Kevin Owens wasn’t expected to be part of the SummerSlam conversation at all, but now that might have changed because he’s in town for the show.
According to Fightful Select, the former Universal Champion is already in Minneapolis ahead of WWE’s biggest event of the summer. The report doesn’t confirm Owens is returning this weekend, but his arrival comes at an awfully interesting time after months of silence surrounding his recovery.
It also lines up with what Dave Meltzer reported just days ago. Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer said Owens was expected back “very soon” after a long recovery from neck surgery. He also noted that Owens has dropped weight during rehab, another indication that his return is getting close.
Owens hasn’t wrestled since March 2025. Neck surgery forced him to miss two straight WrestleManias, putting one of WWE’s most reliable main-event stars on the shelf while the company kept moving without him.
Now, with SummerSlam less than a day away, he’s suddenly in the same city as the event. There’s no guarantee he’ll even be at SummerSlam. Even then, his presence in Minneapolis is the clearest indication yet that the former world champion is nearing the end of the longest absence of his WWE career.
Whether that return happens this weekend or after that remains to be seen. After more than sixteen months away from the ring, though, Kevin Owens suddenly feels closer to a WWE return than ever.
Do you think Kevin Owens returns at SummerSlam, or does WWE wait a little longer? Let us know in the comments below.
