In the world of professional wrestling, sometimes reality collides with the realm of performance art, as is the case with Kevin Owens, one of WWE's top superstars. It's been reported that the injury angle played out on the recent episode of Monday Night Raw involving Kevin Owens isn't just a part of the storyline, it's real.

Kevin Owens has been dealing with a legitimate injury, according to multiple sources, including Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, who claimed that the 39-year-old WWE superstar is reportedly nursing a fractured rib, an injury he's been working with "for a while."

The recent Raw storyline was devised to afford Owens some much-needed rest and recovery time, but it leaves his partner, Sami Zayn, hanging.

This latest development adds an unexpected twist to the ongoing rivalry between Owens, his tag team partner Sami Zayn, and The Judgment Day. Owens and Zayn, the reigning Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, have been embroiled in this feud leading up to a North American Championship match between Zayn and Dominik Mysterio on Raw. It was during this match that The Judgment Day attacked Owens, causing a distraction that led to Mysterio's victory.