Former WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens made an unexpected return at SummerSlam 2026 and notched a pivotal win immediately upon returning.
Moments before Sami Zayn and Finn Balor were slated to compete in a singles match to earn No. 1 contendership for the WWE Championship, SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis announced two massive additions to the match.
To Sami Zayn’s chagrin, Gunther was added as a last-minute participant. Just when fans thought a Triple Threat match was in order, Aldis announced that yet another competitor was being added to the mix.
Out stepped Kevin Owens.
Kevin Owens has been out of action for the past 17 months after undergoing neck surgery in July 2025.
However, the former NXT Champion didn’t skip a beat in his return, and is now one step away from being crowned WWE Champion.
GettyKevin Owens is the No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship
Kevin Owens, 42, is no spring chicken. Still, he looked fully revitalized on Sunday at SummerSlam.
Owens opened the match by laying the smackdown on Finn Balor and Gunther, hitting the pair with corner cannonballs in the early going.
Then, after sharing an emotional hug with his longtime friend Sami Zayn, Owens began striking him, too.
From the first to the final bell, Owens flew around the ring. Despite being out of action for over a year, his moveset looked as crisp as ever.
Owens executed corner cannonballs, a Swanton Bomb and a pair of stunners in his return.
Kevin Owens was not the only impressive performer in the SummerSlam Night 2 opener. Gunther, Finn Balor, and Sami Zayn all had momentum at points during the match, and it seemed that any of the former World Champions could win.
Owens landed a Swanton Bomb on Zayn and later struck all three of his opponents with another outside the ring.
Later in the match, Finn Balor landed a pair of Slingblades on Zayn and Gunther. Balor then attempted to land the Coupe de Grace on Gunther. However, he missed, and The Ring General planted him with a powerbomb.
Balor was then put in a submission hold by Gunther before Owens broke it up. Then, Owens began stomping Gunther out in the corner to the crowd’s pleasure.
In the end, Kevin Owens secured the pinfall victory on his longtime friend Sami Zayn after landing a massive superkick.
Now, Owens is slated to face CM Punk for the WWE Championship.
The official WWE Instagram video shared video footage of Kevin Owens’ return, and the fans were loving it.
“Pop so loud I can’t even hear the music,” one user wrote.
An excited fan emphasized, “WE ARE GETTING OWENS VERSUS PUNK!”
“I’m so happy KO is back,” another user wrote.
“Welcome back KO!” someone replied.
“We are finally getting Kevin Owens and CM Punk,” a fan said of the upcoming WWE Championship match.