5 Former WWE Superstars who praised Kevin Owens

#2 Cody Rhodes praised Kevin Owens for introducing him to The Young Bucks

The Young Bucks say farewell to the Kevin Steen Show in 2014 as Kevin heads to the WWE. pic.twitter.com/YFzAxvrJ8B

— Mith Gifs Wrestling (@MithGifs) November 9, 2017

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.

#WWEChronicle: Kevin Owens streams your way this Saturday on WWE Network. ⤵️@FightOwensFight pic.twitter.com/FEnjtwDjjS

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) December 14, 2020

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.