Report: CM Punk and Kevin Owens were not scheduled for WWE Crown Jewel 2026

Neither CM Punk nor Kevin Owens refused to travel for WWE Crown Jewel 2026 in Riyadh, according to reporting by Dave Meltzer; their No Holds Barred match was staged for the November 6 episode of SmackDown and was pre-taped at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on November 2. Meltzer said the match had always been planned for SmackDown and was never on the Crown Jewel card.

Meltzer relayed the details on Wrestling Observer Radio and said he obtained the original Crown Jewel match card, which showed the only significant alteration involved the World Tag Team Championship contest. The original plan reportedly scheduled a six-man tag between Oba Femi, Penta and Je’Von Evans and the trio of Bron Breakker, Austin Theory and Bronson Reed; the promotion ultimately converted that slot into a traditional tag team title match. Meltzer added that his mention of potential interference by Femi and Reed to seed a future six-man rivalry was personal speculation.

The SmackDown bout was run as a No Holds Barred match and ended with Kevin Owens victorious; the report states Owens knocked out CM Punk with a fist wrapped in a steel chain after Punk hit the GTS, producing a pinfall. "This fight became Owens’ first victory over the Second City Saint in his entire career," the article reported.

Speculation that Punk and Owens had declined to travel intensified after their names appeared on lists of Superstars not participating in Crown Jewel, but Meltzer distinguished between performers expressing concerns and formally refusing an assignment. Reports from Fightful Select had indicated multiple talents requested not to be booked for the early-November Premium Live Event because of safety concerns, and Meltzer noted the company was not encouraging talent to decline travelling; he also referenced Roman Reigns’ willingness to make the trip.

Additional video from the SmackDown taping showed the return of Charlotte Flair, who the article said came back from an injury sustained nearly three weeks earlier; that development prompted speculation about a potential match at Survivor Series. The piece also reiterated, "No, neither Owens nor Punk is booked for the Saudi Arabia PLE."

The Crown Jewel 2026 Premium Live Event will take place at the Venue (ANB Arena) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 7.