Since his debut in WWE, Kevin Owens has taken on a wide variety of challengers. Whether it was his win over Sami Zayn to capture the NXT championship after only two months with the company, or defeating John Cena in his first match on a special event, Owens has been hugely successful.
As the prizefighter, Owens has always fought for a reason, and recently that reason has been the WWE Universal championship. With the assistance of Triple H, Owens defeated Big Cass, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins for the title.
What has made Owens’ reign unlike the Championship reigns of Rollins or Reigns is that he has done so through both underhanded means (with the aid of Chris Jericho) and has demonstrated he is capable of winning his matches clean.
The Universal belt is presented as the major Championship on the Raw brand, and it should be this way. Thus, it would be best to have Owens hold the title until Wrestlemania, to establish not only its value but its significance as the most important championship on the brand.
Here are five reasons Kevin Owens should continue to hold the WWE Universal Championship until Wrestlemania.
#5 He can fight Jericho for the title leading up to Royal Rumble or beyond
It appears there is legitimate onscreen animosity between both Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho, and so keeping the title on Owens leading up to Wrestlemania would add extra significance to that storyline in 2017. Jericho and Owens have teased issues between them, only to metaphorically give their foes the middle finger.
In Owens, we have seen an indecisive heel; while he wants to prove he isn't a coward, he also doesn't mind his friends taking the fall for him.
Did he need Chris Jericho? Regardless of whether he did or not, Jericho has often taken a beating on behalf of the champ. Jericho hasn't held a major Championship in WWE for years now, and while it isn't likely he would defeat Owens for the title, that doesn't mean Y2J challenging for it wouldn't work.
Jericho's current heel run, including the evolution of 'The List,' has been fantastic. It manages to be both brilliant and annoying all at the same time. Jericho and Owens haven't feuded before and while this may simply end up being another screw job, it would still be entertaining to see these men finally do battle.
The match provides something fans have wanted to see since these two became 'best friends'.
#4 It gives rationale for a Finn Balor and Kevin Owens match at Wrestlemania
Kevin Owens' time in NXT was both brief and intense. His feud with Sami Zayn proved to be costly for Zayn but catapulted Owens to the top in the meantime. Also, while in NXT, he battled Finn Balor all over the world. They faced each other on multiple occasions and at multiple events.
Balor defeated Owens for the NXT championship during a WWE network special in Japan.
It was in Japan that Balor first made a name for himself, and it was there that he began his reign as the NXT champion. Owens losing the match, and his loss in the rematch at the inaugural NXT Takeover Brooklyn event, has to be eating at him.
Did he ever truly put those losses behind him?
It isn't certain, but having Owens motivated to retain his title against the man who has taken a belt from him before, and Balor, who would be burning to recapture the title he relinquished after holding it for only one day, could prove to be an interesting feud for both men going into Wrestlemania.
Who will come out on top? It's a storyline that fans of the main roster will want to see play out.
#3 It allows for more character rehabilitation for Roman Reigns which is needed before giving him top belt again
There are many fans that celebrate the fact that Roman Reigns isn't the Champion. Still, a feeling of inevitability that Reigns will once again capture the Championship, is certainly out there as well. Despite all of Reigns’ best efforts in the ring, fans of a certain demographic still have not warmed to him, partly because of how he has been booked.
They don't like the confidence. They don't like him looking weak only to make the triumphant comeback either. As it stands right now, keeping the title on Kevin Owens will be celebrated, despite the fact that Owens is a heel and Reigns is a babyface.
It has been six months since Reigns held the WWE world Heavyweight Championship. In that time, he has captured the US championship, which isn't seen in the same light and so fans are less focused on him being a champion.
To get him acceptance from fans as either 'the guy' or 'the champion,' needs time. He really shouldn't be booked against Owens, or even in a top flight main event feud because there is still too much fan heat on him, which needs time to settle before he can capture the Championship.
#2 Recent pay per views were too minor for a title change
When a title changes hands, it should be noteworthy. While it has happened on Raw, there are normally millions of eyes on that program, and doing it on cable TV gives the impression that anything can happen in WWE. Raw’s exclusive pay per view is Roadblock: End of the Line.
The event featured a number of men and women that have helped make the weekly program must-watch television. The problem, however, is while it has been interesting television to see titles change hands on Raw, having Owens lose the top belt on regular TV or a brand specific network exclusive would diminish the lustre the company is trying to establish around the Championship.
With the Royal Rumble quickly approaching, more time can be dedicated to the build towards a titanic Championship match at a major event. The Royal Rumble pay per view features both the SmackDown Live and Raw, one of only four shows that do so.
The WWE Universal title, if it were to change hands, should switch on just such a major show, one where Owens would have the chance to showcase his talents.
#1 Devalues US title to have Reigns unify and then cast it aside
Roman Reigns is once again on the trajectory to becoming a major Champion. The concern with him capturing the Universal championship would be that not only would it not be well-received, but that the championship he currently has would be considered an afterthought.
The United States Championship used to be held in high regard, a title that the likes of Ric Flair, Sting, Dusty Rhodes and Lex Luger have won. Fans may be thinking, what does this have to do with Kevin Owens and the WWE Universal title?
In the event that Owens was to lose the title to Reigns, Reigns that is would hold both the US and Universal championship. So Reigns would hold both Championships and either has to relinquish one Championship or unite them.
Also, it has barely been a year since Seth Rollins unified the United States and WWE World championships, so such a unification would be repetitive.
Owens continuing to hold the title, rather than losing it to Reigns, would be better received by a very vocal fan base. The last thing that would benefit the WWE Universal Championship would be for it to be won by someone who isn't booked to value the title he is already holding.
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