Kevin Owens has revealed the process of being cleared for an in-ring return and making that comeback at WWE SummerSlam 2026.
After being out of action since March of last year, Kevin Owens returned at SummerSlam on August 2, winning the Undisputed WWE Championship Number One Contendership Fatal Four-Way match, seeing him head to SmackDown in Toronto to face CM Punk for the title.
That return was something that Owens worked towards at a rapid pace, a sequence of events he would detail in FACES Magazine when asked about the process, saying:
“Yeah, everything was so quick. That’s the craziest part. By the time they told me I could get back in the ring, that was mid-July. I cut my vacation short to get back in the ring as soon as I could. There’s a process to get medically cleared, and the longer you’ve been out, the longer that process is, depending on the injury, the surgery and all of that stuff.
“Somehow, again, this is one of these cases where I’m kind of driving everybody nuts, and I kept asking how long until I’m cleared, how can I fast track it, what I can do to make it as soon as possible, this and that. And they were like well, there’s no shortcuts here. If this needs to happen, then it needs to happen. Usually, it takes about four weeks to get all of this done, I did it in nine days.
“I basically took everything they wanted me to do, and instead of doing one thing one day, one thing the next day, one thing a few days later, I just did everything back-to-back-to-back. And, at the end of that they’re like ‘alright, you’re cleared.’
“Then I got the call about SummerSlam, and everything happened so quickly between the time I was told I can get back in the ring, and the time I was at SummerSlam, there was maybe two weeks.”
Out of action for seventeen months, Owens would comment that “nothing’s changed” in WWE during his absence, reflecting on reuniting with colleagues among the crew and roster behind-the-scenes.
The Much Anticipated Return Of A Popular Star
Listening to the reaction of the fans at WWE SummerSlam for the return of Kevin Owens, it’s clear that the past seventeen months haven’t dampened the enthusiasm for the presence of the star.
It must be a daunting prospect for any star who has been absence for an extended period when it comes to that comeback moment. The worst that can happen is that the music hits and there’s apathy, yet time and again, fans have demonstrated their love of a star through their voice.
Finn Balor would address the reaction that Owens received at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, saying:
“It kind of took me out at the moment, where I could become a fan again and just stand there and watch the live audience react to Kevin Owens’ entrance. I was very, very happy to be there.”
That reaction no doubt comes from the way that Owens has been portrayed over the years since signing with WWE in 2014, with the focus not just being on the quality of his in-ring work but his flawless ability to be intense and comedic. Whether it’s the bitter personal feud with CM Punk, his love-hate relationship with Sami Zayn or being driven mad trying to convince everyone that Ezekiel was actually Elias, Owens has shown the quality of his work and continues to do so.
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