Kevin Owens Still Needs To Beat CM Punk For The WWE Title

On Friday Night SmackDown in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it was not the ideal homecoming for Kevin Owens. Challenging for the WWE Championship in his first singles match in over a year, Owens hoped for a fairytale victory against his sworn enemy CM Punk… only for his once best friend Sami Zayn to betray him and cost him the match. Owens may have lost this match to Punk… but that should not be the end of his chase. In fact, the ending of this contest only makes much more of a certainty; Owens needs to be the man to dethrone Punk for the WWE Championship.

CM Punk Retained The WWE Title Against Kevin Owens

• Sami Zayn betrayed Kevin Owens.
• CM Punk took advantage and defeated Owens on SmackDown.
• Zayn is still hunting for the WWE Championship.

In one of the best TV matches of the year, CM Punk and Kevin Owens tore the house down in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the August 21 edition of Friday Night SmackDown. Despite Owens with the hometown advantage, and despite some dastardly interference from Sami Zayn, Punk’s resilience as champion was on full display as he survived one of the closest near-falls in recent WWE memory to keep his title reign alive. Owens rejected Zayn’s help, leading to his former best friend striking him over the head with the WWE Championship belt, handing Punk the victory on a silver platter.

With Zayn’s actions post-match, it is clear that he is still incensed on reclaiming the WWE Championship after dropping the gold to Punk on the road to SummerSlam 2026, and will be in the title hunt moving forwards. As Owens was screwed out of the match, there is a good chance that a triple threat match will occur at some point in the near future, with the likes of Gunther, Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton all likely on the hunt soon to challenge for the WWE Title too. Even though Punk beat Owens on SmackDown, this should not be the end of the story.

The CM Punk Vs. Kevin Owens Feud Is Too Good To End

• Owens & Punk have had great promos on SmackDown.
• Their rivalry is one of the most authentic WWE feuds of the year.
• Owens & Punk deserve more matches to make magic.

In recent weeks, the promos and back-and-forths between Kevin Owens and CM Punk have been incredible. In a year where storylines are struggling for authenticity and interest in WWE, the exchanges between Owens and Punk feel real, full of hatred, and in turn has gotten fans heavily invested in seeing them do battle in the middle of the ring. However, this has been a short-term program thus far, with it only consisting of three weeks of build. Their chemistry both on the mic and in the ring is simply too good to leave in the past, so WWE must continue to build their bad blood in the coming months.

Despite some rumblings on the likes of WOR that Punk vs. Owens is a “one-and-done”, WWE should book more promos, brawls, attacks, and matches between these two, as it is a program that can singlehandedly turn around WWE’s momentum and draw in interest to the Friday Night SmackDown brand throughout the rest of 2026. Whether it be immediately or in a couple of months, Punk vs. Owens must reignite with even more fire.

Kevin Owens Should Defeat CM Punk Down The Line

• CM Punk can turn heel in their feud.
• Owens’ comeback story deserves to end with the WWE Championship.
• Owens can defeat Punk at WrestleMania 43.

The long term plan should be clear for WWE after the buzz of the WWE Championship match on SmackDown; Kevin Owens must be the one to dethrone CM Punk. Owens has not held a world title since his awful defeat to Goldberg at Fastlane 2017, going on to become one of the most consistently entertaining, hard-working and quality stars for the next decade, doing absolutely anything asked and making it great. Whether it be acting as one of the biggest rivals to Roman Reigns’ Bloodline, getting squashed by Braun Strowman, stealing the show on any given night with Sami Zayn, elevating comedic feuds with Ezekiel/Elias, or headlining WrestleMania with Steve Austin, Owens always thrives and deserves so much more in the way of title success.

After overcoming neck surgery and returning after over a year away from a WWE ring, the perfect opportunity is there to book Owens on a journey to redemption, fighting through hurdles and defeats to bounce back and eventually beat CM Punk – perhaps on a stage as lofty as WrestleMania 43. Whether it be Punk turning heel to make Owens’ climb and victory all the sweeter, or if they remain as two babyfaces with sworn hatred, it is time for WWE to hand Owens his second ever world title victory.