Top WWE star Kevin Owens has been sidelined since April 2025 due to a neck injury he sustained. This injury led to a change in his scheduled match against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41, with Joe Hendry stepping in as his replacement. Owens underwent neck surgery over the summer and has been in recovery since then.
According to Sean Ross Sapp from the latest Fightful Select Answers, he is uncertain about the specifics of Owens’ neck surgery. If it involved a fusion procedure, Owens could be out for at least a year, meaning he may not return until next summer. Sapp also mentioned that WWE sources indicated they did not expect Owens to be back in time for WrestleMania 42 in 2026 after the initial injury. Given Owens’ history of neck issues, his in-ring style, and the complexity of his injury, it is uncertain whether 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 with Sami Zayn, making Owens the 23rd overall Grand Slam Champion in WWE history.
