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At first glance, Kevin Owens hardly resembles your typical WWE Superstar. Owens is barely six-foot-tall and does not possess the chiseled physique of a Drew McIntyre or John Cena.
Despite his appearance, though, Owens has had much success in WWE since signing with the company and joining NXT back in August 2014. In addition to the NXT Championship, the 36-year-old Canadian has had multiple reigns with both the United States and Intercontinental titles as well.
It is Owens' sole run as Universal Champion, however, that ranks as his biggest accolade to date. 'KO' enjoyed an entertaining run as a champion between August 2016 and March 2017, where he was a consistent highlight on RAW.
Owens is currently embroiled in a feud with Roman Reigns on SmackDown, where he is looking to claim the Universal Championship for a second time.
However, when he was first hired by WWE, few predicted that Kevin Owens would go on to win a World Championship in the promotion. One man who saw Owens' potential at a very early stage, though, is former WWE Superstar Jacques Rougeau, better known to fans as The Mountie.
Speaking to Dr. Chris Featherstone on the most recent edition of SK Wrestling's Inside SKoop, Rougeau recalled being immediately impressed when a young Kevin Owens came to workout at the veteran's training school:
"Kevin Owens. What a great athlete! He came to my school, and it was fun because it was a time when I was practicing my family-orientated shows. So I based my shows on mostly skills, mostly timing and good workers. In those days, the great workers, you could recognise them by saying “This guy could go in there and work with a broom!” And Kevin Owens was really good." said Rougeau
Rougeau also highlighted how quick Owens was at picking up new skills - both in the ring and on the microphone:
"When he came, I started him from scratch. I showed him how to get a headlock tight. I showed him how to do an interview. All the interviews he did after that, it was really things that we practiced." said Rougeau
The Mountie, though, is far from the only former active WWE Superstar to have praised Owens, as many other legends have also expressed their appreciation and respect for the Prizefighter in the past.
Here are five former WWE Superstars who have praised Kevin Owens.
#5 Bret Hart once called Kevin Owens his favorite current WWE Superstar
When it comes to Canadian professional wrestlers, Bret Hart is pretty much royalty. So when Hart called his countryman Owens "my number one favourite wrestler in wrestling right now" back in 2015, it was high praise indeed.
The Hitman made the glowing statement during a Q & A session with Canadian broadcaster TSN, in which he also dismissed criticisms of Owens' physical condition:
"He's very good. He's a Canadian guy and he's a really hard working wrestler. And he looks like a wrestler. Too many of the wrestlers today... I've heard some people say they don't like that he's kind of heavy, he's a big, solid looking guy. I wouldn't say that he's a fat guy at all. When I think of fat, I think of fat fat. He doesn't look like... he looks like a brickhouse, like he looks solid as a rock, and he moves like a 100-pounder."
"He's doing stuff that no big man ever dreamed of doing that I've ever seen, even some of the great big men like Bam Bam Bigelow. There's been a lot of big men that were really agile and quick and had a lot of wrestling skills and stuff like that but Kevin Owens is, to me, my number one favorite wrestler in wrestling right now." said Hart
Hart was known during his own Hall of Fame career as being one of the very best at having great matches with larger Superstars. Judging by his comments, he would have loved to have worked with Owens in the ring. A fantastic endorsement for Kevin Owens from one of the best of all-time.
#4 Chris Jericho praised Kevin Owens for "reigniting his passion" for professional wrestling
Chris Jericho is a big fan of Kevin Owens. The pair first teamed together in WWE in the summer of 2016, with their association lasting for much of KO's reign as Universal Champion.
As part of one of his Q & A live-stream sessions last year, Jericho revealed just how much he had enjoyed working with Owens during that time.
'Le Champion' had only been due to return to WWE for a short period to face AJ Styles at WrestleMania 32, but ended up extending the run in order to work with Kevin Owens:
"I went back for three months (in 2015/16) around WrestleMania time, to work with AJ Styles. I suddenly started working with Kevin Owens and realised very quickly that he had the same mentality, same passion and thought that I could really do something with him. I had so much fun with him, and it was one of the best stories that year. We had a lot of good times. Nothing but love for Kevin." said Jericho.
The Jericho and Owens partnership made for some highly entertaining television. However, their time as a unit is just as fondly remembered for the manner in which it ended.
The 'Festival of Friendship' segment in which Owens turned on Jericho in Las Vegas was fabulously executed. One of the best angles seen on RAW in years when it took place in February 2017, the turn led to Owens and Jericho squaring off at WrestleMania 33.
Whilst their WrestleMania match was ultimately underwhelming, the duo certainly produced plenty of quality in the build-up. Though Jericho made the jump to AEW in early 2019, he and Owens remain good friends.
Had Jericho not had such a great time working with Kevin Owens, it is entirely possible that he could have opted to call time on his in-ring career back in 2016. Given the impact that Jericho has made in AEW, that would not have been a positive for wrestling fans.
#3 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin gave Kevin Owens his blessing to use the Stunner
WWE fans were excited when Kevin Owens adopted 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's iconic Stunner as his new finishing move in 2019.
Originally, WWE bosses were against the idea of Owens using such a legendary move, as they felt it did not fit with his character. Another possible reason behind their resistance could have been the fact that Austin still appears on WWE television occasionally.
However, 'The Texas Rattlesnake' himself had already given Owens permission to use the move. Austin even went as far as to send a tweet endorsing its use after Owens stunned Shane McMahon on an episode of SmackDown.
Speaking shortly afterward in an interview with Sports Illustrated, Austin confirmed that he had no issue with Owens claiming his finisher:
“My finish was being used by someone else before I really made it famous, or trademarked it, so to speak,” said Austin. “So I told him , go ahead and use the Stone Cold Stunner.”
In the same interview, the WWE Hall of Famer also spoke highly of Owens ability as a performer:
“I like Kevin Owens, I think he does an amazing job with his promos and in the ring...So just let Kevin be Kevin, put him in good situations and don’t put the brakes on him. If you’re going to run with this guy, then let him be the biggest, baddest, best Kevin Owens he can be.” said Austin.
Now, of course, there will never be another 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. Kevin Owens, though, embodies much of the unique attitude that made The Rattlesnake such a popular Superstar. If there was ever a character suited to carrying on the legacy of the Stone Cold Stunner, then Kevin Owens is that man.
#2 Cody Rhodes praised Kevin Owens for introducing him to The Young Bucks
Before he established himself as one of WWE's top Superstars, Kevin Owens worked for fifteen years on the independent circuit.
Building his reputation in promotions such as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) and Ring of Honor (ROH) under his real name of Kevin Steen, Owens competed alongside many stars of the future. Two of these stars were The Young Bucks.
Shortly after Cody Rhodes was granted his release from WWE in 2016, he asked Owens for some advice as to how best to be successful on the independent scene.
Knowing that Nick and Matt Jackson had themselves already carved out a profitable niche on the circuit, Owens had little hesitation in introducing Cody to The Young Bucks - his future AEW business partners.
Speaking in 2019, Rhodes praised Owens for his help and support:
"I’m a big organizer and planner. So I had been in [WWE wrestler] Kevin Owens’ ear, like, ‘Hey, what does the world look like? I’ve saved a chunk of my money and I bought a home and stuff, but I want to make sure I can keep it. What does it look like out there?’ And Kevin was the one who said, ‘I’ll introduce you to The Young Bucks. They’re the masters of having marketed themselves outside of the company.’ Me and Brandi were totally fearless in that moment. It was crazy." said Cody.
Without Kevin Owens offering to help connect Cody with The Young Bucks, there is a fair chance that we may never have seen the formation of AEW. Whilst Owens had no way of knowing how much the trio would go on to achieve, his role in bringing them together was still crucial.
#1 The Rock praised Kevin Owens for his work ethic
The Rock first came across Kevin Owens whilst training for his WWE comeback in 2012. Despite now being the highest-paid actor on the planet, Dwayne Johnson has always kept in touch with - and remained a fan of - professional wrestling.
Prior to 2012, however, The Rock's last official singles match had taken place all the way back in 2003. In order to make sure that its star attraction was ready for his return to the ring, WWE arranged for him to workout alongside then-Superstars Curt Hawkins and Curtis Axel.
In a 2017 Instagram post, The Rock revealed how a post-training discussion had seen Kevin Owens mentioned:
"After our workout, me and Curt were chopping it up about great independent wrestlers. I said 'Dude I just saw this guy last night on YouTube named Kill Steen or something like that. He's amazing'. Curt said, 'That's my good friend Kevin Owens'. I said 'We'll tell your friend he's badass and I hope WWE signs him.'"
Kevin Owens would, indeed, sign with WWE - and eventually become a World Champion. The Rock praised Owens for his efforts, alongside a picture of the two together at a WWE television taping:
"Now 5yrs later and relentless hard work, he's WWE Universal Champion...I like when good things happen to good hard working people. He's an a*****e though for growing a better beard than I can." said The Rock
As one of the biggest Superstars in WWE history, endorsements do not get much larger than one from The Rock. Kevin Owens, though, absolutely deserves the credit he received.
