Kevin Owens is getting a second opinion on his neck injury.
The wrestling veteran announced that he’ll be stepping away from active competition due to a neck injury during the April 4 SmackDown. Owens also withdrew from his WrestleMania match against former tag partner Randy Orton.
The Viper opened up about his former partner’s injury in a new interview with Complex. Orton noted that KO is paying the price of putting his body on the line for people’s entertainment:
“If we’re being real here, my heart breaks for Kevin, I think, first and foremost, I just hate that he’s gotta go through that.
Even more than a physical journey he’s gotta go on to let his body heal, it’s a mental journey too. His body’s been through it, and now he’s paying that price, like he said in the ring the other day. We all pay the price at one point or another.”
The article noted that Randy has set up Owens to get a second opinion from the surgeon who helped him recover from his own back injury that almost ended his career recently.
The Legend Killer who had to step away from action in 2022 due to his long-standing back issues, was told that he’d have to get a surgery that would end his wrestling career:
“There wasn’t a lot of help other than surgery, and I think that when I finally was told that it was time to hang up the boots–this is about six months before my operation–my world ended.”
Though, Randy Orton was determined to find an alternate solution despite battling depression over the potential choice. He was able to consult with Dr. Adam Kanter in California, who helped him get the surgery without cutting muscle in his core. This has allowed him to continue his illustrious career after a lengthy recovery.
The severity of Owens’ injury is unknown, and it’s hoped that he’ll be back in the ring. One thing is sure that he’ll have a lengthy recovery process either way. Meeting with Orton’s surgeon will hopefully make the process easier for the former champion.
