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Kevin Owens Opens Indie Show During WWE Absence

By Lyle Kilbane • Published Sep 15, 2025 06:30 EDT
WWE star Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens has found the time to help out another promotion during his enforced WWE absence.

On the April 4th edition of SmackDown, Kevin Owens announced that he was being forced to miss WrestleMania and his match with Randy Orton. Not only that, he needed to undergo neck surgery and could be out of the ring for well over a year.

It was not until three months after his announcement that Kevin Owens finally went under the knife to have his injury issues addressed. Owens has revealed in an interview that it was a moment in a match in January that proved to be the final straw for his neck:

But then in January I had a match and in the match I had two things happen that really jarred my neck and that’s when the issues started so I knew there was something. And then we ended up doing an MRI this week and found out that it’s serious. So I think that match in January is what did it because I had an MRI the month before that and everything looked fine.

Kevin Owens Helps Out Indie Promotion

During his time away from WWE recovering, Kevin Owens has been able to help out independent promotion, Green Mountain Wrestling.

Owens sent a video that GMW played where he introduced himself under his real name, Kevin Steen. The former WWE Universal Champion noted it was a big night for GMW as they crowned their first-ever champion, and that he wished he could have been there in person to present the inaugural champion with their belt. ‘Moonlight Son’ Mike Skyros ended up with that honour.

Also read: Roman Reigns spotted for the first time since WWE Clash in Paris.