Kevin Owens Tells All About WWE Mask Mandate Admitting ‘That Came From Me’

Kevin Owens took a break from WWE, but he didn’t like what he saw upon his return. Masks were not being worn and social distancing was not enforced either. This caused him to say something about it to Vince McMahon.

In a new interview with Sports Illustrated, Kevin Owens admitted that WWE’s mask mandate and fining system came from him. He said “a fine system was implemented to make sure people took it seriously. That came from me.”

Owens also said that people weren’t taking masks seriously enough, so he went to “the people in charge.”

Kevin Owens’ grandfather-in-law died due to COVID-19. Owns is very serious about the subject and wanted to make sure that WWE was doing everything to keep people safe.

I hurt my ankle at WrestleMania so I needed time off, and then I came back—and then I went away again. I just felt like it was the right move for my family and I to sit out a few of the tapings of Raw and assess the COVID outbreak. We live in Orlando, so it’s not just going to the Performance Center. It’s everywhere. We thought it was the right time to quarantine and practice safe guidelines. Last week, I saw the measures that the company was taking, from the testing to the splitting up the crews to make sure Raw and SmackDown wouldn’t be there the same day, and sending out very clear very indications that masks were required unless we were in the ring.

A big part of this is my wife lost her grandfather to COVID. We make these decisions together. I don’t want anything I do to make my wife uncomfortable when I get back home. I want to make sure that she feels safe and that my children are safe. Every decision I make, I make with her. She saw the efforts the company made, as well, and she said maybe it was time for me to go back to work because it’s what I love to do. The company depends on me and there are a lot of fans that look forward to seeing me on TV every week, so we’re just trying to juggle everything. The family being safe, of course, but I also want to contribute to the shows. With her blessing, I went back. And what I observed gave me hope and gave me a sense of security.

It’s been brought up—at first, the masks weren’t being taken seriously enough. Eventually, a fine system was implemented to make sure people took it seriously. That came from me. I thought that the masks weren’t being worn seriously enough, so I went and talked to the people in charge. They immediately did what they could to remedy the situation. I don’t blame anybody for the mask thing. It’s easy to forget how important those masks are. Some people just straight up believe that the masks don’t make a difference, and that’s their belief. But if we’re all going to work together and we’re all trying to keep each other safe, I think it matters. If you’ve had somebody in your family affected by this the way my family was, it’s a lot easier to remember that these masks make a huge difference. These masks do make a difference, and I felt it was important for people to take that seriously. I was pleased that the company felt the same way and made sure to get the message out to everybody that this is a big deal. That’s why, in the end, I decided to come back. I feel comfortable going back to work, and I feel as safe as I can be there.

Kevin Owens realized that WWE relied on him, but his family needs him as well. A system which require wearing a mask backstage in WWE was the best way to make sure that everything was as safe as possible.

There was a bit of confusion at first when it came to the fining system. Now it is pretty cut and dry. If you’re backstage and not on camera then your face must be covered.