WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 2 Results As Kevin Owens Returns To Win Surprise Fatal 4-Way
Kevin Owens made a triumphant return at WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 2, ending a 17-month absence due to a neck injury. In a shocking turn, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis added Owens and Gunther to what was originally a Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn No. 1 Contender's match, transforming it into a Fatal 4-Way. Owens, receiving a massive pop, overcame his frenemy Sami Zayn, Gunther, and Balor to secure the victory. This win makes Owens the new No. 1 Contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship, setting up a highly anticipated fresh feud with current champion CM Punk. Sami Zayn, who had recently lost the title, was visibly infuriated by Owens' unexpected return and victory, even injuring Owens' neck during the intense bout. Owens' return was a major highlight, despite his earlier claims of being ignored by WWE.
Kevin Owens returned from neck injury to open WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 2. Owens became the No. 1 Contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship in his first match in 17 months, infuriating Sami Zayn and fellow surprise entrant Gunther, who turned this singles match into a Fatal 4-Way.
Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn represented a traditional Babyface vs. Heel match on a card (and roster) filled with babyfaces. Both SummerSlam world title matches feature babyfaces vying for the top title on their brand, and even top heel Sami Zayn’s current gimmick is as the last good guy. Zayn was celebrated by fans with his feel-good WWE Championship win inside Saudi Arabia, and he even received “you deserve it” chants during his victory celebration. Kevin Owens was featured in backstage segments celebrating with Zayn after seeing his best friend finally win a world title.
Gunther was none-too-pleased with these developments, leading to a feud with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, who came out of retirement last night and fought valiantly in defeat against the Ring General. After Triple H reinstated Gunther during a backstage segment on the show, Aldis made good with Gunther and added him to this No. 1 Contender’s match. But Aldis didn’t just have one surprise, he had two: the other was Kevin Owens, who received a massive pop.
The return of Randy Orton during WWE SummerSlam Night 1 came amid reports that both Orton and Owens were on their way back. Orton cost Cody Rhodes the WWE Championship against CM Punk, so it was only fair to wonder whether or not Kevin Owens would make his long-awaited return to feud with his frenemy Zayn for the WWE Undisputed Championship after a short run. Owens recently appeared on WWE Superstar Kit Wilson’s social media series “Are You Toxic?” and claimed WWE hadn’t returned his calls.
"The point is, I’ve asked you to be quiet. You know what I’m trying to do right now? I’m under a lot of stress, okay? No one in the company has been calling me back,” Owens said.
Kevin Owens— who was spotted in plain sight this SummerSlam weekend—has not been seen on WWE television since being forced to forfeit a singles match against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41. Kevin Owens was promptly replaced by Joe Hendry in a short, but entertaining match. Given the combination of Kevin Owens’ injury timeline, rumors of his imminent return and the WWE-approved platform where Owens claimed his employer hasn’t called him back, it was obvious that Kevin Owens was delivering a red herring on Kit Wilson’s podcast.
Finn Balor has been on a successful redemption tour since leaving the Judgment Day and joining SmackDown. Balor enjoyed an elusive win over the seven-foot-tall Talla Tonga, which typically portends well for wrestlers looking to get a world title shot. WWE Undisputed champion CM Punk has gone out of his way to praise Balor both on and off camera, though Balor was unsuccessful in two attempts this year in defeating CM Punk.
Sami Zayn has been very vocal about his (in-character) frustrations about only holding the WWE Undisputed Championship for nine days. Zayn has referred to CM Punk as a “fraud” and a “hypocrite” after the current champion took advantage of an opportunity that fell out of the sky to dethrone Sami Zayn in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Ill. Similar language has been used to troll CM Punk, including a recent promo from Punk’s opp Jack Perry. Apparently, the “falling out of the sky” angle is even working some of the boys who don’t even go here.
Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor is basically a pick-em per the sportsbook odds, but regardless of who won the match, both scenarios represent a rematch of a world title bout that already happened over the past couple months. The addition of Kevin Owens to the world title picture will be a welcomed change in storytelling. Still, Owens received one of the biggest pops of the night, and will be treated as a babyface in a feud with fellow babyface CM Punk.
Kevin Owens and CM Punk have been kept apart during Punk’s entire return tour, with one of their few exchanges being a backstage segment during Punk’s return to SmackDown. Owens’ big win makes him the new No. 1 Contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship, setting up a feud Punk. With Punk recently feuding against Balor, Zayn, Gunther and even Cody Rhodes, a CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens match is fresh and will lead to some great promos between the two former ROH champions who will have real-life history to draw upon.