Night two of WWE SummerSlam 2026 was quite a night in Minnesota. Kevin Owens ended his 17-month hiatus from the ring. He is now on his way to an Undisputed World Title match, even though there was a time when he didn’t think it would happen.
Kevin Owens’ return to the ring was a long time coming. The Prizefighter had to overcome a neck injury that needed surgery and a lot of healing. When SummerSlam 2026 rolled around, he was ready to go. That being said, it wasn’t guaranteed.
During the post-show after SummerSlam, Big E asked Kevin Owens about his return to the ring and if he thought this was going to happen. It turns out that things were up in the air until about a month ago.
“I mean there was a moment when I didn’t know if this was gonna happen, and I didn’t make peace with it. You know, [Big E], getting this taken away from me when you’re not ready is hard. But, I had such a great group around me to support me, you know my wife my kids my parents, that got me through this, my friends, WWE medical staff, even you — I would talk to you a lot. But, I was never okay with it. Thankfully, and honestly up to a month ago I thought this may be it. They kept doing scans, it kept showing not what they were hoping for as far as the healing process from the surgery. I thought it wasn’t gonna happen. Then a few weeks ago we did a scan and we finally saw what we needed to see and I got back in the ring and from there — here I am.”
Kevin Owens fought hard to make his way back to the ring. He also went through a really rough road to get him back. Only time will tell if he wins the title, but SummerSlam was his night.
We will have to see what happens next for Kevin Owens in WWE. He has an Undisputed World Title match ahead of him. That means CM Punk will be waiting for him, and that is a match that nobody expected to see this year. That being said, Kevin Owens apparently didn’t think it was going to happen for a while either.
What’s your take on Kevin Owens’ return to WWE? Do you think that he will beat CM Punk? Let us know what you think in the comments section!
