As seen during the April 4th, 2025 edition of WWE SmackDown, WWE officially announced that the highly anticipated WrestleMania 41 match between Randy Orton and Kevin Owens has been canceled. The reason for the cancellation is due to Owens reportedly requiring neck surgery, putting him on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.

The news has sparked conversation throughout the wrestling world, with fans and wrestlers alike sharing their reactions to the unfortunate development. While some remain hopeful this could be part of a storyline, others are expressing concern over Owens' health and future in the company.

Speaking on his Talk N Shop podcast, former WWE star Karl Anderson addressed the situation after it was brought up during the show. Anderson made it clear that he does not have any insider knowledge about Owens' current condition or WWE’s creative plans but still offered a candid take on the matter:

“I do not know anything about anything. I am not in the middle of anything. I do not know anything about storylines or how his health is. I do not know his injury status. I do not want to comment on that. Here is what I am going to go with. If Kevin is really hurt, which I am not saying he is or is not, I do not have any idea. I have not followed. I am barely involved.

I am just going to say this; I hope, if he is really hurt and he has surgery, I hope he is not released two and a half months after the major surgery. That is all I am going to say. I hope that does not happen to him. I hope that it is a work and Randy [Orton] attacks him and they have a match at WrestleMania. If Kevin is really hurt, I just hope two and a half months after his recovery, everything is going well.”

As speculation continues, the WWE Universe will be watching closely to see if any further updates emerge—whether Owens' absence turns out to be legitimate or part of a larger WrestleMania storyline yet to unfold.

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