13 New Directions For WWE After SummerSlam 2026
1. Kevin Owens Going For CM Punk
KO’s return was an excellent surprise to kick off the second night at SummerSlam.
Reinstated SmackDown GM announced that he was putting Gunther in the Sami Zayn vs. Finn Bálor match. Then, just as Sami was protesting that decision, Aldis made it a Fatal-4-Way by sticking Kevin Owens in there too and Zayn's jaw hit the floor like bodies from a Drowning Pool song. What a hot, hot, hot way to start Sunday’s show.
Following up, you just know there’s another Owens vs. Zayn bout incoming, and then Kev can match up against CM Punk for the WWE Title after that. That'll be a brilliant one-two punch feud to headline SmackDown over the next few months - Owens can smash through a flustered Sami, then target someone who's going around the place calling himself 'The Best In The World'.
Like with Oba, where's the need to press pause? WWE's weekly television has been strangled by Triple H holding off, holding off and then holding off some more, and he really needs to quit that. Patiently building acts and stories is one thing, but people want to see action and drama when they tune into Raw or SmackDown; not place holding.
KO challenging Punk feels big time. It's certainly bigger than the typical fare expected on 'B' tier PLEs after major events such as SummerSlam. Bring it on.
Where else can you see WWE booking going after SummerSlam 2026? For more wrestling, check out 10 Forgotten WWE Experiments That Didn't Last and 10 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Big Boss Man!