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The latest edition of WWE SmackDown marked the season premiere of the blue brand, with Kevin Owens' shock move to the brand being one of the biggest highlights from the episode.
KO is one of the biggest babyfaces in the company and was at the top of the RAW roster alongside Sami Zayn. The two real-life best friends won the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 39. They enjoyed a successful run until dropping their Titles to The Judgment Day's Damian Priest and Finn Balor.
However, Jey Uso's move to RAW allowed newly appointed SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis to make his pick in the trade. He selected Kevin Owens and revealed him as Main Event Jey Uso's replacement.
Nick Aldis revealed the official reason behind his decision in a backstage interview. KO had an incredible run with Sami Zayn. However, the SmackDown General Manager was convinced that now was the right time for Owens to return to singles competition.
Aldis said:
"So, when I got to thinking about it, there are a lot of different moving parts, a lot of new ones, right now, but I felt like Kevin Owens met the criteria for a number of reasons. One, obviously, is that he is a very, very top-tier talent. But also, we are in a new season, and I feel like Kevin Owens is entering a new season of his career. Meaning that he has just come off an incredible run with Sami as the tag team champion, so I feel the time is right for him to look at singles competition again."
Nick Aldis revealed that he had spoken with RAW General Manager Adam Pearce and showrunner Triple H before negotiating a deal with Kevin Owens.
"With that in mind, I felt like all of those different parts were in the right place. So, I made a call to Kevin, we discussed things, I talked to Adam, I talked to Triple H, we made some negotiations, and we got the deal done," Aldis concluded. [1:53 - 2:45]
You can watch the full video below:
Roman Reigns was unhappy with Kevin Owens' move to WWE SmackDown
Although fans loved KO's arrival on the blue brand, not everyone seemed so happy with this move. One of the biggest names to be bothered by Owens' return on SmackDown was Roman Reigns.
The Tribal Chief has a storied rivalry with Owens, and the two have always been engaged in a heated feud. Reigns returned on SmackDown this week after his brief hiatus and was displeased seeing his old nemesis back on the same show.
However, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion had his focus primarily set on LA Knight, who will be his next challenger. Knight defeated Solo Sikoa on SmackDown this week, becoming only the third WWE Superstar to pin Solo Sikoa on the main roster after Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso.
Do you think trading Kevin Owens to WWE SmackDown was a good move? Sound off in the comments section below!
