Top WWE star Kevin Owens has been sidelined since April 2025 due to a neck injury he sustained. This injury forced changes to his scheduled match against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41, with Joe Hendry stepping in to replace him.
Owens underwent neck surgery over the summer and has been in recovery ever since.
According to Sean Ross Sapp in the latest Fightful Select Answers, the specifics of the neck surgery Owens underwent remain unclear. However, if it involved a fusion, he could be out for at least a year post-surgery, suggesting a potential return next summer. Sapp also indicated that WWE sources initially believed Owens would not be ready in time for WrestleMania 42 in 2026.
The report further notes that given Owens’ history with neck issues, his in-ring style, and the complexity of his injury, there is no guarantee he will be able to return to the ring at all.
Owens began his professional wrestling career at the age of 16 and made his WWE main roster debut in 2015.
Since then, he has become an NXT Champion, a WWE Universal Champion, a WWE Intercontinental Champion, a WWE United States Champion, and an Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion alongside Sami Zayn, making Owens the 23rd overall Grand Slam Champion in WWE history.
