Kevin Owens’ World Title Time Is Now

Kevin Owens is back in WWE after over a year out of action thanks to neck surgery, making his big return at SummerSlam 2026 Sunday to become the brand new number one contender for CM Punk’s WWE Championship. Despite his role at the top of the card in WWE, it has been a decade since Owens won a world title… and this needs to finally change. With Owens entering the WWE Championship picture, it is high time that WWE handed Owens the respect he deserves and crowns him as the brand new WWE Champion at some point in the near future. There is a path to get there in the best way, but it means a lot of hurdles, setbacks, and overcoming the odds.

Kevin Owens Deserves To Win The WWE Championship

• Owens has been one of WWE’s best wrestlers for a decade.
• He’s only ever won one world title in WWE.
• Owens should win WWE’s top prize before it is too late.

Kevin Owens won the Universal Championship back in 2016 just one year after debuting on the main roster. After losing the gold at the start of 2017, many expected his WWE career to be littered by world title prizes… only for him to never win another world title. Owens has competed in every division, headlined WrestleMania twice, competed against a vast array of talents, and done absolutely everything he’s been asked to do to the best of his ability. Often, Owens has been booked as a challenger and loser, putting over WWE’s biggest stars such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Cody Rhodes over the years. With how incredible he’s been for so long, he deserves more.

Owens has been out of the ring for 17 months, overcoming neck surgery to earn himself a WWE Championship opportunity. Redemption stories and returns from injury are always a great story to tell when it comes to a title chase, and that should be what is in store for Owens. Prior to his injury, Owens’ work with the likes of Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Sami Zayn was stellar, more than earning him a spot in the conversation for being a potential WWE Champion.

CM Punk Should Defeat Kevin Owens In Their First Match

• WWE should hold off on Owens’ title win.
• Owens falling to Punk can lead him to a redemption arc.
• Owens can tell the story of recovery and redemption perfectly to get fans behind him.

At some point in the near future, Owens is set to challenge CM Punk for the WWE Championship, who is on the back of defeating Sami Zayn for the gold and a successful defense against Cody Rhodes. Punk & Owens have had known hatred towards one another, stemming from their time outside of WWE, and have yet to wrestle in singles competition in WWE. This is a feud that can become personal, nasty, and heated, especially if WWE’s top prize is on the line. However, Owens’ climb to the title should not happen just yet.

CM Punk beating Kevin Owens sets up a stronger redemption arc and one that will feel earned. Owens only recently returned, so telling the story of him not yet being 100% is a good one to tell. This is a rivalry that could also bring out a darker side of Punk, similar to how his feud with Eddie Kingston was presented in AEW, making Punk a tweener for a while to allow the fans to rally behind Owens. Losing to Punk sometime soon can set up Owens’ path to the world title over the next several months.

Kevin Owens Needs To Win The WWE Championship At WrestleMania

• WWE originally planned for Sami Zayn to win the WWE Title at WrestleMania.
• Owens taking that spot instead after Zayn’s recent title win is the right choice.
• Owens can defeat Punk or Zayn at WrestleMania 43.

In the aftermath of a loss, Owens can spend some time in non-title feuds against the likes of Gunther, revisit his feud with Randy Orton, battle Finn Balor, and more, all leading to a major Royal Rumble victory and a WWE Championship rematch at WrestleMania 43. A report from False Finish suggested that Sami Zayn was originally supposed to win the title at WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, but with Zayn already getting his big moment, switching this up for Owens would be a nice alternative.

Seeing Owens either beat Punk or a new WWE Champion in Zayn on the Grandest Stage Of Them All would be fantastic, and one hell of a way to cap off his redemption and return. This is Kevin Owens’ time for world title glory once again.