Will ‘The Prizefighter’ Finally Win a World Title After 10 Years in 2026?
The August 21st edition of SmackDown is shaping up to be a very important show as a first-time-ever encounter will take place between ‘The Best in the World’ CM Punk and Kevin Owens for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Both men have gone back and forth on the mic, sharing their disdain for one another and trying to one-up each other before they square off in Owens’ home country of Canada. With WWE’s most prized possession on the line, it’s clear that they will stop at nothing to hold SmackDown’s top title, although Owens’ ambitions might surpass even the championship itself. Could Owens finally slay the demons that have haunted him over the past 10 years and finally capture another world title?
Owens’ journey towards this world title opportunity has been nothing short of emotional. At Elimination Chamber 2025, Owens reignited a long-time feud against his friend-turned-foe Sami Zayn. ‘The Prizefighter’ won the match, but it was evident he was in a lot of pain. While preparing for a possible encounter with ‘The Viper’ Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41, it was revealed that Owens had suffered a neck injury that was far more serious than expected. He announced that he had to step away from the ring, with a return to the ring being highly unlikely. After over a year of being away from the squared circle, Owens made his shocking return to the ring at SummerSlam 2026, being inserted into a first-overall Contenders Match to determine a future challenger for Punk’s Undisputed WWE Championship. ‘KO’ won the match and booked his match against Punk for a future episode of SmackDown that will take place in Canada.
This match is personal for Owens, not only because of his desire to become a world champion after so long, but also because of who he will be challenging. The rivalry between Punk and Owens began in Ring of Honor, but the two men have yet to have any confrontation on WWE television, mainly due to Punk being away from the company. When ‘The Best in the World’ made his WWE return in 2023, he had a short encounter with Owens during a backstage segment that led nowhere. Now that Owens has earned a world title opportunity, the two have since thrown jabs at each other during their promos. ‘KO’ has stated that not only will winning the championship be satisfying, but to do it against Punk will be the icing on the cake. Owens stated that Punk has done nothing for the business and only ended up back in WWE because he had nowhere else to go. If Owens were to win in their encounter, he would manage to kill two birds with one stone: defeat Punk and become world champion.
Punk, on the other hand, doesn’t really understand why Owens is upset. He sees him as just another opponent vying for his world title. Since making his return to WWE. ‘The Voice of the Voiceless’ has accomplished many things, from finally main-eventing WrestleMania to capturing both world titles. It was evident that many would go after him, as his departure from WWE was a focal point in its time and is still talked about today. Many grew envious over the fact that despite him no longer being in the company, Punk’s name was never forgotten and chanted for many years. With Punk being back. It gave other superstars the opportunity to air their grievances against him and put a stop to any momentum he had going for him. Punk might just seem like another jealous opponent, but for Owens, it’s not the case. ‘KO’ almost lost it all when he was forced to step away from the ring, and now that he’s been given a second opportunity, he knows how important it is to make up for lost time and go after a title that has eluded him during his time on the main roster.
‘KO’ promised the WWE Universe he was going to give it his all, no matter how much time he has left in the ring. Part of that promise is capturing a world title, which is in the hands of someone he obviously dislikes. Winning a world title just a short time after returning to the ring would be the perfect chapter written in Owens’ WWE career, but if he wants to accomplish that, he has to put down ‘The Best in the World’. Can Owens finally win the big one once again, or will the pressure prove to be too much for him?
