"What if it wasn't a shoot?" - WWE veteran gets 100% real on Kevin Owens' injury

WWE Superstar Kevin Owens announced on last week's SmackDown that he wouldn't be able to compete at WrestleMania 41 due to a serious neck injury. Recently, wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell shared his honest take on the former Universal Champion being ruled out of The Show of Shows.

The Prizefighter was scheduled to lock horns with Randy Orton in Las Vegas later this month. However, on the April 4, 2025, edition of SmackDown, Kevin Owens revealed that he had been dealing with a serious neck injury that required immediate attention, which is why he would not be able to battle The Viper.

Speaking on his Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast, the former WWE manager entertained the idea that KO might have faked the injury to avoid a bout with Randy Orton. Mantell proposed a scenario in which Kevin Owens could surprisingly attack his rival.

"Well, I'm sure this is a shoot. But I was thinking, what if it wasn't a shoot? What if he [Kevin Owens] just said, 'I got to have surgery right away,' just to get out of the match? And all of a sudden at the end of it, Kevin Owens comes in that ring and beats the living - with a mop handle, since he's hurt already - beats the hell out of Orton with a stick in his hand. So he was lying," he said. [From 45:36 to 46:10]

The veteran added:

"But I think it's a shoot because I've never seen that done before. But again, I think WWE is thinking out of the box. I think this would still be the wrong thing to do, and I think he [Owens] does need [sic] neck surgery." [From 46:19 to 46:37]

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Former champion takes a huge shot at WWE following Kevin Owens' injury announcement

Former RAW Tag Team Champions Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows were released from the Stamford-based promotion in February 2025. For those unaware, The Machine Gun was sidelined due to injury-related issues when he was let go from WWE.

In a recent episode of the Talk'n Shop podcast, Karl Anderson took a shot at the company, hoping that if Kevin Owens underwent major surgery, he wouldn't be released shortly thereafter.

"If Kevin [Owens] is really hurt, which I'm not saying he is or isn't, I don't have any idea. I haven't followed. I'm barely involved. I'm just going to say this; I hope, if he's really hurt and he has surgery, I hope he is not released two and a half months after the major surgery. That's all I'm going to say," he said.

It will be interesting to see if The Prizefighter returns to action following a potential speedy recovery post-WrestleMania.

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If you use any quotes from the first half of this article, please credit the Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.