Finn Balor was standing in the middle of the ring when Kevin Owens made his surprise WWE SummerSlam return, and for a few seconds, even Finn forgot he was supposed to be competing.
Owens returned during night two of SummerSlam when Balor’s number one contenders match against Sami Zayn was turned into a Fatal Four-Way with GUNTHER and Owens added to the mix. Speaking with Nina Drama at a recent Zuffa event in Dublin, Balor said the moment meant even more because Owens is one of his oldest friends in wrestling and had been gone with a serious neck injury.
“Well, first of all, Kevin Owens, one of my oldest friends in the business, he had a very, very serious neck injury. He was out for almost a year and a half, I believe. So just the fact that he was able to return to the ring made me very happy for him as a person.”
Then Owens’ music hit, and Balor said the reaction was so loud that it completely pulled him out of wrestler mode. Balor admitted he was happy just being there to witness Owens get that reaction after everything he went through.
“But as a professional, he returned at SummerSlam as a surprise. I was standing in the ring, and when I heard the pop that the crowd made when his music hit, it was absolutely incredible. It kind of took me out at a moment where I could become a fan again and just stand there and watch the live audience react to Kevin Owens’ entrance.”
“So I was very, very happy to be there.”
Owens didn’t just come back for the pop either. He went on to win the Fatal Four-Way, turning his surprise return into an immediate statement while Balor got a front-row seat for the entire thing.
What did you think of Kevin Owens’ SummerSlam return, and did the crowd reaction hit as hard for you as it did for Finn Balor? Let us know in the comments.
