WWE SummerSlam 2026 Results As Kevin Owens Shockingly Returns, Pins Sami Zayn
At WWE SummerSlam 2026, Sami Zayn aimed for redemption and a WWE Championship rematch after losing his title to CM Punk. His path to becoming the #1 contender, initially a singles match against Finn Balor, was dramatically altered by SmackDown GM Nick Aldis, who added Gunther and a returning Kevin Owens, creating a Fatal 4-Way. In a shocking turn, Owens, making his comeback after 17 months, emerged victorious, securing his spot as the #1 contender. This sets Owens on a collision course with CM Punk for the WWE Championship, while Zayn's hopes for a quick return to the title picture were dashed. Owens' unexpected return after career-threatening neck surgery injects new excitement into SmackDown's main event scene.
WWE SummerSlam 2026 gave Sami Zayn a shot at redemption and Finn Balor a chance to reclaim his spot in the main event scene.
At Night of Champions in June, Zayn captured his first world title in WWE when he defeated Cody Rhodes and Gunther to capture the WWE Championship. But Zayn would hold the title for just nine days after losing it to CM Punk on Monday Night Raw.
While Zayn ultimately was given a rematch for the WWE Championship, that came with a caveat: he had to beat Finn Balor, who won a Fatal 4-Way match, at SummerSlam to get another shot at it. Just when it looked like Zayn would get a one-on-one match against Balor to become No. 1 contender, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis changed plans.
After his loss to Gunther on SummerSlam Saturday, Aldis appeared during the opening segment on Raw and dropped a bombshell: Both Gunther and a returning Kevin Owens, wrestling for the first time in 17 months, would be added to the bout to make it a Fatal 4-Way.
Sami Zay’n’s chance to become a two-time WWE world champion was ruined by a familiar foe.
In a shocking four-way match that came out of nowhere, Owens outlasted Gunther, Zayn and Balor at SummerSlam to become the No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship. Yes, that really happened. Owens, making an improbable return to the ring, picked up a huge victory to earn a future WWE title shot.
After his win at WWE SummerSlam 2026, Owens immediate path is quite clear as he will challenge CM Punk, who defeated Cody Rhodes on Saturday, for the WWE Championship in the near future.
Zayn has a long history with Rhodes and, of course, just lost the WWE Championship to Punk, making a feud with either man an intriguing possibility. When Zayn lost the WWE title to Punk less than two weeks after winning it, there was a lot of chatter that he had been shortchanged and would never get a crack at the WWE title again.
That could prove to be true after all thanks to the improbable return of Owens, who shocked the world by coming back just a year and a half after what appeared to be career-ending neck surgery.
As Zayn looks likely to drop down the card and out of the main event scene once again, Owens’ return will breathe new life into a SmackDown world title picture that desperately needs him. The blue brand really needs a new jolt of excitement, and a likely title feud between Punk and Owens, two of WWE’s best all-around stars, is sure to give it that.
Just a few months ago, WWE fans weren’t sure that Owens would ever wrestle again. Now, Owens is back after an electric SummerSlam return that has turned WWE SmackDown on its head.