For weeks, CM Punk‘s absence from WWE following Raw After WrestleMania 42 became one of the biggest unanswered questions.

With WWE offering no explanation for where The Second City Saint had gone, fans turned to speculation, attempting to connect the dots.

Punk had only recently relinquished the World Heavyweight Championship, falling to Roman Reigns in a gripping 34-minute spectacle at WrestleMania 42. The Tribal Chief seized his opportunity after the champion collapsed towards the end of the fight, just before delivering what would have been a match-winning GTS, before driving home two thunderous Spears in a space of seconds to bring Punk’s second reign, and 169-day tenure with the title, to an end.

The following day on Raw, Punk was confronted by the then-Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes before vanishing from the screen for nearly three months.

However, 78 days after his last appearance, Punk returned to the grand stage, defeating Sami Zayn on the 6th July to claim his third recognised Undisputed WWE Championship—placing him in the upper echelons of greats, as one of only 19 stars to have won the belt on three or more occasions.

The triumph carried even greater significance as it came in Rosemount, Illinois, the very same area in which he captured his first Undisputed WWE Championship 15 years prior.

Yet, despite his return to WWE, fans were still left searching for an explanation behind The Voice of the Voiceless’ disappearance.

CM Punk Explains His Recent Absence From WWE

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Speaking to ESPN New York late last night, Punk finally revealed he stepped away to grieve the loss of several people close to him.

It marked the first time in the 47-year-old’s career that he had taken a break without requiring surgery or rehabilitation. Instead, his absence coincided with a period in which the star simply needed to focus on himself and allow the weight of his grief to wash over him.

“In my business, in this company, for me to be able to say that I had time off, and it wasn’t due to an injury or a surgery, is remarkable. It was the first time in my career I had time off without having to go get a surgery or be injured. I just hung out with my wife,” he explained.

Reflecting on that period, Punk admitted that work became both a distraction and a support system. Even so, there was only so much the organisation could do to help him process his emotions as he made the decision to step back.

“You know, I had a… I’m not going to say a rough year, suffering is relative. I was heavyweight champion over on Raw for quite some time, and during that entire time I was champion, I had at least three or four people who were very close to me pass away. And each time, I was at work the next day,” he continued.

“If you’re upset that I was mourning some dead friends, I think that’s a you problem,” he ended with.

What Next For CM Punk?

With SummerSlam looming on the horizon, Punk will place his championship on the line as his rivalry with Rhodes edges towards its defining chapter.

The two friends are set to collide for the first time in almost 18 years at the two-night spectacle, which will take place on the 1st and 2nd of August.

Before then, however, there remains the possibility of two more names forcing their way into the title picture.

Despite preparing to battle each other for the right to call themselves the Undisputed WWE Champions, Punk and Rhodes must first stand side-by-side later tonight at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLV, where they face Gunther and Zayn in a blockbuster tag-team showdown.

Should Gunther and Zayn emerge victorious, they will punch their ticket to SummerSlam, transforming the Undisputed WWE Championship match at SummerSlam into a Fatal Four-Way match.

The Open Championship has produced some of golf‘s greatest moments.

The legendary ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in 1977, Jean van de Velde’s astonishing collapse at Carnoustie in 1999 to hand the title to Paul Lawrie, and Phil Mickelson‘s sensational comeback in 2013 to win the penultimate Major of his glittering career.

Yet, for every iconic chapter, there is another that serves as a stark reminder that not every moment in golf is worth celebrating.

David Robertson’s cheating scandal in 1985 occupies a place in golfing infamy all of its own.

Long before this week’s edition at Royal Birkdale captured the sporting spotlight, the tournament descended into chaos as it became the backdrop of one of golf’s most infamous controversies, culminating in one of the harshest punishments the game has ever handed out.

David Robertson’s Open Championship Scandal

Carl Recine via Reuters

At 28 years of age, the 1985 Open should have represented Robertson’s opportunity to prove he was still a force to be reckoned with in the golfing world.

A former British youth champion, the Scotsman had first announced himself on the national stage in 1974, defeating Sandy Stephen by three strokes to become the first Scottish winner of the title in 11 years.

Over a decade on, however, Robertson had failed to build on that breakthrough. He had featured in just two Major qualifying campaigns—both for The Open in 1978 and 1980—and had slipped from 122nd to 264th in the world rankings.

The 1985 Open qualifiers offered what could have been the magnum opus of an unflattering career, as he sought to reach the Championship for the first time. Instead, it marked the beginning of the end.

Carl Recine via Reuters

At just 28, Robertson found himself at the centre of a scandal that sent shockwaves throughout golf.

The allegations centred on the claims that he had repeatedly improved the position of his ball during qualifying, allegedly moving it to a more favourable lie on at least five occasions.

Reports suggested he had relocated the ball by as much as 10 feet in a bid to improve his chances of reaching The Open.

Yet the allegation that carried the greatest weight came from far closer to home. Rather than a fellow competitor or a spectator, it was Robertson’s own caddie who would provide the most damaging account of the day. Paul Connolly took the remarkable decision to walk away after just nine holes, unable to continue watching what was unfolding before him. He handed Robertson’s bag to a replacement caddie before departing from the course.

Carl Recine via Reuters

“I walked off because I couldn’t stand what I was seeing,” Connolly said.

Robertson’s day came to an abrupt end when he was disqualified on the 14th hole of the final qualifying round, marking the fourth disqualification of his career.

Previous incidents had already seen him accused of incorrectly marking his ball on the green and submitting inaccurate scorecards.

What Was Said About Scandal at the Time

When explaining the severity of the punishment, the then-European Tour executive director Ken Schofield stressed that protecting the integrity of golf had to remain a priority.

REUTERS/Andrew Boyers

“It’s a sad day for golf,” Schofield said. “The decision was taken with a view to protect the integrity of the game and as a warning to everybody.

The fallout proved catastrophic. Robertson was fined £5,219—just £300 shy of his entire career earnings—and handed a record 20-year suspension, a punishment that effectively brought his professional career to an unceremonious end.

Although Robertson challenged the decision and later regained his amateur status seven years on from the scandal, his reputation never truly recovered.

Despite protesting his innocence over the past four decades, his name is still synonymous with one of the darkest scandals the sport has ever witnessed.

The United States was taken over by the FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2026. ‘Soccer’ was abandoned and the football fever across North America has been incredible, with brilliant scenes of fan celebrations across the US, Mexico and Canada.

It has all been leading up to the final on July 19, in what is the biggest single sporting event on the planet. For some reason, that statement seems to irk a small portion of American Football fans who champion the Super Bowl final.

In the spirit of friendly debate, GiveMeSport has decided to break down which event is bigger: the Superbowl final or the World Cup final?

The Fundamental Difference

When you look at the two events, the striking difference in format is very clear. The Super Bowl is a single, 60-minute contest, whilst the World Cup final is the culmination of a month-long tournament.

For the NFL, the Super Bowl is a domestic championship. You are not seen as the world champions because it is the sole American league, contested by American franchises.

In contrast, the name of the biggest global football tournament gives it away: it brings together 48 nations to see who is the best country in the world following a lengthy qualification process.

It is a simple case of domestic versus international. That distinction is what follows in many of the arguments that US fans have against FIFA’s grand show.

Viewership

Whilst the Super Bowl has a global appeal, the viewership difference is insurmountable. Over 120–130 million people tune in for the NFL showpiece in what is a wholly domestic audience.

For FIFA, the cumulative global audience sits at around six billion across the month of matches that drags in eyeballs from countless countries around the world.

Looking at actual figures is a clear way to see the differences. For the 2022 final between Argentina and France, FIFA’s official report showed an average live audience of 571 million with around 1.4 billion watching at least a minute.

Whereas the highest-ever Super Bowl figures in the 2025 clash between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, saw an average viewership of 127 million across Fox, Fox Deportes, Telemundo and Tubi.

Prize Money

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

For FIFA, the prize money aspect is far different. Whilst it has a premium payout for winning countries — a reported $50 million for the winner — the money goes to the national federations, not directly to players.

Players do receive a 20–30 percent payout depending on their federation’s agreement.

Given that the NFL is a team/franchise-based setup, the bonuses go straight to the players, with the 2026 winners of Super Bowl LX collecting $178,000 on top of their regular salaries.

Even the losing team’s players receive over $100,000. This shows the World Cup offers more total prize money, but the Super Bowl puts a guaranteed cheque directly into players’ hands.

How the finals compare

REUTERS/Paul Childs

Both are very different occasions, but one is becoming more like the other — let us explain.

The Super Bowl final is the event. Everything that surrounds the one match is almost as culturally significant as the sporting event taking place.

With the halftime show and some of the most expensive advertising slots on earth, all the noise surrounding it combines with football to create this unique, premium sporting occasion.

On the other hand, the World Cup final is the climax of over a month of intense action, drama and spectacle and 104 matches — all leading to one 90-minute winner-takes-all.

However, FIFA is taking a leaf out of the Super Bowl’s book. The 2026 final will have a halftime show featuring the likes of Justin Bieber, Shakira, BTS and Madonna. It builds on the FIFA Club World Cup which had its first iteration of the tournament last summer in the US.

Interestingly, the BBC is not planning to broadcast the show, which reflects the general British unease when it comes to the “Americanisation” of football.

Which is bigger?

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By reach, scale and international stakes, the World Cup is the clear winner and will always be by nature of its global appeal.

But the Super Bowl holds a unique place in global sporting events due to its cultural significance, the glitz and glamour and halftime show that thrust it into the mainstream.