Sports
Heartbreaking Real Reason CM Punk Was Absent After WrestleMania 42
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
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.
“I didn’t talk about it publicly. I showed up partially because it helped me being here amongst my road family and being able to connect with the fans on that level helped me get through it, but there was still some stuff I needed to process.
“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.
Tottenham Hotspur chiefs have reached a verbal agreement with a club to finalise their seventh summer signing.
Tottenham and ENIC have gone into overdrive with the summer transfer business as they look to avoid being involved in a Premier League relegation battle for a third successive season.
That is already looking like an unlikely possibility with Roberto De Zerbi at the helm for a full season and with the quality of signings they have already made this summer, with Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, Martin Dubravka, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali all joining – the latter two in club-record transfers.
With the defence and midfield transformed from last season, attention now turns to getting players out the door and strengthening De Zerbi’s attack as Spurs look to return to the top six next term.
Luka Vuskovic has already left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a big-money deal to Brighton and Hove Albion, and he is unlikely to be the last with the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Lucas Bergvall and Richarlison among those heavily linked with an exit away from the club.
Tottenham could also be closing in on their next summer addition of a window they appear to be winning right now.
Tottenham Reach Verbal Agreement With Man City to Sign Savinho
Tottenham’s next transfer priority has been to land a new left-winger, with Manchester City star Savinho emerging as their number one target for the position.
Spurs wanted to sign the Brazil international 12 months ago but were unable to find an agreement with City over a deal, but now it appears as though they have reached a breakthrough.
According to a reliable Tottenham source on X, the north Londoners have now reached a verbal agreement with City to sign the 22-year-old.
A separate report has claimed that a deal could be finalised for £65m, as Spurs look to get another big summer deal over the line.
Tottenham Still Targeting Eli Junior Kroupi
There may have been some concerns that once Tottenham decided that Savinho was their top left-wing target, that it reduced their chances of moving for Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi too.
However, it is claimed that even if Spurs do secure a deal for Savinho, they will still target a move for the highly-rated French attacker too following an outstanding breakthrough campaign in the Premier League.
While Harry Kane continues to break new ground, proving himself as one of the greatest strikers in world football, the same certainly cannot be said for one of his former England partners. That comes in spite of the fact he was once tipped to be Manchester United’s primary number one and be a regular part of the national team.
Indeed, nobody needs reminding of Kane’s success on the international stage. No one has captained the Three Lions to more major international tournament semi-finals than him, and his goalscoring tally is way beyond that of his predecessors, having managed an incredible 85 goals in 120 caps.
Over the course of that time, though, he’s never found a reliable strike partner. He’s come closest to finally discovering one at this year’s World Cup, with Jude Bellingham netting six times to prove himself as one of the best midfielders in the world. But as for out-and-out number 9s, Kane hasn’t been blessed with right-hand men.
Harry Kane’s Former England Strike Partner Now 32 and Unemployed
Having started alongside Kane in an England Under-19s friendly against Switzerland in 2012, Will Keane is spending the next few weeks in a PFA pre-season camp laid on to help unemployed players find new clubs.
His downfall started just days after playing up top with Kane, as he suffered a serious knee injury which sidelined him for 16 months. He told BBC Sport recently:
“I made my senior debut [for United]. We won the Youth Cup. I was doing well for England. Everything was taking off. That first injury was at a crucial time. I had my foot in the door.
“The feeling was I would probably have been around the first team. If the injury had happened a couple of years later, I might have been an established squad player.”
Keane grafted his way back to fitness, gained experience out on loan and was once again knocking on the door of the United first team by early 2016. But, by then, another Englishman had already taken his place, slumming the door shut on his chances of getting enough playing time to prove himself.
Keane tore his groin, allowing Marcus Rashford to get a run in the senior side. The Carrington Academy graduate scored four goals in his first two Red Devils’ games, which he admits was like a dagger to the heart. He recalled: “I went to America for an operation, landed in Philadelphia, turned my phone on and saw he scored two more. It was hard to take, but I had to move on.”
The 32-year-old did move on, bouncing around the second and third tiers before finding a safe haven at Wigan Athletic, where he played the best football of his career between 2020 and 2023.
The Stockport-born striker, whose twin brother is Everton defender Michael Keane, also spent part of last season on loan at League One Reading before his Preston contract expired. He is now having “a few chats” with interested clubs and hopes things will “open up” once the season starts.
Keane Always Knew His Compatriot Was Special
The past few weeks have given Keane the perfect opportunity to watch his former partner in crime at the World Cup and reflect on what has made him so successful. He said, as per The Sun: “I remember when we were young, people said he wasn’t mobile, but technically, the time he put into his finishing and his obsessiveness to be the best in terms of shooting, you see it don’t you?
“He’s so sure of himself, because he’s put the work in. He knows he’s a complete striker. He’s obviously got that belief in himself. If he didn’t have certainty in his mind, he wouldn’t be as prolific.”
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Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has vented his frustrations about his team’s training schedule ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain, implying that they have been put at an unfair disadvantage.
The South American nation secured their spot in football’s showpiece event by beating England in dramatic circumstances on Wednesday evening in Atlanta. Late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez cancelled out Anthony Gordon’s opener, sending the reigning champions to their seventh World Cup final.
Meanwhile, Spain booked their place in the showdown in New Jersey by seeing off France 24 hours before the clash at the Atlanta Stadium. A penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a neat finish from Pedro Porro were enough for La Roja to progress.
Argentina only arrived in the New York area late on Thursday night, and Scaloni feels this is already a significant setback for his side heading into the game at MetLife Stadium.
Lionel Scaloni Complains About Training Schedule Ahead of World Cup Final
Spain reportedly flew into New Jersey on Wednesday night, the day after their semi-final victory over France. Argentina’s encounter with England only concluded on Wednesday evening, and they had to wait over 24 hours before landing in the north-east of the United States.
La Albiceleste arrived around 11pm on Thursday night, before FIFA instructed them to train briefly in the sweltering heat on Friday afternoon in New York.
Speaking at his press conference on Friday evening, Scaloni addressed this schedule and how it clearly favours Spain, who were able to train in more favourable conditions and enjoy an additional day’s rest.
“We’re just now resting because we arrived last night around 11pm,” he said. “Today they forced us to train at a time we didn’t want.
“But with the press conference and everything, we had to do a strange, quick training session, and we hardly got to try anything out.
“We are focused on rest, and based on that we will see how they arrive, because there are players who are not at 100%.
“We will evaluate how they are. We play thinking about ourselves, but being mindful of the good things that the opponent has.”
History Shows Spain Have Huge Advantage Over Argentina
While fans might feel Scaloni is looking for excuses before the final has even commenced, the Argentina boss might actually have a point.
The Athletic revealed last week that in 13 of the last 14 World Cups and European Championships, the team who played their semi-final first has emerged with the trophy.
Clearly, having an additional rest period and more time to prepare tactically for the opposition gives teams significant advantages in these tournaments. That said, there isn’t really a way around this.
Ultimately, unless the two semi-finals are played at the same time or within a few hours of each other, one team is always going to have an advantage. Being first is the luck of the draw, and it’s unavoidable.
However, Scaloni’s complaints towards FIFA were more concentrated on the scheduling of the press conference and the training session. The football organisation could have allowed Argentina to train in the evening when it was cooler, scheduling the press conference for the afternoon.
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