Kevin Owens’ road back to WWE television appears to be taking longer than many fans initially expected.
Owens suffered a significant neck injury in April 2025, one that was serious enough to rule him out of WrestleMania 42. While that setback immediately raised questions about his long-term status, optimism grew later in the year when Owens shared a short video highlighting his recovery training. The clip sparked widespread belief that an in-ring return could be on the horizon, with Royal Rumble 2026 frequently mentioned as a possible target.
That optimism has since cooled.
The current understanding is that Owens did not undergo surgery for the injury until July 2025, and there has been no indication of him engaging in full-scale or intensive in-ring training since that time. Internally, there has also been no movement regarding creative plans tied to Owens, nor any concrete discussions about when he might return to WWE programming.
At this point, WWE is believed to be taking a cautious approach, allowing Owens the time he needs to fully recover before revisiting any comeback timeline. Given the seriousness of a neck injury, the focus appears to be on his long-term health rather than rushing him back into the ring.
One thing is clear: Kevin Owens’ eventual return will happen on his terms.
And only when he’s physically ready.
As always, we will keep you posted here at WrestlingHeadlines.com as updates regarding Kevin Owens’ WWE return status continue to surface.
(H/T: Fightful Select)
