Kevin Owens is the betting favorite to take the Undisputed WWE Championship off CM Punk tonight.
BetUS has Owens at -190 and Punk at +140 for the main event of SmackDown at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The line covers who wins the match rather than who leaves with the title, which are not always the same thing in a championship match.
Owens chose the venue. He recently told Faces Magazine he picked Toronto because it was where he believed, at the time, his final match would be, and because it was close enough for his family to attend.
My parents will get to be there, my family will get to be there and that wouldn’t have been the case if the match happened somewhere else, because my mom, through her health issues over the last several years, her ability to fly and go to shows that are far away, it’s just not the case anymore.
But Toronto, it’s a manageable drive from Montreal. So, my parents will be able to be there, and there was a while where I didn’t know if my parents would ever get to see me in the ring again.
Owens, who grew up near Montreal, also said he is not counting on a friendly crowd, pointing out that Punk is popular enough that the building could split.
He returned at SummerSlam after 17 months out following neck surgery and won a fatal four-way against Finn Bálor, Sami Zayn and Gunther to earn the shot. This is the first singles match between him and Punk. Punk has held the title since beating Zayn on the July 6 RAW.
Also announced for tonight: Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa defend the WWE Tag Team Championships against Damian Priest and R-Truth; Giulia faces Blake Monroe in Monroe’s main-roster in-ring debut; Oba Femi is advertised; and Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are expected to address last week’s brawl.
