Kevin Owens Details His Original WWE Return Plans

WWE Superstar Kevin Owens has opened up about his two previous attempts to return to weekly programming following his blockbuster comeback last night at SummerSlam: Minnesota.

As noted, Kevin returned to a massive pop from fans at the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the initial moments of Night Two, after Nick Aldis revealed that a fourth member would be added to the Undisputed WWE Championship number-one contender’s match.

This was KO’s first in-ring outing since March 2025. In April of that year, he revealed his neck injury and subsequently ruled himself out of his scheduled bout with Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41. Speaking to Sam Roberts on WWE Now, Owens revealed that he returned to the ring exactly one year to the day when he underwent neck surgery, i.e., July 18.

Kevin also revealed that he underwent scans just three and four months after the surgery in the hope of returning in time to wrestle John Cena during the latter’s Retirement Tour. However, that didn’t happen, as the medical team didn’t give him clearance. Owens then pushed for a return to WWE TV in Montreal earlier this year and subsequently underwent another scan, but the progress still wasn’t enough to warrant a return.

He finally received medical clearance following another scan in early July. Owens revealed that he cut short his family trip in order to return to the ring on July 18, the same date he underwent surgery last year.

Here’s what Kevin Owens said:

“July 18, 2025, was my surgery. Usually, six months after the surgery is the first scan; I started asking them to do a scan at three months because when I was 20 years old, I had ACL surgery, and most people take nine months to get back from that; it took me three. So, I’m like, this is the same thing; in three months, my bones are fused. Because, in my head, I’m like, ‘I’m gonna come back before John Cena retires so that I can wrestle him one more time.’ They humored me and did the scan, and they were like, ‘Yeah, not happening.’ They did another scan at four months because I wanted to come back in Montreal in January, and they’re like, ‘We can’t do it.’

“Then, another scan at six months, which is when they were supposed to do it, they were like, ‘It’s still not right.’ Then they were, ‘We’re not doing a scan for another long while.’ We did another one at nine months; it still wasn’t good. At that point, I was like, ‘It might not… Maybe it just won’t happen,’ you know what I mean?

“So, then, finally, I did a scan at the beginning of July, and they called me and said, ‘Look, we saw enough progress and enough bone growth that we’re comfortable letting you get back in the ring and see how you feel and we’ll go from there.’ I got back in the ring for the very first time on July 18 this year, one year to the day after my surgery.”

Listen to his comments below:

As it turned out, Owens pinned Sami Zayn in the Fatal Four-Way match to earn a shot at CM Punk’s Undisputed WWE Championship.

Elsewhere in the interview, KO thanked Randy Orton for recommending his surgeon. Check his comments HERE.

Please credit WWE Now and give an H/T to 411Mania for the transcription if you take quotes from this copy.