Following his stunning announcement that he will not be able to compete at WrestleMania 41, Kevin Owens gave more details on the serious neck injury that could sideline him for the next year.
Owens is a sure-fire WWE Hall of Famer when he decides to end his career. His versatility as a performer is what makes him special. However, another unique trait has been his durability. For over 10 years, the former NXT and WWE champion has been a fixture on the company’s various content. Rarely did he need extended periods away from television.
However, that changed in a major way on this week’s Smackdown. Heading into Friday’s show, there were rumblings that his planned match with Randy Orton might be off, and it would be addressed on the broadcast. While some fans wondered if it was all a part of the show, it became clear that Owens was off the event because of a very real injury.
Following Smackdown, Owens gave more details in an interview on the “My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox” podcast and when he realized something was very wrong with his neck.
Kevin Owens’ neck issues began in January but it wasn’t related to his ladder match
“In January, I had a match, and in the match, two things happened that really jarred my neck,” he recalled [h/t NoDQ.com]. “That’s when the issue started. So I knew there was something. And then we ended up doing an MRI this week and found out that, yeah, it’s serious. So I think that match in January is what did it because I had an MRI a month before that, and everything looked fine.”
Owens revealed that he actually underwent a fully body MRI, and it found signs of stenosis in his spine. But nothing too out of the ordinary for a person with as much wear and tear on his body. He also mentioned how he has felt great body-wise. Making the severity of his current injury that much more frustrating.
The news will surely make some wonder if the injury occurred in his violent clash with Cody Rhodes in January. But Owens says it did not happen from that. However, that match and his bout against Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber may have made things worse.
“I know that some of my detractors, and there’s plenty out there will say, ‘See, this is why you shouldn’t do this stuff.’ But I am telling you, it happened in a regular match, no hardcore things, nothing,” Owens said. “There were two very simple things that I’ve done a million times. [I] probably shouldn’t have had those matches [Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber], considering what was happening, but we didn’t know.
“But in those matches, as crazy as they were, at no time did I feel like my neck; I didn’t land on my head, I didn’t get hurt. I don’t remember anything in those matches going, ‘Oh, my neck.’ You know what I mean?”
How long could Kevin Owens be sidelined?
Reports since the news broke have suggested he may need spinal fusion surgery. The same procedure that sidelined Orton for a year and it seems a similar timeline could be in store for KO.
“Most of the people that have gone through similar things—it’s probably six months to eight months to a year,” he said. “So I would assume in that range. But I don’t really know.
“I know I’ll come back or, at the very least, I really hope I come back. You know, I guess there’s; I never take anything for granted in what we do. So, who knows, but I’m pretty likely to come back.”
More WWE news and rumors:
