Why WWE’s Kevin Owens won’t be at the Royal Rumble

For those hoping to see Kevin Owens’ return from injury at the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble, prepare to be disappointed when the show goes down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

His status was revealed by Michin, a fellow Superstar, in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Michin revealed she and Owens were going to be taking part in a watch party of the Royal Rumble at a Dave & Busters in Orlando, Florida.

“WWE Watch Party at Dave & Busters on International (Orlando) this Saturday with [Kevin Owens] and I this Saturday for [Royal Rumble] come through!” Michin wrote.

Why is Kevin Owens missing the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble?

Owens is currently on a hiatus due to an injury. His last match was on Mar. 1, 2025, at the Elimination Chamber PLE in an “unsanctioned” match against Sami Zayn.

Shortly after, Owens revealed that he suffered a neck injury and needed to get surgery. This put him out of action indefinitely, and he has yet to return.

Of course, neck injuries are extremely serious. There is a chance that he may never wrestle again. While he has said the surgery was “successful,” he also said there’s “no guarantee” that the neck fusion surgery will “work.”

So, even though the Royal Rumble is generally used as a vehicle for major returns and debuts, Owens isn’t likely to be one of them this year.

Owens is a former Universal Champion and has also won the Intercontinental and United States Championships several times each. He is a former RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Champion with Zayn.

Before his injury, Owens was set to pay off his feud with Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41. He was on fire coming off his feuds with Cody Rhodes and Zayn. However, their feud had to be shelved once Owens announced his neck injury. Joe Hendry answered Orton’s open challenge at WrestleMania 41 in Owens’ place.

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