Kevin Owens Says Neck Injury Cost Him a Final Match With John Cena

Kevin Owens just admitted what hurts most about his neck injury—and it’s not missing time off the road.

During an appearance on My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox, the WWE star opened up about his recent health setback and the one match he knows he won’t get to have because of it. “One of the things that really hurts about this injury is now I know I won’t get to wrestle John [Cena] one last time, ’cause that’s not gonna happen now,” Owens revealed. “And I was really hoping I got to do that before he’s done.”

Owens is expected to miss the rest of 2025 as he prepares for neck surgery. While he hasn’t gone under the knife just yet, he admitted that he hasn’t had many deep talks with his medical team. “I haven’t talked to the surgeons at length about the surgery that’s required or what that means,” he said. “I just know what I’ve seen from other guys going through neck surgery … but man, I’d love to, I’d love to wrestle John one last time.”

The former Universal Champion also spoke about dream matches and unfinished business in WWE, but the loss of a final showdown with Cena clearly hit him hardest. “There’s matches I’d love to have, like I’d love to wrestle Finn [Balor] at WrestleMania,” he added, “but that one with John was something I was really holding out hope for.”

Owens famously debuted on the main roster in 2015 by confronting—and defeating—John Cena, launching what would become one of the strongest careers in WWE over the past decade. That feud became iconic, and a rematch on a big stage could’ve been the perfect full-circle moment. Now, it looks like that door is closed.

Should WWE have booked one more Owens vs. Cena match before it was too late? And which dream match do you still want to see when KO returns? Sound off in the comments—we want to hear from you.