Sami Zayn has ruined it all…
Here it is: the most important match of his career. In the main event of SmackDown on August 21, 2026, Kevin Owens challenged his eternal rival and WWE Champion CM Punk, before the Toronto crowd. The Canadian entered first, followed by the Chicago native. Owens hadn’t wrestled in a one-on-one match since March 1, 2025, that is, a year and a half earlier.
As CM Punk taunted his opponent during his entrance, Owens lost patience and aimed to take it out on his foe. The WWE Champion was of course booed. From the opening moments, Punk looked overwhelmed. The anger and frustration of Owens surprised the world champion. Very early in the contest, CM Punk targeted the battered neck of his opponent. Yet the Toronto crowd continued to cheer the country’s hero.
Kevin Owens did not pull punches: the Francophone hammered his rival while he was hooked on the ropes. Owens even executed a frog splash onto the commentators’ table, followed by a swanton bomb inside the ring, but that wasn’t enough to put the WWE Champion away. Torched by the fans, CM Punk prepared to deliver his GTS, but Owens countered with the most famous hold in Canada: the Sharpshooter.
But just as the referee was knocked out after two clashes between the two wrestlers, Sami Zayn stepped in to strike Punk and offer him up to his friend. Yet despite a stunner, that wasn’t enough: the champion escaped. While Sami offered the belt so Owens could hit his rival with it, Kevin refused and Zayn had no choice but to attack his former friend, frustrated by the turn of events. Naturally, the seasoned Punk seized the moment to finish KO for good with his GTS.
Kevin Owens lost his match because of Sami Zayn. The latter would proceed to attack both men before the show ended, demanding justice.
.@SamiZayn is RELENTLESS! pic.twitter.com/6T1COdExEC
— WWE (@WWE) August 22, 2026
