Kevin Owens has revealed his disappointment over missing the opportunity to share the ring with John Cena one final time. With neck surgery looming, Owens is expected to be out of action for the remainder of the year, casting doubt on some of the matches he had hoped to experience before winding down his WWE career.

Speaking on My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox, Owens opened up about the lingering ambitions he still holds as a performer.

“Honestly, I really do not… there’s matches I’d love to have, like I’d love to wrestle Finn [Balor] at WrestleMania, because we’ve been really close since we met in WWE, and he’s one of those guys that I consider more like family than a friend, and I’d love to get to share that experience with him,” he shared.

Owens became emotional when discussing how his current injury could derail a meaningful rematch with Cena. “One of the things that really hurts about this injury is now I know I will not get to wrestle John [Cena] one last time, ’cause that’s not gonna happen now, and I was really hoping I got to do that before he’s done.”

While the full extent of his recovery timeline is still unclear, Owens acknowledged that he has not yet had in-depth discussions with doctors about what the upcoming surgery entails. Still, the passion to get back in the ring remains. “I haven’t talked to the surgeons at length about the surgery that’s required or what that means. I just know what I’ve seen from other guys going through neck surgery … but man, I’d love to, I’d love to wrestle John one last time.”