Morning Daily News Update: July 20, 2026 – CM Punk Opens Up About His WWE Hiatus

Good morning, everyone!

It’s Monday, I hope you all had a brilliant weekend! But now, it’s time for the Morning Daily News Update!

We’ve also got some new stuff on the blog from yesterday:

Niz reviewed AAA from July 18
Megabucks uploaded a new Megabucks Presents
Phrederic reviewed the AJPW Champion Carnival from May 2

CM Punk Explains His WWE Absence After WrestleMania 42

CM Punk has revealed that his nearly three-month absence from WWE following WrestleMania 42 was taken to grieve the deaths of several close friends and reset mentally. Speaking to ESPN New York, Punk said it was the first extended break of his career that was not caused by injury or surgery, allowing him to spend time at home with his wife, AJ Lee.

Punk explained that three or four people close to him died while he was World Heavyweight Champion, but he continued working without discussing the losses publicly. He returned on the July 6 episode of Raw, defeated Sami Zayn to win the Undisputed WWE Championship and is now scheduled to defend the title against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam.

WWE Raw Lineup Confirmed For July 20, 2026

Check out the lineup for tonight’s episode of WWE Raw.

Danhausen Curses Argentina Right Before World Cup Loss To Spain

Danhausen’s streak of successful “curses” continued after he revealed before the 2026 World Cup final that he would curse Argentina, who then lost 1-0 to Spain. The WWE star has gained a reputation for his curses since joining the company, with his most notable being the lifting of his curse on the New York Knicks, who went on to win their first NBA Championship in more than 50 years. Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns later appeared at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, where Towns helped Danhausen defeat JD McDonagh in a No Disqualification Match by chokeslamming both McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio before Danhausen picked up the victory.

Jim Ross Explains Why WWE’s SummerSlam Ticket Sales Are Struggling

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross believes the company’s recent SummerSlam ticket sales struggles are due to the absence of a breakout superstar who is generating widespread excitement. Speaking on Grilling JR, Ross said WWE has plenty of talented performers but argued they need to be utilised more effectively to create a truly “white hot” attraction, comparing the current product to the impact “Stone Cold” Steve Austin had during the Attitude Era.

Ross’ comments come amid reports that SummerSlam ticket sales have been slower than expected, despite a card featuring CM Punk defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns facing Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship, and Brock Lesnar taking on Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell.