Update on WWE’s Kevin Owens After Double Knee Surgery

There was hope Kevin Owens knee surgery would only keep him on WWE’s disabled list for a few months. But not only is the damage more severe than expected, but the former Universal Champion needed an operation on both knees.

The double-surgery obviously will push back KO’s return, but the actual severity of his orthopedic injury could be just as costly according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“The damage in his left knee is worse than expected but they’re hopeful late February or early March return. so that’s the timetable for what it is. He didn’t have full-blown reconstructive surgery on either of his knees but it was serious — his left knee especially,” he said.

Meltzer’s scoop came hours after Owens tweeted a picture of both legs covered in bandaging after his stint on the operating table.

Before the surgery, Owens was believed to miss anywhere between four and eight months, but that was before anyone knew he’d need two surgeries with the left knee being particularly concerning. Regardless Owens is done for 2018, and at least the first chunk of 2019. If his recovery time is indeed steep, then KO could miss WrestleMania 35.

No one is quite sure when Kevin Owens sustained the injuries, but it’s believed he’s been working through the damage for some time. In kayfabe, Owens’ knees exploded after a vicious attack from Bobby Lashley on Raw earlier this month. Lashley’s heel turn may have turned Owens into a babyface but that remains to be seen.

However, the recipe for Owens to become a cult hero in WWE is certainly there. On top of eating Lashley’s beatdown, Owens absence from WWE and subsequent return will put him in good favor with the fanbase guaranteeing a cheerful return.

But just because Owens will have built up goodwill with the WWE Universe, that doesn’t lock in his new role as a babyface. As we all learned with Seth Rollins after his knee surgery, just because we want to cheer, doesn’t mean WWE will allow it. However, Owens spent the summer inching towards becoming a good guy. After his laughably one-sided feud with Braun Strowman, Owens began to work more comedy into his character, but before that could fully bloom, he hit the operating table.

WWE will miss KO’s presence over the next several months. Here’s to a speedy recovery and quite possibly one of the more compelling face-turns in recent memory.

[H/T Ringside News]