Kevin Owens didn’t waste any time after his return at SummerSlam. On Friday’s SmackDown in Philadelphia, Owens confronted CM Punk for the first time since becoming the No. 1 contender for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The opening segment started with Cody Rhodes hitting the ring to demand answers about Randy Orton’s attack at SummerSlam, where an RKO directly led to his loss to Punk. The champion came out and denied knowing anything about Orton’s return, even offering Rhodes another title shot.
Owens then interrupted, telling them there was a pecking order that needed to be respected. He earned the next Undisputed WWE Championship shot at SummerSlam, returning after more than a year away to win a Fatal 4-Way over Sami Zayn, Finn Bálor, and Gunther.
Owens said he spent 17 months facing the possibility he might never wrestle again because of a serious neck injury. His last match before the layoff was a win over Sami Zayn in an Unsanctioned Match at Elimination Chamber on March 1, 2025.
Things got personal from there. Owens called Punk arrogant and questioned whether the champion has really changed since coming back to WWE. Punk fired back, pointing out that Owens had once reached out to him for tickets to WWE events.
The rivalry also ends a long wait. Punk and Owens had a confrontation on the January 31, 2025 episode of SmackDown, but nothing ever came of it.
The segment closed with Owens shoving Punk, forcing Nick Aldis to step in and separate them. WWE has not yet confirmed when the Undisputed WWE Championship match will take place.