CM Punk will defend his WWE Championship against Kevin Owens in a highly anticipated showdown between two former indie wrestling stars.
The two wrestlers will meet for the first time in WWE when they clash on the next episode of SmackDown in Canada.
Owens earned the championship opportunity after making a surprise return from injury earlier this month at SummerSlam.
Fans have wanted to see Punk and Owens face each other since Punk returned to WWE in 2023. Their rivalry also has roots in the independent wrestling scene, where the two crossed paths more than 20 years ago.
The upcoming match will take place in Owens’ home country, adding another layer to an already personal rivalry.
Tense confrontation
Punk and Owens continued their war of words during the latest episode of SmackDown.
Punk gave Owens the chance to speak freely about their past. The challenger then recalled their time wrestling on the independent circuit more than two decades ago.
“Twenty years ago, me and Phil (Punk), wrestled for the same independent promotion and he was the big top guy. I was just someone trying to make a name for myself,” Owens recalled.
“And on that night, you… chose to berate me, insult me and scream at me in a locker room full of my peers.”
Owens also criticised Punk for things he had said and done during the past 20 years.
He accused the champion of mistreating several of his friends. Punk responded by dismissing the criticism.
“Being hated by losers is the price I pay for not being one of them,” Punk said.
Owens acknowledged that many people backstage now respect Punk. However, he said he would never feel the same way about his opponent.
The Prizefighter accused Punk of being performative in his words and actions.
“The only reason you came back here and made everything right was because you had no choice,” Owens told Punk.
Punk, Owens exchange promises of winning
The confrontation became even more personal as both men promised to win the championship match.
Punk described Owens as “a tough guy” but questioned whether he had pushed himself to improve throughout his career.
“I see wasted potential. I see a tough guy, but he’s a bum,” Punk said.
The WWE Champion added that he still sees the same person he encountered 20 years ago.
Owens then revealed that he had spent two decades regretting that he never punched Punk during their early encounter.
“You know why I didn’t do it then? It’s because if I did, I know you would’ve ruined my career,” he said.
Owens promised to defeat Punk and take the WWE Championship.
Punk answered with a threat of his own. He told Owens that he would “put [his] fat ass to sleep.”
The heated exchange has now set the stage for their first WWE singles match.
With the WWE Championship on the line and years of personal history between the two wrestlers, the upcoming SmackDown showdown promises to be one of Punk’s most personal title defences yet.
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