Kevin Owens made a startling Kevin Owens surprise wrestling appearance by featuring in a prominent independent promotion’s event while sidelined from WWE due to injury. This unexpected moment occurred during a Green Mountain Wrestling show held on September 14 in Barre, Vermont, providing fans with a rare glimpse of the Canadian wrestler outside his usual WWE schedule.
Owens’ Surprise Role at Green Mountain Wrestling
Though currently inactive in WWE, Owens opened the Green Mountain Wrestling event through a pre-recorded video message, addressing the crowd and viewers at home. The independent promotion, based in Vermont and hosting matches across the scenic Green Mountains, regularly features top indie wrestlers such as Johnny Pierce, Mullet Man, and Abed Arroniz. Owens expressed his enthusiasm for the company’s growth while highlighting the significance of crowning the first-ever Green Mountain Wrestling Champion.
In his video, Owens, also known by his real name Kevin Steen, said,
“Hello, everyone! My name is Kevin Steen, and you might know me from some wrestling shows I’ve been on or some wrestling matches I’ve had, but tonight’s not about me. Tonight is about crowning the very first champion in Green Mountain Wrestling history, which obviously makes tonight a very big show. I wish I could be there in person because I’ve been keeping up with Green Mountain Wrestling for a while now and seeing it grow and grow. And it’s been pretty exciting, and if I was there tonight, I’d be able to award that title to the first Champion myself, which, if you look at the title belt closely? There might be a certain wrestling move being executed on one of the side plates that has a little something to do with me.”
Owens referred to the championship belt’s design, specifically noting a side plate engraving depicting a piledriver maneuver. This is a clear nod to Owens’ signature ‘Package Piledriver,’ a move that remains notorious among WWE’s top babyfaces including Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Sami Zayn, with whom Owens had intense rivalries.
Continuing his address, Owens humorously described his physical location while unable to attend the event live:
“So, it would have been an honor to be there to do that. However, I’m not there. I’m here. In my house, in my office. That’s Godzilla, pretty cool. It’s painted on my wall, there’s a giant snake back there, anyway. So I’m here, so I’m not gonna be able to watch the show. I’ll just read the results online – the internet technology, it’s crazy. You could find out what’s happening as it’s happening practically, but I won’t be able to witness it. You guys, however, will be. So to all of you, who get to see it live tonight, enjoy the show, have fun, but the good luck goes to everybody competing for that title. To all of you guys, I say, give it your all and I’m very excited to see who comes out as Champion. Until then, hopefully I get to make it out to a show at some point soon, and be there in person, but, yeah. Until then, everybody have a blast and good luck.”
Despite his absence, Owens conveyed his excitement about the competition and wished the wrestlers the best of luck in their pursuit of the title. He also expressed a hope to attend a Green Mountain Wrestling event in person in the near future. The message maintained Owens’ trademark humor, as he jokingly asked the promotion’s staff to remove his image from the screens, teasing that fans wanted
“to see a bunch of guys punch each other in the face”
rather than listening to his long talk.
The Context Behind Owens’ WWE Hiatus
Kevin Owens has not appeared on WWE programming since early 2025. His final match aired on March 1 at the Elimination Chamber 2025 event, where he faced Sami Zayn. Owens’ most recent WWE TV appearance was on the April 4 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, during which General Manager Nick Aldis announced that Owens would be unable to compete at WrestleMania 41 due to injury.
The Canadian star’s hiatus stems from serious neck and spinal injuries accumulated over time, exacerbated by a brutal ladder match against Cody Rhodes at the WWE Royal Rumble 2025. In that match, Owens was driven through a ladder with an Alabama Slam, resulting in severe damage to his neck. Initially, Owens tried to push through the pain but was ultimately forced to prioritize recovery when symptoms worsened.
In July 2025, Owens underwent spinal fusion surgery, a major procedure intended to stabilize his cervical spine and address the accumulated trauma. Post-surgery, Owens has provided updates to fans, emphasizing that it was a “level one” operation, which represented the best possible outcome. He cautioned that a full recovery might take significant time but indicated optimism about returning to WWE action sometime the following year.
Kevin Owens’ Impact and Future Prospects
Kevin Owens’ unexpected appearance in Green Mountain Wrestling illustrates both his eagerness to remain connected with the wrestling world and his respect for independent promotions. Even during his time away from WWE, Owens has shown support for emerging organizations and the wrestlers competing there, bridging the gap between mainstream and indie wrestling communities.
For fans, this surprise message serves as encouragement that Owens is staying engaged and preparing for a future comeback. His references to his signature moves and desire to attend events in person indicate that he plans to continue influencing wrestling at all levels once his health permits.
As Owens recovers, the wrestling world remains attentive to his progress, hopeful that he will return stronger and resume his role as one of WWE’s prominent characters, especially after his memorable 2024 rivalry with Cody Rhodes. Owens’ presence, even in a video message, underlines his lasting appeal and importance to wrestling fans worldwide.
