WWE Rumor Mill: Backstage news on how long Kevin Owens will be out of action

What’s the story?

Kevin Owens was written off of television this week in an angle where Bobby Lashley seemingly turned heel, smashing KO's knee into the ring post after their scheduled match.

It later emerged that Owens would be taking some time away due to injury, and it has now emerged that the injury requires surgery - which will sideline Kevin Owens for 4-8 months, depending on the surgery needed.

In case you didn’t know...

Kevin Owens' tag team partner and best friend Sami Zayn is currently sidelined due to an injury, too. Since Zayn was written off of television, Owens has gone up against Braun Strowman, been teamed up with Elias, and even quit Raw, before making his return to attack Bobby Lashley in a segment with Jinder Mahal.

Owens teamed up with Elias to face John Cena and Bobby Lashley in a losing effort. While this will be the first time Kevin Owens has missed substantial television time due to injury, Sami Zayn's had much worse luck in that department.

Right now, Zayn is recovering from two torn rotator cuffs after wrestling 163 times in 2017 and 65 times in 2018 - reportedly while hurt. Zayn is expected to return to WWE in early 2019.

NBoth Owens and Zayn are now sidelined

The heart of the matter

Kevin Owens had been working with a knee injury for a while before being written off of television. Much like his back injury last year, it was hoped that the ailment may not be serious enough to require time away.

However, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer is reporting that the former Universal Champion could miss anywhere between four and eight months - depending on the severity of the surgery.

Meltzer noted that the full damage won't be known until his knee is opened up and, while it's hoped that Owens will just need minor surgery, it is possible that the diagnosis may be much worse.

What’s next?

If Owens needs major surgery, he is expected to be out for eight months. If the procedure is minor, it's much more likely to be four months.

We wish Kevin Owens all the best in his recovery.