WWE SmackDown before Extreme Rules: 3 reasons why Kevin Owens lashed out at Shane McMahon

While RAW before Extreme Rules was underwhelming to say the least, the SmackDown episode preceding the PPV was superb. The show had many great segments as Aleister Black finally came to know who his Extreme Rules opponents will be (Cesaro).

There was also a superb bout between Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor, which might as well be a show-stopper at Extreme Rules if the match takes place. However, the highlight of the show was Kevin Owens bashing Shane McMahon verbally.

Owens might have been a ruthless heel during his feud against Kofi Kingston but he has once again turned face by going against the authority. He lashed out at Shane McMahon for taking too much of the limelight as the latter had to come out and cut off his microphone before having guards chase him out.

The WWE Universe loved every bit of it and we can understand why this was done – and here are 5 reasons for it…

---

#3 Establishing himself as a strong face

When Kevin Owens joined New Day as Big O, he became a very likeable character. The fun-loving side of Owens was pleasant to see, especially because we know him as one of the best villains in the business.

So, it was nice to see the change. However, he soon turned on Kofi Kingston and once again resumed being what he always has been: a heel who stops at nothing. After feuding against Kingston for the WWE Championship and failing to get his hands on it, he started pairing up with Sami Zayn to form a superb villainous duo.

However, he turned face last week when he cheekily took shots at Shane McMahon and then attacked Dolph Ziggler. On SmackDown in the last episode, he took his game to another level by berating McMahon on the mic before stunning him out cold.

Given that Shane is perhaps the most hated character in the WWE Universe right now, KO has just established himself as a strong face.

#2 More heat for McMahon

Let us have a look at what Shane McMahon has been up to ever since he turned on the Miz. After attacking the Miz and having a prolonged storyline with him, he turned his attention towards Roman Reigns.

During his conflict against the Big Dog, he crossed paths against the Undertaker. And now, Kevin Owens joins the ever-growing list of people that Shane McMahon has a problem with.

The fact that Shane McMahon is feuding against so many Superstars right now has garnered a lot of heat against him, especially because every one of them are now faces.

Kevin Owens’ recent rant against the Chairman’s son put more heat on Shane’s head as whatever Owens said on SmackDown in the last episode is exactly what the WWE Universe thinks (more on that later).

Safe to say, all of this is heading towards him getting the Baron Corbin treatment.

Remember Baron Corbin as the acting General Manager of RAW last year? When the Lone Wolf had the authority and the power, he misused it against many Superstars.

It got to the point that almost every Superstar on the RAW roster had something to grudge about against Corbin. This allowed Corbin to garner a lot of heat and it all boiled down at TLC 2018 when he faced an injured Braun Strowman and lost to him because he was beaten down by the Superstars that he wronged.

As a result of the stipulation surrounding that match, he lost his position as the acting General Manager of RAW.

Can you see a pattern here? Right now, McMahon is wronging anyone who dares step in front of him. Eventually, we might see him get the Corbin treatment – only this time, it will be at the hands of the likes of Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens.

#1 Voice of the voiceless

If you tell me that you saw Kevin Owens’ promo and weren’t reminded of CM Punk’s pipebomb promo, I almost certainly won’t believe you. Almost every word he spewed out took me back to the fateful day in 2011.

Before that moment, CM Punk was just a Superstar. After that, he became a cult of personality. It was the promo that changed his outlook forever and Kevin Owens’ show-stopping promo on SmackDown last night could be his career-defining moment.

CM Punk used the examples of Colt Cabana and Luke Gallows, and Kevin Owens did the same when he spoke the names of Ali and Apollo Crews. Heck, he even used the phrase “makes me sick” like Punk did.

Punk dubbed himself as the Voice of the Voiceless and with Owens’ recent rant, he automatically becomes the Voice of the Voiceless of this era.

What Kevin Owens said about Shane McMahon hogging all the limelight and taking up TV time that could have been used to promote another Superstar and that none of the fans ever wanted to see this is actually exactly what the fans think right now.

The cheers that KO got when he said those exact same words is a testament to how the fans see him as their representative on the show.

This could be fun.