Kevin Owens has sparked surprise among WWE fans with his noticeable weight loss during his ongoing absence from wrestling. Owens has been away since April, when he announced a neck injury requiring surgery, which forced him to pull out of his scheduled WrestleMania 41 match against Randy Orton and sidelined him indefinitely.
Since then, Owens has remained out of the spotlight within the Stamford-based WWE promotion. However, his appearance last Saturday as the grand marshal at the NASCAR Daytona Coke Zero Sugar 400 drew widespread attention, as fans noted not only his presence but also a leaner physical appearance. Many supporters expressed relief to see Owens looking healthy and vibrant despite his time away from the ring.
Original Plans Involving Kevin Owens in WWE’s Major Title Storyline
Before Owens and Randy Orton’s feud resumed to set up their WrestleMania showdown, Owens was considered for involvement in one of WWE’s most significant storylines centered on The Rock and Cody Rhodes. During the buildup to the Elimination Chamber 2025 event, The Rock, referred to as The Final Boss, offered to buy Cody Rhodes’ allegiance, which Cody rejected.
This refusal led to John Cena accepting the offer instead, turning heel briefly and capturing the Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania 41. In an episode of Netflix’s WWE: Unreal, it was revealed that WWE initially pitched an impromptu title match where The Rock would have matched John Cena against Kevin Owens immediately after Cody’s rejection, with Owens ultimately winning the championship.
“We proposed at Elimination Chamber, Cody turning down The Final Boss. And that was going to lead to final boss making an impromptu title match right then and there. That resulted in Kevin Owens, who had been in a storyline with Cody during that time, leaving with the championship. Kevin Owens winning the title wasn’t the end goal. The takeaway was whatever it is we do needs to be seismic.”
— WWE Creative Team Member
This pitch showed that Owens was positioned as a pivotal figure within the evolving WWE narrative, though the plan was eventually set aside in favor of Cena’s unexpected heel run.
Fans React to Kevin Owens’ Condition and Future Prospects
The wrestling community has followed Owens’ recovery and physical changes closely, especially after his notable absence from WWE television and live events like WrestleMania and Elimination Chamber. His recent public appearance demonstrated a slimmer physique, which has generated positive discussion about his health and readiness to return.
Owens’ transformation during his hiatus highlights the demanding physical toll WWE wrestlers face, and his cautious approach to recovery reflects the seriousness of his neck injury. Fans and commentators alike are eager to see when The Prizefighter will resume active competition and potentially reenter WWE’s main event scenes, particularly given the scale of ongoing rivalries involving stars such as Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and John Cena.
With Owens staying out of action while focusing on healing, his weight loss combined with his current engagement outside the ring suggests a period of adjustment leading toward a future comeback.
