WWE favourite Kevin Owens is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines and there’s a lot he’s not happy with.
As a multi-time world champion, Owens is one of the most decorated and popular stars on the WWE roster.
Highly respected by fans and his colleagues alike, he’s long been established as a top-tier star thanks to his daredevil, high-flying in-ring style.
The Canadian had been set for a much-anticipated WrestleMania clash with on-screen rival Randy Orton but will be cruelly denied that privilege after learning he’ll need surgery to resolve a serious neck issue.
Breaking character to speak to fans at SmackDown last Friday, ‘KO’ gave an emotional address to outline the situation.
Understandably subdued, he explained to fans that a neck problem he’d been managing for the last four months has finally reached the stage of needing intervention and that, as a result, his WrestleMania match was off the table.
On his way backstage, he exchanged a moment of respect with on-screen rival Orton, who touchingly appeared to mouth: ‘Go get yourself fixed,’ before an angrier exchanged with a fan who hurled abuse in his direction.
After the tension and upset of that appearance eased, Owens gave an interview that shed further light on the seriousness of the issue, explaining of the injury which he traced back to a match in January.
“When the WWE doctor called me to tell me about it, I was so shocked because I knew there was something wrong, but I didn’t expect it to be so wrong that I couldn’t do WrestleMania,” he said.
“I thought we’ll take care of it after WrestleMania. When he told me I couldn’t do it, I was so shocked that I stopped listening to him almost.”
Heartbreakingly, rather than setting a specific timetable for his return, Owens could only speak vaguely at it hoping to be inside a year. Making clear his very career was on the line, he instead appeared to be aiming only to return at all.
He added to My Mom’s Basement: “At least know I’ll come back at the very least, I really hope I come back, you know, I guess I never take anything for granted in what we do, so who knows, but [I’m] pretty likely to come back.”
The 40-year-old athlete delivered the sobering news in a classy and dignified way and spoke about it later with an equal amount of poise and professionalism.
One aspect of the whole affair, though, has left him angered. While fans live at SmackDown last week gave Owens a respectful response, any lack of shock in the audience was because many knew the news was coming.
Speculation began appearing on social media that a high-profile WrestleMania match was in jeopardy owing to an injury, a follow-up pointing at Owens’ status.
Those reports were later shown to be accurate enough, but a frustrated singles and tag team star in Owens was rightly disappointed at not being able to make the disclosure on his own terms.
Blasting a backstage leak in WWE, he went on: “It really annoys me. Actually, I woke up to seeing that it was already leaked, and it really upsets me, especially because I know that whoever leaked it is some office employee that shouldn’t know this s*** in the first place.
“I told people: ‘this is gonna leak.’ They’re like: ‘No, no, we’re keeping it tight knit.’ But then yesterday, obviously some departments had to find out for some reasons. And [then], someone who shouldn’t know this stuff found out, and it went where it shouldn’t.
“They took away my right to tell people because now everybody knows already…”
While Owens will now prepare himself for his surgery and the road to recovery, his rival in Orton will likely face a different challenge at WrestleMania as another of the company’s top stars.
This year’s event takes place in Las Vegas over the weekend of 19th and 20th April.
