'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Kevin Owens recently 'parted ways' with the WWE; uttering the two dreaded words "I Quit" during an in-ring segment on the live television broadcast of Monday Night RAW. Regardless, it's no secret that KO still is very much a part of the WWE roster--what with him recently having signed a new long-term deal with the company.
That's right. Owens isn't going anywhere, and is indeed booked to compete at several upcoming WWE events later this year. In connection with the same, what we aim to look at, is a few noteworthy angles which could transpire upon The Prizefighter's on-screen return to the WWE.
Please bear in mind that the following storylines are based on the extensive research and the latest standings pertaining to Owens as well as WWE as a whole. Irrespective of whether you happen to love the passionate Prizefighter or hate his cunning nature, it'd be folly to deny that KO is a master at the subtle art of evoking the WWE Universe's emotions...Today, we take a look at the most alluring "emotional storylines" for Kevin Owens when he returns to WWE...
#10 Kevin Owens and Stephanie McMahon
We start off with the most logical storyline that we're most likely to witness in the following weeks. Owens is no stranger to aligning himself with "The Authority"--in fact, it was on the August 29th, 2016 episode of Monday Night RAW that Owens captured the WWE Universal Championship for the very first time, thanks to a bit of assistance from Triple H which helped KO defeat Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Big Cass.
Owens subsequently dropped the title to Goldberg, and would find himself traded from RAW to the SmackDown Live brand, where he was involved in a marquee rivalry with the blue brand's Commissioner Shane McMahon--with said feud ending when Shane & Daniel Bryan beat Owens & Sami Zayn in a tag team match at WrestleMania 34...That, in turn, resulted in KO & Zayn returning to RAW after this year's 'Mania, and with the latter presently out with injuries to both his shoulders, Owens walks alone.
Nevertheless, Owens--whose only recent success has been to curry favor with the red brand's Commissioner Stephanie McMahon, which saw him receive a shot at Braun Strowman's Money In The Bank contract at SummerSlam--could very well start serving as a regular fixture in Stephanie's entourage. Now, "The Billionaire Princess" has no shortage of henchmen on RAW--particularly with "Constable" Corbin carrying out all her orders as the acting GM of RAW--however, an emotional Owens shedding a few crocodile tears and aligning himself with her, thereby rejoining The Authority is the likeliest storyline that we could see come to fruition as early as the next couple of weeks...
#9 Kevin Owens: The Prizefighter
Do any of us really remember the man formerly known as Kevin Steen? Or has Kevin Owens been booked in such a manner that perhaps Mr. Steen would now seem to us as though he were an alien entity?
Granted that Owens may not have the look of a Hulk Hogan, John Cena or even a smaller wrestler such as Neville; however, what KO lacks in muscle, he more than makes up for in his character presentation and arguably unmatched promo skills. Interestingly, what most seem to have forgotten about Owens, is the fact that he's at his best when playing a tweener who simply likes to fight...Ergo, The Prizefighter.
Owens is still relatively young and has won multiple titles in the WWE, which in turn proves that despite what most of his detractors may claim, the company does view KO as a legitimate star. All that's needed, at this time, is for Owens to go back and portray the badass Prizefighter who blurs the lines between heroic and villainous mannerisms...
#8 Kevin Owens: The Canadian Hero
Kevin Owens continues to proudly wave the Canadian flag all over the world--keeping in line with the rich history of Canadians in professional wrestling. Much like Bret Hart, Chris Jericho, Trish Stratus and several others, Owens has the potential to be one of the all-time greats--if he isn't already--in the sport, who happen to hail from the Great White North.
Now, this may perhaps be one of the most age-old methods in the pro-wrestling business however, when it comes to garnering heat or conversely gather the fans' support, the national hero gimmick is one of every promoter's go-to solutions--particularly when someone's on-screen character has been terribly downgraded by bad booking. The solution is plain and simple--WWE needs to book Owens as a Canadian hero.
It ought to be emphasized that by no means do we wish Owens to go full-Hulkster mode and preach to kids about eating their vitamins and saying their prayers. However, Owens turning babyface after a heel run which has seemingly lasted for eternity, would definitely be a welcome change on the upper-mid card of RAW...
#7 Mystery attacker
Remember when "Stone Cold" Steve Austin got run over before his WWF Championship match at Survivor Series 1999? Or perhaps the more underwhelming program in 2017 which saw Enzo Amore repeatedly get mugged by an unknown assailant backstage, only for it to be revealed as Big Cass.
The mystery attacker angle has, for long, been one with which professional wrestling fans seem to share a love-hate relationship. Regardless, it's tough to deny the fact that the excitement and fear of the unknown truly serves to elevate the stakes in the ongoing television storylines, should they feature the element of an secretive assaulter who simply chooses to wreak havoc by assaulting random wrestlers.
Kevin Owens is presently neck-deep in a wide range of emotions--anger, jealousy, insecurity and the thirst for vengeance being the topmost on his list. The WWE could very well bring back Owens to its weekly programming as a mystery attacker whose identity isn't revealed over the course of several weeks. Suspense perpetuates drama, and the latter stirs controversy. KO is the perfect man for this job, and we all know it...
#6 That's gotta be KO
Of all the possible storylines we've compiled in our discussion, this, along with the possibility we spoke about earlier which sees KO re-join The Authority are perhaps the second-most likely ones the WWE is going to present us with.
Braun Strowman recently handed over his Money In The Bank contract to "Constable" Corbin on RAW--noting that he intends to challenge reigning WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at the Hell In A Cell PPV on September 16th. The WWE has officially announced the Strowman vs. Reigns for HIAC; as the Universal title hangs in the balance between these two titans.
Having been squashed by the aforementioned Strowman at SummerSlam on August 19th, Kevin Owens now has a golden opportunity to avenge the merciless beat-down that The Monster Among Men laid down on him. The WWE could book Owens to interfere in the Universal title match--attacking Strowman and thereby costing him the title.
Remember when Kane cost The Undertaker his Hell In A Cell match against Shawn Michaels? Yep! KO could exact vengeance upon Strowman in a similar manner, albeit with the additional threat of Reigns looking to Superman-Punch The Monster into oblivion...
#5 Kevin Owens: The fighting father
Kevin Owens is a family man--married to the beautiful Karina Elias, alongside whom KO has been blessed with his son Owen and daughter Elodie Leila. Surprisingly, the WWE is yet to utilize Owens' fantastic history of being a responsible and doting father, in its storylines.
After all, professional wrestling is built on evoking emotion--if you will--and its the aggregation of these emotions which lead to fiery feuds coming to life inside the squared circle. KO is undoubtedly at the lowest point of his WWE run right now, and it's indeed a no-brainer that the tough guy from Quebec could use some much-needed moral support.
The WWE could choose to revamp Owens' character to that of a fighting father--a superdad--who fabulously juggles parenting duties with his wrestling obligations. Bear in mind though, there's not one but two paths in which this storyline could head--the first being a legitimate babyface run as "The Fighting Father" or a parody of the angle which sees him portray a delusional, self-pitying, annoying heel...
#4 Kevin Owens won't be your butler
Most fans would recollect the controversial storyline featuring Shawn Michaels and John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) which transpired back in 2009. Michaels portrayed a man who was financially-bound, owing to a legal contract with JBL--one which saw the latter abuse his power and treat The Heart Break Kid as though he were a second-class citizen.
Well, controversial as it may have been, the storyline garnered a ton of attention from pro-wrestling fans as well as casual viewers of the sport worldwide--with Michaels finally freeing himself from the financial anarchy--defeating JBL in a stipulation match at No Way Out where the rules stated that if HBK wins he's free of the contract, whereas should Layfield win Michaels would become his permanent employee.
Well, considering how "Constable" Corbin--one of the current top authority figures on RAW--has paid little-to-no heed towards Owens complaints against Braun Strowman; it makes all the sense in the world for WWE to re-present the HBK-JBL angle in its 2018 version. Corbin could have Owens as his personal butler for several weeks, before Owens finally breaks free of his kayfabe servant/butler contract which Corbin deceitfully lured him into.
Owens and Corbin could end their rivalry at Survivor Series in November--with KO finally breaking through as a true hero, returning to form as the man who we'd known to be a menace on NXT back in the day...
#3 Kevin Owens and John Cena are just fans
The WWE pulled off a masterstroke by having John Cena attend WrestleMania 34 as a 'fan'--sitting in the crowd before finally laying a beat-down on Elias, and then losing to The Undertaker in an impromptu match.
Similarly, Kevin Owens could begin attending not only every Monday Night RAW taping, but also the red brand's live events, as a 'fan'. In fact, the WWE could go all the way with this angle, by not having him participate in any physical angles--not even a backstage segment or parking-lot brawl.
Having Owens tease a possible return to in-ring action at every RAW-branded event would surely be a bizarre attraction of its own--with the final payoff being that Owens is finally requested to come back 'home', and rehired by the very man he downed with a head-butt last year--WWE boss Vince McMahon...
#2 Triple Threat Match at Hell In A Cell
Logic and professional wrestling often cease to walk the same path, and while certain sections of fans may opine that to be a curse, most others find that as one of the many quirky attractions boasted by this wonderful sport.
The WWE could completely ignore Kevin Owens' 'departure' from RAW, only to add him to the Universal title match at Hell In A Cell at the very last moment. KO's mentor Paul "Triple H" Levesque make his way down the ramp, and officially book a Triple Threat Match for the Universal Championship between Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens.
Bear in mind, that this is arguably an incredibly realistic possibility, despite how absurd it may sound on face value. The WWE could have Owens shock the world, and defeat two of RAW's biggest stars today...After all, swerves have always proven to be what's best for business...
#1 Kevin Owens vs. Daniel Bryan
Honestly speaking, not only the hordes of hardcore wrestling fans, but also the more casual observers of the sport were truly pumped by Daniel Bryan's miraculous return to in-ring competition.
However, with that being said, fans of "The Beard" have been clamoring for the WWE to book Bryan in the plethora of dream matchups that are very much viable options right now. Granted that The Miz feuding with Bryan does signify an important rivalry in the duo's career, however, Bryan has next to nothing booked after he's done fighting the A-Lister.
That's where Kevin Owens comes in. In today's day and age, where several Superstars such as John Cena, Nikki Bella, and Brie Bella are all free agents--there's nothing to stop WWE from booking KO to pull off a shocking return to SmackDown Live. Owens can challenge Bryan and finally give us a proper singles rivalry between two of the very best of this generation.
The only humble request yours truly would love to put forth to the WWE, is that the company as well as the WWE Universe demand a one-on-one war between Owens and Bryan, rather than the tag team feud featuring Sami Zayn and Shane McMahon that they gave us earlier this year.
Which storyline do you feel has the most potential? Do provide us your feedback in the comments section below...
