Kevin Owens Explains His WWE Absence

Kevin Owens has been off WWE TV for the last couple of weeks, and it was his decision. On the [...]

By Brian Jones

Kevin Owens has been off WWE TV for the last couple of weeks, and it was his decision. On the latest episode of WWE's The Bump, Owens revealed he took himself off of TV to protect his family. He spoke to WWE about the decision, and the company understood.

"You know there's no pushback. I mean, I don't think there would be pushback on anybody, but also they know once I make my mind up that's the way it's gonna be," Owens said, as transcribed by WrestlingNews.com. "They were respectful of my decision. I'm glad that I took it and I figured it was the best thing for my family." WWE is currently dealing with issues of COVID-19 as four staff members including commentators Kayla Braxton and Renee Young tested positive for the virus. Currently, WWE is filming all their television programs at the Performance Center in Florida, and they have started testing talent and other staff members consistently. On Monday, Owens went to Twitter to send a message to fans about wearing masks during a pandemic.

"At worst, wearing a mask and social distancing does nothing. At best, it helps saves lives," Owens said. "While at worst, making fun of people wearing a mask, and not wearing a mask yourself, and telling people not to wear a mask can help spread this disease and make things worse. And at best, if you're doing that and belittling people and calling them ignorant for wearing masks, at best, you're making fun of people who are trying to do what they think is best for their community. So, let's try to remember that. Let's not think we're better than anyone else and let's take care of each other, let's help each other out. And everybody, take care. Thank you."

Along with asking fans to wear a mask, Owens also talked about how his wife lost her grandfather to COVID-19. He said they had to watch his funeral through Zoom and Owns said it was "awful" because her mother-in-law couldn't give her father a proper goodbye. It's not clear when Owens will return, but his spot on Raw is waiting for him as he's one of the top Superstars on the roster. Owens, 36, is a former NXT Champion, former WWE Universal Champion, two-time Intercontinental Champion, and three-time United States Champion.

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