Former WWE World Champion May Never Wrestle Again Following Injury During Match With Rey Mysterio

Kevin Owens Provides Surgery Update After WrestleMania Withdrawal

Rey Mysterio could be indirectly responsible for a top superstar being out with injury. In April, Kevin Owens dropped a bombshell on SmackDown. He was being pulled from WrestleMania 41. And his much-anticipated match against Randy Orton. The reason was a serious neck injury requiring surgery. And it could sideline him for over a year.

His spot at WrestleMania was ultimately filled by TNA’s Joe Hendry. While the match was a short one. But Hendry got a great exposure by featuring in his first WrestleMania.

Since the announcement, both Owens and multiple reports have stressed that his recovery won’t be a quick one, if he recovers at all. And now, it seems his medical team is being even more cautious than expected.

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Kevin Owens’ WWE Career Is Uncertain

In a recent chat with Bernard Colas for le10Sport, Owens revealed that he hasn’t gone under the knife yet — but that’s intentional. The former World Champion and his doctor are choosing to delay surgery in hopes that his condition may improve on its own.

“I still haven’t had the surgery,” Owens said. “There’s a lot to consider before going that route. We’re waiting to see how things progress naturally. There’s no doubt I need the surgery, but we’re taking it slow. It’s a process that requires patience.”

Owens admitted his neck is in “very bad shape,” and that it’s a miracle things didn’t get worse. He had already been dealing with the injury while wrestling at Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber earlier this year.

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Will Kevin Owens Wrestle Again?

In a sobering moment, The Prizefighter acknowledged that there’s no guarantee of an in-ring return. The former Universal Champion claimed that he doesn’t know at this point if he will ever be able to wrestle again.

“It would be… false to tell you right now that I will absolutely return to the ring… I don’t know if that’s true.”

For now, Kevin Owens is focused on healing — one day at a time. He also admitted that it would be a lie to say that he will certainly be returning to the ring. As is the case in such matters, there is always the possibility that a star’s in-ring career is over after a serious injury.

“It would be, not arrogant, but wrong to be able to tell you right now that I will absolutely return to the ring, that I will have more fights. I don’t know if that’s true.”

Kevin Owens was injured during his match against Rey Mysterio

In his interview, Owens also revealed that he first began experiencing symptoms after his match with Rey Mysterio on the January 17, 2025 episode of SmackDown.

Things took a turn for the worse at the Royal Rumble, where a brutal ladder match saw Cody Rhodes deliver a devastating Alabama Slam, driving Owens through a ladder and aggravating the injury significantly.

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Also Read: Multi-time Former World Champion could be let go by WWE after R-Truth and Carlito