Backstage Update On Kevin Owens' WWE Return (WWE News)

Could Kevin Owens be a surprise for the 2026 Royal Rumble?

by Andrew Pollard
Kevin Owens Neck Injury 2025
WWE.com

Given the nature of the Royal Rumble, some fans are pondering whether a Kevin Owens return could be one major surprise that WWE has in their back pocket when this year's Rumble PLE rolls around later this month.

For KO, he's been absent from WWE since neck issues forced him onto the sidelines mere weeks before his scheduled WrestleMania 41 match against Randy Orton. Since then, Owens has undergone neck surgery amidst major questions over his in-ring future. Still, despite the severity of this situation, that's not stopped some fans from speculating that the former Universal Champion could be a surprise entrant in this year's men's Royal Rumble.

When asked about the chances of Kevin Owens being back in time for the 2026 Royal Rumble during the latest Fightful Select Answers Q&A, Sean Ross Sapp said he'd be "shocked" if that happened. SRS reiterated that Owens didn't undergo surgery until mid-July, that he's not heard anything about the Canadian training in the ring, and that Kevin is expected to be out of action until next year's WrestleMania at a minimum. Sapp also said that nobody in WWE has mentioned any creative plans for Owens, nor have there been any discussions of his return at this point, with SRS under the belief that it'll be a case of waiting for the 41-year-old to heal up, and then seeing where Kevin's "heart is at" after dealing with such a serious injury.

Advertisement

So, while there are expected to be the usual surprises when the Royal Rumble takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 31 January, Kevin Owens will not be one such surprise, as the Prizefighter continues his road to recovery.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.