Fact Check - Did CM Punk & Kevin Owens refuse to compete at WWE Crown Jewel 2026?

Speculations about Wrestlers’ reluctance proven false!

The list of WWE Superstars not participating in the Crown Jewel 2026 show included CM Punk and Kevin Owens, who allegedly declined to visit Saudi Arabia due to mounting fears over safety.

Speculation grew stronger when the promotion made an official announcement that Punk and Owens will be locked in a showdown on the November 6th episode of SmackDown, just one day before the Premium Live Event in Riyadh.

But there is a new update that has put an end to speculation, as the report revealed that neither of these Superstars declined to travel for the PLE. Here is what happened backstage at the match between two WWE former champions

Clarification on CM Punk and Kevin Owens’ Crown Jewel status

According to Dave Meltzer in a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, CM Punk and Owens were never scheduled to compete at the mega event in Riyadh. Their No Holds Barred match was always planned for SmackDown, and the decision had nothing to do with either superstar declining to travel to Saudi Arabia.

Meltzer directly dismissed the speculation, stating that the match was never a part of the plan for the PLE. He also revealed that he had obtained the original Crown Jewel match card, which showed that the only significant change involved the World Tag Team Championship contest.

The original plan reportedly featured Oba Femi, Penta and Je’Von Evans facing Bron Breakker, Austin Theory and Bronson Reed in a six-man tag team match. The Stamford-based promotion eventually changed it to a traditional tag team championship match. Meltzer suggested that Femi and Reed could potentially interfere in the contest to establish a future six-man rivalry, although he clarified that this was only his speculation.

The wrestling journalist also acknowledged that some performers have expressed concerns about travelling to Saudi Arabia. Reports from Fightful Select had indicated that multiple talents had requested not to be booked for the early November PLE because of safety concerns.

However, Meltzer made a clear distinction between wrestlers expressing reservations and officially refusing an assignment. He even noted that the company was not encouraging talent to decline travelling for the event. Roman Reigns’ willingness to make the trip was also mentioned during his discussion.

Also Read: All matches announced for WWE Crown Jewel 2026 so far ft. Roman Reigns, Chelsea Green, Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes & more

SmackDown SPOILER ALERT: Owens defeats Punk on SmackDown

Although the speculations are now in the past tense, Punk and Owens did face each other in the ring on the November 6 edition of SmackDown, with the match being pre-taped at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on November 2 after Raw to give talents time to travel to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel.

In the highly physical No Holds Barred match, Owens came out as the winner. While in the end Punk performed the GTS, KO managed to recover and knocked out Punk using his fist wrapped with a steel chain, resulting in a pinfall. This fight became Owens’ first victory over the Second City Saint in his entire career.

This event was yet another one that added to the rivalry between the opponents, which had been growing since their championship encounters. At the same time, the match was not supposed to become a substitute for the PLE match that the creative team wanted to organize for SmackDown.

Other video from the event highlights the return of Charlotte Flair as the former champion comes back from injury she sustained nearly three weeks ago. This development fuels speculation about a potential match at the Survivor Series.

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