Kevin Owens may still be sidelined recovering from neck surgery, but he was apparently still around WWE during one of the company’s biggest weekends.
According to PWInsider, the former world champion was backstage at WWE Backlash despite not appearing on the show itself. The update comes while Owens continues working his way back from major neck surgery that has kept him out of action for months.
Recently, Owens opened up about how difficult the extended absence from wrestling has been mentally while previewing season three of WWE LFG on A&E, where he’ll now serve as one of the show’s coaches alongside Natalya. At the time of filming, Owens admitted the recovery process had started taking a serious toll on him emotionally because wrestling had been such a huge part of his life for decades.
“I’ve been wrestling for 25 years. Ultimately, for me, I just want to help the next generation.”
He also admitted he struggles with the idea of being away from wrestling completely. Owens then got brutally honest about how frustrating the lengthy layoff has become while recovering from neck surgery.
“And also, I don’t really know what I’d do with myself if it didn’t. This is just all I’ve done since I was 15. This is what I love, this is what I’ve always loved. Right now, I’ve been off for 8-9 months because of my neck surgery. I’m losing my mind. Like, I just want to be around it.”
Owens underwent surgery in July 2025 following his last match against Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber 2025. While there’s still no official timetable for his return, the fact Owens was backstage at Backlash shows he remains closely connected to WWE during recovery.
He has also continued appearing around the WWE Performance Center during rehab, previously sharing footage of himself doing cardio training as he works toward eventually getting medically cleared again. For now, Owens’ role on WWE LFG gives him a way to remain involved with wrestling even while he can’t actively compete inside the ring.
Bottom line — Kevin Owens may still be out recovering from neck surgery, but his backstage appearance at WWE Backlash makes it clear he’s staying close to WWE while continuing the long road back to the ring.
Do you think Kevin Owens still has another major WWE run left once he’s cleared, or should WWE start preparing him for a long-term backstage role instead? Drop your thoughts below and let us know.