 17-time WWE World Champion noted that he wished he could have kept The Best in the World in the company. Cena said that they could have had more matches against each other had Punk not left. However, he was grateful for the moments he shared with the 46-year-old.

"For some reason, we kind of found each other and found each other at the right time, and man, I wish I could have kept him with us. I wish he didn't have to take all that time off because we could have had some more matches, but I'm grateful for the moments we've had. And I think that, I think we just, we both want to sit in front. We both really love the business," Cena added. [H/T: Fightful]

You can check out the Q&A session in the video below:

John Cena and CM Punk wrestled a championship match earlier this year

John Cena locked horns with CM Punk for one last time on his Farewell Tour. He defended the Undisputed WWE Championship against his archrival at the Night of Champions Premium Live Event.

The two stars put forth an engaging contest that had interference from The Vision. Seth Rollins tried to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. However, it only helped John Cena retain his title. Unfortunately, he lost the gold to Cody Rhodes at WWE SummerSlam in his very next match.

What are your thoughts on the rivalry between John Cena and CM Punk? Hit the Discuss button and sound off!