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Kevin Owens has many opportunities at his disposal if he decides to leave WWE, and making the jump over to AEW is certain to be one of them. Fightful Select reported that KO's contract is set to expire early next year after being restructured before the pandemic. This creates an interesting scenario where the former Universal Champion may be able to jump ship over to All Elite Wrestling sooner than many expected.
With that possibility in mind, many fans will have fantasy-booking dream matches for Kevin Owens. Although KO has mixed it up with several AEW competitors like Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley and Malakai Black in the past, there is a plethora of established and rising stars that would make for fresh matchups with The Prize Fighter.
Rumors have circulated that many within WWE believe that Kevin Owens is as good as gone, so it seems like an ideal time to think about the many opportunities that lie ahead. In this article, let's take a look at the six dream matches for Kevin Owens in AEW.
#6 One half of the new AEW Tag Team Champions - Penta El Zero Miedo
If Kevin Owens is heading to AEW, it will make way for him to return to his real name of Kevin Steen. It will finally be an unshackled superstar who will have a lot of freedom, including in his moveset. While KO has been known to end competitors with his Pop-Up Powerbomb and the Stunner, Steen was known to put his opponents away with the Package Piledriver.
That manuever is best associated with another AEW star in Penta El Zero Miedo. One half of the current AEW World Tag Team Champions, The Lucha Brothers, Penta is extremely charismatic and known for his unique style. He blends lucha libre with intense brawling and has become one of the company's most engrossing competitors.
Kevin Steen vs. Penta El Zero Miedo would not only be a battle of Package Piledrivers, but it would also be a battle of two of the most physically intense stars in the business today. They will have a brawl that will stand out for the levels of violence they can achieve. Fans saw a sense of that in the classic Steel Cage Match at AEW All Out 2021 and Steen's arrival will only add to that.
#5 AEW's rising star - Darby Allin
Darby Allin has been mentioned by many as a future AEW World Champion. He stands as one of the company's fastest rising stars, even coming off the heels of a loss in his biggest match yet, against CM Punk at All Out 2021. Darby's devil may care attitude, high risk style and unique face paint attracts all types of fans from men to women to children.
While many WWE superstars jump ship to AEW, Darby Allin is one of the first names that fans hear mentioned as potential dream opponents. Kevin Owens may be the next in line to say Darby Allin's name, which would create quite the intriguing confrontation.
Darby Allin is a competitor that performs with a chip on his shoulder due to his small stature and not having "the look." For many years, Kevin Owens was told by many officials in the industry that he didn't have the body to be a megastar in the industry. This has caused him to perform with the same chip on his shoulder as Darby.
These two men would have a physical brawl with one another as well. Kevin Owens is at his best when he goes against a smaller opponent that can make his high impact moves look impressive. If there is anyone at AEW that can do that best, it's Darby Allin. KO is also an underrated wrestler for his selling and would make Allin look just as formidable, making this a perfect match.
#4 One of the EVPs of AEW - Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes is one of the pillars of AEW, being one of the founding fathers and EVPs of the company. His journey to All Elite Wrestling started with his departure from WWE in 2016. Feeling unfulfilled with the creative process and the Stardust character, Cody decided to venture away from the company and try to make himself a bigger star.
Cody Rhodes did just that, in large part thanks to his association with The Bullet Club and friendship with The Elite, comprising mainly of the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega. The friendship between Cody, Matt and Nick Jackson could be traced back to the advice given to Rhodes by Kevin Owens before leaving WWE. KO told Cody that The Young Bucks would take care of him and the rest is history.
This real-life history could be a catalyst for a compelling feud in AEW. Kevin Owens could target Cody and make a name for himself in this new company. He could take credit for Cody's success and the formation of All Elite Wrestling. Kevin Owens is one of the industry's best talkers and no one can articulate this quite like him.
Cody Rhodes is at his absolute best when he has a charismatic heel across from him. His best feuds in AEW have been against the likes of MJF and Brodie Lee, who hold that distinction. A motivated Cody makes for his greatest work, so facing a real-life friend like Kevin Owens and wanting to start him on the right foot has all the makings of a classic rivalry.
#3 AEW's greatest villain - MJF
Maxwell Jacob Friedman is the self-proclaimed King and Face of AEW. MJF has put his name on the map by being the most detestable character and a tremendous talker. He has victories over most of the top stars in All Elite Wrestling, including Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes.
MJF has it all to be a main eventer for years to come. Friedman is incredible on the mic, a despicable heel with no endearing qualities, an excellent look and a good wrestler who can step up to be great when he has to. The Pinnacle leader may target the newest arrival to AEW to further cement himself as a top star.
In many ways, Kevin Owens is the exact opposite of MJF. KO doesn't have the look of a classic wrestler and isn't a silver spoon character. He is rough around the edges and has an everyman look that makes him a terrific babyface despite his ability to be a consummate heel for much of his career. That's what makes Owens and MJF quite the captivating feud to explore in AEW.
Kevin Owens is one of the rare WWE superstars who isn't given an exact script for his promos because the company believes in his skills on the microphone. This shows how elite he is as a talker. KO and MJF would have electric promo exchanges that would make their rivalry undeniably top notch. This is why it would be essential for AEW to book these two into a feud.
#2 Kenny Omega - AEW
Kevin Owens hasn't locked horns with a few of the AEW roster members for many years. During his time at PWG, the independent scene and NXT, KO had showstealing bouts against Adam Cole, PAC and Bryan Danielson. One of the biggest stars in All Elite Wrestling that Owens has faced in the past is the current AEW World Champion Kenny Omega.
The two Canadians stood across the ring from one another prior to Omega's transformative run in NJPW that has crafted him into one of the greatest wrestlers of the past decade. Kevin Owens has changed quite a bit in that time as well, becoming a more complete performer as a character, worker and promo.
Kevin Owens and Kenny Omega would produce unquestionable classics against one another in AEW, but there is a very entertaining story at play as well. As previously mentioned, Owens has a strong connection and friendship with Adam Cole and The Young Bucks from their time at PWG as the top stable known as "Mount Rushmore."
Kevin Owens could insert himself into AEW immediately by driving a wedge between Kenny Omega and the rest of The Elite. There have been many fan theories that Adam Cole joined the group at All Out 2021 to tear them down from within. With the arrival of Kevin Owens, all four original members of Mount Rushmore could form the stable in this company and push Omega out.
This works on multiple levels. It would make Kevin Owens his most natural role as a bully heel who can brutalize his opposition in the ring and on the mic. It would also allow Kenny Omega to once again be the top babyface of AEW after his successful run as the top heel. Fans could even see Omega reunite with Hangman Page to fight KO and their former friends. There's a lot of fun possibilities there.
#1 CM Punk - AEW
CM Punk made his long-awaited in-ring return after seven years away from the business at AEW All Out 2021 in a win over Darby Allin. His debut with the company, a couple of weeks prior to his in-ring return, is viewed as one of their biggest signings. The massive pop that he got from the Chicago crowd at United Center that night will be remembered for years to come.
Punk has since continued to garner plenty of cheers in his subsequent appearances for AEW, including at All Out. CM Punk has also expressed his interest in facing the newest signings for All Elite Wrestling, Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson. This will likely be the same scenario if Kevin Owens decides to become the next WWE talent to make the move.
Kevin Owens and CM Punk hold a lot of parallels to each other despite never locking horns even in their times in other companies together. They were like passing ships in the night in the independent scene. They have shared the same locker room at times, but Punk and Owens have never faced each other in a one-on-one match, which could change if they are both in AEW.
The two men have also been the victims of WWE's over-reliance on past megastars. CM Punk held the WWE Championship for 434 days from 2011 to 2013. His reign should have led to the WrestleMania main event that Punk always desired, but it ended at Royal Rumble 2013 when he lost to The Rock, who was on his way to a rematch against John Cena at WrestleMania 29.
Years later, Kevin Owens was in the very best feud in WWE with the first ever AEW World Champion Chris Jericho. Their friendship and breakup produced the best television for the promotion in 2016-2017 and the both of them were on their way to a Universal Championship Match at WrestleMania 33. However, KO lost to Goldberg on his way to a showdown with Brock Lesnar at the Show of Shows.
Those mutual frustrations could breed an intense rivalry between two of the best talkers in the history of the business. These two are not only exceptional promos, but Punk and Owens are quite gifted in-ring performers. This is an indie dream match in so many ways. That's why Kevin Owens vs. CM Punk is the biggest dream match for KO in AEW.
