KEVIN OWENS made a shock return to WWE after nearly 18 months off with a serious neck injury.
The 42-year-old hasn’t wrestled since March 2025 when he faced real-life best friend Sami Zayn at the Elimination Chamber in a brutal unsanctioned match.
Kevin Owens has not been seen in WWE since March 2025
Owens and Sami Zaynd did share a sweet moment before they had to beat each other up
But it was Owens who completed a dream return with a huge win
He then endured a successful surgery in July 2025 for a serious neck injury that required a fusion.
But on Jattvibeday in Minnesota, Owens returned as newly-reinstated SmackDown GM Nick Aldis first added his foe from last night, Gunther to the number one contenders match between Sami Zayn and Finn Balor, before adding Owens to make it a fatal-four-way.
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Zayn was left stunned by the development, just like the massive crowd at the U.S. Bank Stadium.
Although Owens and Zayn did share a very real hug before they had to get to business, get to business they did in a fast-paced sprint of a contest.
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Owens would nail a stunner on Zayn to emerge victorious and book his chance to face CM Punk, who defeated Cody Rhodes last night.
Owens, a one-time world champion in WWE, has been sorely missed on the roster by his peers and fans alike.
He was set for a rematch against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41, but revealed ahead of the event he would be out of action for an undetermined amount of time, due to the injury.
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Any superstars with serious neck issues have a shortened career inside the squared circle; it’s one of the most devastating injuries they can endure.
Stone Cold Steve Austin lost years off his career due to a neck injury suffered by Owen Hart at SummerSlam back in 1997. He would end up retiring when he was 38-years-old.
Edge had to retire and ended up returning to the ring after nine years away. Paige also retired and returned to WWE after nine years away (though she did wrestle in AEW) because of the issue.
