Kevin Owens finally underwent successful neck surgery on July 18, as reported by Fightful Select. He described the frustrating process in a June interview with Cody Rhodes. Owens said doctors advised him to let his spinal cord heal naturally.
The former Universal Champion revealed he injured his neck during a regular match in January this year. The Canadian then competed in several brutal matches that surprisingly didn’t affect him. At the Royal Rumble, the Quebec-born grappler faced Rhodes in a ladder match. The match ended badly for Owens’ neck.
But he didn’t stop there, as the 41-year-old faced Sami Zayn in an unsanctioned Elimination Chamber match. The longtime rivals delivered a brutal performance that was uncomfortable to watch. It became Owens’ last WWE match before his early April MRI results. The scan revealed that he needed time off to recover from his injured neck.
Owens was set for a WrestleMania match against Randy Orton. Unfortunately, he had to withdraw due to an injury. He delivered an emotional promo on SmackDown in March about his physical condition. The former Kevin Steen admitted he wasn’t sure if he’d return to wrestling.
Kevin Owens Is Not Expected To Return to WWE for a Long Time
Now that Kevin Owens has begun recovery, the WWE Universe has sent prayers and well wishes his way. Still, fans remain realistic, knowing a return soon is unlikely. According to Fightful, The New Face of America may miss all of 2025.
The Prizefighter will likely miss WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. If so, it would mark the first time he misses two straight WrestleManias in his WWE career. Still, that doesn’t matter in the bigger picture. Owens’ health remains a serious concern for WWE. He’s been a key player on the main roster for over a decade. Despite always giving his all, his championship record still trails behind others.
He hasn’t held a world title since losing the Universal Championship to Goldberg in 2017. WWE’s reluctance to give Owens a long title reign has frustrated fans. He came close to beating Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes in recent years, but always fell short.
