Kevin Owens has been nothing short of spectacular on WWE programming since signing with the company, but 2016 was the year when “The Kevin Owens Show” was taken to the top of the WWE ladder. Finn Balor’s injury over the summer forced WWE officials to change their creative plans for Raw, but that was a golden opportunity for Owens to become the WWE Universal Champion, pick up the metaphorical ball, and run.
He’s been one of WWE’s most consistent performers all year. His on-screen friendship and chemistry with Chris Jericho have made the pair one of WWE’s most entertaining duos. Owens has also been able to create a lot of prestige for the WWE Universal Championship in the wake of Finn Balor’s injury. Make no mistake; Kevin Owens is on top of the wrestling world, but his run on top of the WWE ladder has only just begun.
The WWE Royal Rumble is less than a month away, and it’s expected to be one of the biggest WWE PPVs in history. Owens will defend the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns at the event. It’s been reported Reigns will likely win the title at the PPV, but that remains to be seen. No matter what happens at the WWE Royal Rumble, Kevin Owens is a made man in WWE, and he has the full support of WWE officials.
[Image by WWE]
According to a new report, WWE officials are said to be extremely high on Kevin Owens right now. A huge reason why is his consistency on WWE television and his current WWE Universal title run, but a lot of the praise from the powers-that-be is because Kevin Owens is not afraid to be vocal backstage and is very involved in the creative process behind his segments. This week’s edition of Raw is a perfect example.
On Raw, the show featured the first edition of “The Kevin Owens Show,” which had Goldberg on as the talk show’s first guest. Owens and Jericho successfully hosted the segment together. But the small details of the segment have been praised by WWE officials. For instance, the giant “Kevin Owens Show” sign over a man’s head and the cheap lawn chair for his guests were ideas that came directly from Kevin Owens himself.
“The Kevin Owens Show” segment was well received by WWE officials and Owens’ stock continues to rise in WWE because he isn’t afraid to be involved in the creative process, and more times than not, the powers-that-be like his ideas. Even more important than helping creatively is the effort that Owens has been showing to be the best World Champion he can be for the company. It’s giving him a lot of favor with WWE officials.
[Image by WWE]
It’s been rumored that Kevin Owens will lose the WWE Universal title to Roman Reigns at the WWE Royal Rumble later this month, but it hasn’t been confirmed and won’t be until the PPV. It’s plausible that WWE will keep the title on Owens through WrestleMania. If Owens leaves San Antonio with the WWE Universal title, his WrestleMania plans will be a surprise because the feud with Jericho seems to be written in stone.
WWE has been building to their feud for months, so it would be a disappointment to have their run together end without a proper payoff. Unfortunately, Chris Jericho’s run with WWE is expected to end shortly after WrestleMania 33. If Jericho vs. Owens is booked for the grandest stage of them all, the match wouldn’t need the WWE Universal title, especially after the dynamic they’ve built together over the past several months.
Regardless of what happens through WrestleMania season, Kevin Owens will remain a commodity. Some WWE fans have been complaining that Owens hasn’t been booked as a strong World Champion and he will not win the title back for the rest of his WWE career. His relationship with the powers-that-be backstage in WWE will ensure his continued success, and 2017 should be even more successful for him as 2016.
[Featured Image by WWE]