Is Kevin Owens suspended by WWE? His status confirmed ahead of SmackDown

Kevin Owens delivered a Piledriver to Randy Orton on an edition of WWE SmackDown earlier this month, forcing the company to ban him for a short period. The Piledriver has been banned by the Sports Entertainment juggernaut for years, and no one is allowed to use it without the company's permission. The Viper suffered a serious injury and was taken to a local medical facility.

Given that The Prizefighter first turned on Cody Rhodes after The American Nightmare teamed up with Roman Reigns at Bad Blood, the Undisputed WWE Champion stepped up on The Apex Predator's behalf last Friday. He demanded a face-off with KO. However, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis refused to abide by the champion's demands, but it seems that the promotion has now taken a different decision.

Later, Kevin Owens shared a video on X in which he revealed that he showed up at the arena last week but was turned away. However, he later announced that Aldis had allowed him to show up on the upcoming edition of SmackDown, lifting his ban for at least a week.

KO will be present at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT, this Friday. The Undisputed WWE Champion and The Prizefighter will have a face-to-face segment. This will be the first time that the former friends will have an actual conversation since KO's heel turn at Bad Blood.

Both Owens and Rhodes are highly frustrated with each other, and at this point, a brawl seems imminent. The Triple H-led creative team could use the upcoming episode of SmackDown to book The American Nightmare vs. The Prizefighter for Saturday Night's Main Event on December 14, 2024.

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Is Kevin Owens leaving WWE?

The Prizefighter's brief ban came at a time when fans had been wondering about his contract status. The former Universal Champion previously revealed that his multi-year contract with WWE would expire in early 2025.

During a live Q&A with Bill Apter on Backstage Pass, WrestleVotes reported that Kevin Owens was ''not going anywhere,'' considering the SmackDown star was at the top of the card.

“It’s either done or on the verge of getting done. Just look at the place that he’s been in the last month or so—top of the card, new merchandise. He’s not going anywhere,” the report stated.

The upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown will likely allow fans to gain more insight into Kevin Owens' future in the company.