Kevin Owens returns at SummerSlam, pins Sami Zayn for title shot

Former WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens made an unexpected return at SummerSlam 2026 and notched a pivotal win immediately upon returning.Moments before Sami Zayn and Finn Balor were slated to compete in a singles match to earn No. 1 contendership for the WWE Championship, SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis announced two massive additions to the […] The post Kevin Owens Seizes Incredible Opportunity in Stunning Return at SummerSlam appeared first on HEAVY.

WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 2 kicked off in style with the additions of a returning Kevin Owens and Gunther in the Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor No. 1 contender match.

WWE kicked off SummerSlam Sunday (Aug. 2) with a singles match between Finn Balor and Sami Zayn. The winner becomes the number one contender for CM Punk’s undisputed WWE championship. Well, that’s the match that SummerSlam was supposed to open with. With both men in the ring and the bell about to ring, GM Nick Aldis came out and announced that in the interest of fairness, he’s adding another wrestler to the match. That’s right, it’s the man who beat Nick’s ass at SummerSlam Saturday, GUNTHER. OMG 😱@Gunther_AUT has been added to the No. 1 Contender's Match! pic.twitter.com/2m8IU4mbXV — WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026 Just as the the 3-way match was about to begin, Aldis then announced that he wasn’t finished. You see, it’s actually a Fatal 4-wa matchy, which means one more star needs to join the fray. Enter Kevin Owens. Holy shit! The look on Sami’s face said it all during KO’s shocking return to WWE after more than one year away due to neck surgery. Owens and Zayn hugged, and then got to the business at hand by repeatedly punching each other in the face. KEVIN OWENS IS SO BACK 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kOQMwCwd2l — WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026 You can’t have Owens come back after such a long absence and lose, right? After a sequence where each star landed a signature move, KO ultimately prevailed by pinning The Last Real Good Guy with a stunner. KO IS NO. 1 CONTENDER 💯 Welcome BACK to the KEVIN OWENS SHOW!!! @FightOwensFight pic.twitter.com/P7Lj5LuV2i — WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026 Just like that, Kevin Owens versus WWE Champion CM Punk is on the horizon in WWE. How great is that? Let me know in the comments below your reaction to KO’s surprise WWE return at SummerSlam, as well as Zayn and Balor getting screwed out of their scheduled singles match, Cagesiders. Catch up on all the results from SummerSlam in our live blog right here.

WWE SummerSlam 2026 results as Kevin Owens make his shocking return after 17 months, pinning Sami Zayn to become No. 1 contender.