Long-Absent WWE Star Spotted in Minneapolis ahead of SummerSlam

It was reported earlier this week that two major names were expected to return to WWE programming in the near future. Those names were Kevin Owens and Randy Orton, and one of them has now been spotted in Minnesota ahead of SummerSlam.

The 'Biggest Party of the Summer' gets started tonight inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis with six match-ups, headlined by CM Punk defending his WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes. On Sunday night, the new No. 1 Contender for the WWE Title will be determined when Sami Zayn takes on Finn Balor.

Gunther has also made it very clear that his aspirations of becoming the WWE Champion are not over just yet. He attacked both Zayn and Balor Friday night on SmackDown, moments before he was ambushed by his SummerSlam opponent, former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis.

Why do I bring all this up? Well, that's because another former world champion may be about to enter the already crowded WWE Championship conversation. Someone who has been known to fight for a prize or two in his day.

Kevin Owens has been spotted in Minneapolis ahead of SummerSlam

Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp reported early Saturday morning that Kevin Owens is in Minneapolis this weekend. It's important to note that Ross Sapp has not confirmed that KO will make his return at SummerSlam, but he is in town for the event.

Owens has been out of action for well over a year with a neck injury. He started to experience issues in the lead-up to his scheduled match with Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41, and was ruled medically ineligible to compete.

Then TNA World Heavyweight Champion Joe Hendry would appear in Las Vegas as a surprise replacement. He wrestled a fun but brief match and ultimately lost when The Viper struck with an RKO out of nowhere.

Owens' injury would require him to undergo neck fusion surgery, with no guarantees that he'd ever be able to return to in-ring competition.

His last match came at Elimination Chamber 2025, which took place at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. KO defeated his longtime friend/rival/tag team partner Sami Zayn in a brutal Unsanctioned Match. Zayn would also wind up missing WrestleMania that year.

Kevin Owens has popped up in public more frequently in recent months. He was a coach during season three of WWE LFG on A&E, and he appeared during the NXT Great American Bash tailgate party. KO has also been featured in some WWE digital exclusives, most recently after Sami Zayn won the WWE Championship.

Could KO return this weekend to help his buddy get back on track to winning the WWE Championship? Let's not get our hopes up just yet, but a Kevin Owens return certainly seems more possible now than in recent months.

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