WWE Hopeful for Kevin Owens to Return in 2026 from Triple Fusion Neck Surgery

Kevin Owens could plot his WWE return this year should the re-evaluation he's due for in the summer go his way.

WWE Hopeful for Kevin Owens to Return in 2026 from Triple Fusion Neck Surgery

Kevin Owens [via- WWE]

It’s been over a year since Kevin Owens last wrestled a match in WWE. He’s been out recovering from a triple fusion neck surgery that he had to undergo in July 2025. During a NASCAR event in August, ‘The Prizefighter’ confirmed that the severity of his neck fusion was one level, which is the best-case scenario for someone having to go through it.

Owens underscored the importance of bone fusion for a smooth recovery. The French-Canadian also stated that there’s no guarantee that it’ll work in one’s favor, as there have been a number of examples of neck fusion surgeries ending wrestling careers for good. ‘KO’ hoped for a return to the ring in 2026, which aligns with what the belief in WWE is at the moment.

As per BodySlam, the former Universal Champion is set to undergo a re-evaluation this summer to take notice of his recovery. The report added that WWE was hopeful about Kevin Owens being able to come back at some point this year. Last November, the 41-year-old got everyone’s hopes up by posting a sneak peek into him running and skipping, likely at the WWE performance center.

It made several fans believe that he might stage a miraculous comeback as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match. The man he was supposed to face at last year’s WrestleMania is headed for his third WrestleMania main event in just a few weeks’ time.

He’s none other than Randy Orton, who was set to have his feud culminate with Kevin Owens at ‘The Showcase of the Immortals’ in 2025. But it just wasn’t to be, with Owens revealing that he will have to step away for a long while to take care of his jarred-up neck.

Kevin Owens engaged in a hilarious back-and-forth with Logan Paul over WWE 2k26 ratings reveal

WWE recently revealed the 2k26 game ratings for its various superstars. The reveal was done in a studio with Joe Tessitore, Big E, and Kevin Owens present. Tessitore shared that Logan Paul came in the 5th spot with a staggering 90 rating. ‘The Maverick’ then joined the broadcast via FaceTime to share his live reaction.

Kevin Owens and Logan Paul
Kevin Owens and Logan Paul [via- WWE]

After being applauded by Tessitore for clocking in such impressive numbers, Paul seemed a bit disappointed and said he should’ve been rated higher. Owens took slight offense with the social media megastar’s assessment of it. ‘The Prizefighter’ said that Paul was an incredibly gifted athlete, and nobody’s taking that away from him.

However, the fact that veterans like Sami Zayn and Finn Balor were behind him when Paul couldn’t lace their boots on his best day was something Owens couldn’t wrap his head around. ‘The Headlock Master’ affirmed that ‘The Maverick’ should be thankful to the crew of the 2k game for slotting him at a 90 because he should’ve been in the low 80s at best.

Paul started calling Owens crazy and asked him about his rating but quipped that it had to be zero since he wasn’t even wrestling. ‘The Prizefighter’ said he still had an 87 rating in the game at a time he was dealing with a neck surgery. Paul dismissed Owens’ comments by claiming that he wouldn’t be taking feedback from an unemployed man.

The former ‘New Face of America’ asserted that Logan Paul didn’t understand how wrestling worked. Owens said it’s just another gig for the Westlake-born WWE Superstar after he tried different avenues before getting into the position he’s in today.

‘The Maverick’ clapped back by telling the Canuck that he’s showing up every Monday night on Raw over someone who’s sitting on a couch next to someone who used to wrestle, which was a dig at Big E.

Paul eventually started making fun of Owens’ dressing sense, and the latter thought the Vision member shouldn’t be the one pointing it out with the kind of hair he has these days. The fans enjoyed their banter online, which, in turn, is a testament to the on-screen chemistry of Kevin Owens and Logan Paul. The two of them have wrestled each other a few times in the past.

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