Kevin Owens forced to bow out of WrestleMania due to neck injury: SmackDown highlights April 4, 2025

Kevin Owens has no choice to back out of his showdown against Randy Orton at The Showcase of the Immortals. Catch WWE action on Netflix, Peacock, USA Network, CW Network, and more. #SmackDown
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Well, folks,
this is a part of my job that, frankly, is not very fun. [NOISE]
>> In this industry, there’s a fine line between coming back next week,
like, everything’s fine, and finding out that potentially you may
never set foot in this ring again. It’s a cliche, but there’s a reason
that we say, don’t try this at home. I don’t wanna say much more because I’d
rather you hear it from the man himself, but ladies and gentlemen,
please join me in welcoming Kevin Owens. >> [APPLAUSE] >> Speaker 2: Well, after that ominous warning from
GM Nick Aldis, KO looking bitter and dejected, but
that has been his demeanor of late. It’s very hard to get a read
on KO at the best of times. [MUSIC] >> Speaker 3: I’ve been doing this for
25 years, and I think I can say confidently that for
those 25 years, I really gave everything I had every
time I stepped foot in this ring. And in those 25 years,
because of this industry, I’ve gotten to live incredible things and
experience things I’ll never forget. I’ve had the chance to take care
of my family in a way that I could have only dreamed of. But there’s a price to pay for
that amazing opportunity, and that’s the toll it
takes on our bodies. Every single guy and
girl back there has paid that price at different times, and
now it seems like it’s my turn. Because the reality is, for
the last four months or so, I’ve been dealing with a pretty
serious neck injury, and we didn’t know what it was,
we didn’t really know how serious it was. Thankfully, this week we
managed to figure it out, and now I have to go get neck surgery,
so that’s what I’m gonna do. And the timing couldn’t be
worse cuz let me tell you, not getting to be in the ring with
Randy Orton at WrestleMania really sucks. And I’m really thankful for WWE for allowing me to come out here
in front of you guys and telling you all that,
cuz the truth is, I don’t know when I’ll have the privilege to be
in front of you guys again. What I do know is the last few years, I’ve learned not to take anything for
granted, and I will never take this for granted. >> [APPLAUSE]
>> Speaker 3: So for now, I wanna say thank you, and I’m sorry, guys, thank you. >> [APPLAUSE] >> Speaker 2: Wow. >> [APPLAUSE] [MUSIC] >> Well, this is a man who threatened to
pumpkin KO all the way back to Montreal. And I don’t know if sympathy is an emotion
that Randy Orton is capable of feeling. >> Once the closest of friends,
but then KO nearly ended Randy Orton’s career with
a pile driver last fall. [MUSIC] That explosive return to the ring we
saw in Toronto at Elimination Chamber, the heated exchanges and now the news
that Kevin Owens just delivered here in Chicago that they’ll be unable to
meet in the ring at WrestleMania. >> Speaker 2: Professional level of
respect there from Randy Orton to a fellow competitor in Kevin Owens, despite the
fact that he may be burning with hatred. [MUSIC] >> Speaker 4: That I gave everything for
25 years, but I have a severe neck injury, surgery is needed and KO says he
doesn’t know when he’ll be back again. [NOISE] >> Speaker 1: Randy, I hate to be the one to tell you this, and
there’s no easy way to say it, but I’m afraid that means that you no
longer have a match for WrestleMania. [NOISE] >> Speaker 4: No. [NOISE]
>> Those voices in his head. [NOISE]
>> RKOing the Smackdown General Manager. [MUSIC] >> The Piper Aboard. >> Speaker 4: Reacting to the news. [MUSIC] >> Speaker 2: What a devastating blow,
of course, for KO, but indeed too for Randy Orton, who at this point in his career does
not want to miss a single WrestleMania. [MUSIC] >> Speaker 4: The major shakeup with
Kevin Owens revealing the news tonight. [MUSIC]