Kevin Owens WWE Return Plans

WWE

Ahead of WWE WrestleMania 41, Kevin Owens was pulled from the card due to a serious neck injury that has kept him sidelined for over a year.

‘The Prizefighter’ has been among the most missed WWE stars on the roster and someone that could add a lot to the current landscape of the company.

After being away for the past year, WWE has to come up with some compelling ideas for Owens’ return in the near future.

Here are six potential Kevin Owens WWE return plans.

6. Reuniting With Sami Zayn

The story of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn is one that has been well documented and spanned multiple decades.

While KO has been out of action for over a year now, Zayn has had such a rollercoaster year himself.

From his United States Championship open challenge to finally winning the Undisputed WWE Championship, Zayn has experienced extreme highs and lows over the past 12 months.

Now coming out of the other side, Zayn can start his road back to the top of WWE by reuniting with Kevin Owens upon his return to the promotion.

5. Returning At The Same Time As Randy Orton To Reignite Their Feud

Before he was sidelined with a neck injury, Kevin Owens was embroiled in a bitter and personal feud with Randy Orton.

Betraying his former friend and piledriving him more than once, KO cost Orton months of his career, which led to ‘The Legend Killer’ returning at the start of 2025 looking for vengeance.

Now one year later, Orton has been absent from WWE television since his loss to Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42.

Orton returning at the same time as Owens would make a lot of sense and help both men complete their unfinished business.

4. Next Obstacle For Oba Femi

Since arriving on the WWE main roster at the start of 2026, Oba Femi has been running roughshod over anyone in front of him.

Whether it be Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 or Jey Uso in the King of the Ring final, Femi has toppled anyone and everyone in his way on WWE Raw.

Considering his current rise, Femi could be met with another obstacle coming out of his Hell In A Cell match with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2026.

Kevin Owens returning to attack ‘The Ruler’ would be one of the most impactful ways for WWE to have ‘The Prizefighter’ return to immediately play a pivotal role.

3. Joining Forces With LA Knight, Royce Keys & Solo Sikoa In Their Fight Against The Bloodline

In the weeks leading into WWE SummerSlam 2026, LA Knight, Royce Keys and Solo Sikoa have formed an alliance against The Bloodline.

Since The Bloodline reunited, Knight has been their most vocal detractor, while Keys and Sikoa have had their run-ins with the group following Jacob Fatu joining them.

Prior to his injury hiatus, Kevin Owens had been one of the most prominent enemies to The Bloodline over the past six years.

KO returning to join forces with Knight, Keys and Sikoa would make sense based on his history with The Bloodline and make for a significant way to reintroduce him to the fans.

2. Rekindling Rivalry With Cody Rhodes

The rivalry between Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes was one of the most intense rivalries in recent memory.

The two men culminated their feud with a brutal ladder match where Rhodes defeated Owens to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship at Royal Rumble 2025.

‘The American Nightmare’ still stands as one of the biggest WWE stars on the roster today and someone who knows Owens extremely well.

Owens returning and rekindling his rivalry with Rhodes would make for an intriguing story to explore when he is back in the fold on WWE TV moving forward.

1. Feud With CM Punk Over The Undisputed WWE Championship

When CM Punk first returned to WWE in 2023, there were a few notable names on the roster that he teased a future matchup with.

Punk went face-to-face with Kevin Owens backstage with many fans being excited to see these two former indie darlings stepping in the ring with one another.

Now, Punk holds the Undisputed WWE Championship and sits at the mountaintop of the company on Friday Night SmackDown.

With ‘The Best In The World’ as the current champion, it feels logical to see KO return to become the latest rival for Punk, setting the stage for a highly anticipated battle between the two down the line.

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