Kevin Owens being in Minneapolis does not mean WWE has cleared him for a surprise in-ring return at SummerSlam, and Fightful Select has now clarified exactly why his presence still matters.
Fightfu Selectl previously noted that Owens arrived in Minneapolis ahead of the event. Some brushed that off because he already had photo-op commitments scheduled for the weekend, but the outlet made it clear that detail was included from the start and was never the entire point of the story.
“We’d noted Kevin Owens got into Minneapolis last night. Media illiterates pointed out that he has photo ops this weekend, which was in the story.”
The bigger detail is that Owens has pushed for some kind of on-screen return even while recovering from neck surgery. That does not mean he is ready to wrestle, but it leaves the door open for WWE to use him in a non-wrestling role.
“They didn’t seem to notice that we reported he’d pushed for an on-screen return in some capacity earlier this year.”
Owens was also seen around WWE’s media area on Saturday morning, putting him close to the company’s SummerSlam operation beyond his scheduled fan appearances. It was also confirmed that Owens spent time training at the WWE Performance Center earlier in the week.
“He was also seen around the media area Saturday morning.”
“As we also noted, Kevin Owens was at the WWE Performance Center training this week.”
The clarification is important because it separates two different questions surrounding Owens. His photo ops explain why he traveled to Minneapolis, but his Performance Center training and previous push for an on-screen role show that his WWE status is not limited to autograph appearances.
There is still no confirmation that Owens has been medically cleared to wrestle, and it was did not stated that a SummerSlam return is locked in. The current situation is that Owens is back around WWE, has resumed some form of training and has shown interest in appearing on television before he is ready for a full match.
Do you think WWE should bring Kevin Owens back in a non-wrestling role before he is cleared to compete, or wait until he can return to the ring? Leave your feedback in the comments.
