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SummerSlam Night 2 was set to start with a No. 1 contender match for the Undisputed WWE Championship between Sami Zayn and Finn Balor. Both competitors had more than earned the right to vie for their next shot at the biggest prize in the company.
However, neither of them came away with the victory.
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Kevin Owens looks on during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 2, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
Nick Aldis, who was reinstated as SmackDown’s general manager following his loss to Gunther in Night 1, made an executive decision to add “The Ring General” to the match. He wasn’t done there. Aldis said there was one more person he was going to add to the match.
It was Kevin Owens.
After nearly 16 months on the shelf with a serious neck injury, Owens made a triumphant return. The crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis nearly shattered the glass in the building. Better yet, Owens looked just as good as he did when he needed to step away from the ring.
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Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are in action during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 2, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
Owens immediately went after Balor and Gunther while Zayn stood in the ring shocked. The two embraced before they started to exchange blows. Owens put his neck to the test with running sentons and a swanton from the top rope onto the three competitors.
Gunther tried his hardest to get his opponents to tap out with multiple submission maneuvers. In the end, it would come down to Zayn and Owens. Zayn hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Owens but couldn’t get the pin.
Owens eventually hit Zayn with a superkick and a stunner to secure the pinfall and the victory.
It has been a long time for Owens, who needed quite some time to get back into wrestling shape. Zayn cautioned pro wrestling fans in an interview with Digital in June that Owens’ recovery just needed time.
Gunther faces Finn Balor during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 2, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
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Time appeared to heal all and Owens is one win over CM Punk from becoming a world champion once again.
