Kevin Owens was forced to confront an unfortunate predicament on the April 4, 2025, episode of “Friday Night SmackDown.” He bowed out of WrestleMania 41 due to a neck injury, which is expected to keep him out of the ring for at least a year. He had been scheduled to face Randy Orton at The Granddaddy of Them All.
Orton and Owens became bitter rivals after The Prizefighter turned on his former tag team partner, with whom he had teamed up to face several WWE superstars in the tag division last year. One of the teams they clashed with was A-Town Down. Owens broke character to single out Austin Theory’s in-ring ability.
Kevin Owens Feels Austin Theory Has Mastered Art of Selling the Stunner
Theory, 27, is often labeled as the future of WWE. The promotion has already tested the waters by giving him the United States Championship twice.
His second run with the title, from November 2022 to August 2023, included successful defenses against top names such as Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio, and John Cena — at WrestleMania, no less. Kevin Owens is the latest WWE superstar to heap praise on Theory.
On “Insight with Chris Van Vliet,” The Prizefighter credited the former U.S. champ for being the best at selling his finisher, the Stunner. He said Theory’s timing is impeccable, and no one else does it quite like him.
“Now Austin Theory, it’s so over-the-top, but somehow he nails it. The timing is perfect. The way he does it is perfect,” Owens said. “I think Theory has a perfect — everyone goes ‘Holy sh**! Did you see that!’ — but he still manages to make the move look good. He’s got some very impressive vertical leaps,” he added.
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Theory has mostly faded from the spotlight since his second U.S. title reign, aside from a brief run with the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside Grayson Waller. The two remain active in SmackDown’s tag team division.
Kevin Owens Could Miss Next Year’s WrestleMania Too
Many believed Owens was injured during the much-talked-about Undisputed WWE title Ladder Match at the 2025 Royal Rumble, where Cody Rhodes landed several dangerous moves on him. However, Owens cleared the air, stating that the neck injury didn’t happen in that match.
Meanwhile, a new health update reports that Owens has already undergone surgery, but WWE expects him to be out for the rest of 2025 — and possibly miss WrestleMania 42 in New Orleans.
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
