CM Punk and Kevin Owens went face to face on SmackDown in Boston, one week before they meet for the Undisputed WWE Championship next Friday on SmackDown in Toronto. The segment covered 20 years of history between them.
Owens opened by pointing out the irony of Punk demanding people say things to his face, referencing last week’s show, when cameras caught Punk muttering something in Owens’ direction that Owens summarized as calling him a fat slob. That led Owens to take the story back two decades.
“20 years ago, me and Phil wrestled for the same independent promotion, and he was the big top guy,” Owens said, using Punk’s real name. Owens said that as a young wrestler trying to make a name for himself, Punk chose to berate him, insult him and scream at him in a locker room full of his peers.
Punk questioned Owens holding onto it for 20 years. Owens said it went beyond one night. He pointed to the person Punk has been since, the things he has said and done, and the way he has treated people Owens cares about. When Punk asked which friends he meant, Owens answered, “every friend I have in this industry hates you.”
Punk’s reply: “Being hated by losers is the price I pay for not being one of them.”
Owens called Punk a phony and said everything he does is performative, arguing Punk only came back to WWE and made amends because he screwed things up everywhere else and had no choice. He ran down his own resume, 12 consistent years before his injury, a Universal Championship reign, and a WrestleMania main event against Stone Cold Steve Austin, something Punk will never get to do.
Punk called Owens a tough guy and said speaking two languages makes Owens smarter than him. Then he continued. “I see a tough guy, but he’s a bum,” Punk said, accusing Owens of avoiding the work of getting better every day and telling him that if he had done even half the work, maybe he could have avoided the Goldberg spear that ended his last title reign. Owens fired back that he has spent his entire career making sure he would never be anything like Punk, said Punk hates what he sees in the mirror while Owens loves who he is, and reminded Punk that he could not avoid the Roman Reigns spear at WrestleMania either.
Later in the segment, Owens said, “I have regretted for 20 years not punching you in the mouth.” Punk invited him to do it right there. Owens said the reason he did not do it 20 years ago is that Punk would have ruined his career, and the reason he will not do it now is that in seven days in Toronto, he gets to punch Punk in the face and beat him for the WWE Title after he does it. Punk closed by promising that in Toronto, Owens will finally look up to him, when Punk puts him to sleep.
The segment references real history. Punk and Owens crossed paths in ROH n the mid-2000s, and the issues between them from that period have been discussed in wrestling circles for years. On a recent Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer recapped the Colt Cabana situation: Cabana was asked to delete the 2014 podcast episode on which Punk tore into WWE and Dr. Chris Amann, declined because Punk had committed to paying his legal bills, and after Cabana was later seen having lunch with Owens, Punk cut off communication and stopped paying, a falling out that ended in Cabana suing Punk over the fees before the two sides settled. Owens and Sami Zayn have been close with Cabana going back to their independent days.
The Undisputed WWE Championship is on the line on SmackDown in Toronto, Owens’ home country, on August 21.
"You chose to berate me, insult me, and scream at me in a locker room full of my peers." 😳@FightOwensFight on his history with @CMPunk. pic.twitter.com/6snc1IcnHL
— WWE (@WWE) August 15, 2026
This is getting INTENSE 👀@FightOwensFight | @CMPunk pic.twitter.com/KZiA2o6oDP
— WWE (@WWE) August 15, 2026
There is SO much history between @CMPunk and @FightOwensFight! ⏮️ pic.twitter.com/kFifbRr1US
— WWE (@WWE) August 15, 2026
That is what you call a good old fashioned war of WORDS! 🤩@FightOwensFight | @CMPunk pic.twitter.com/7JlxnfyjRx
— WWE (@WWE) August 15, 2026
