During his time in WWE, Kevin Owens has consistently managed to turn heads, whether it was his debut as part of the NXT brand when he turned on his best friend Sami Zayn or when he turned on his ‘best friend' Chris Jericho, not to mention his incredible main roster debut match against John Cena.
Kevin Owens has stood out in the ring, no matter who he was matched up against. WrestleMania has come and gone, and his feud with Chris Jericho may be coming to an end. The question is, what is next for the prizefighter?
He has captured the NXT, Intercontinental, US and Universal championships. While he may be best suited to be someone with a Championship around his waist, working other programs against different wrestlers is just as good for him and would be good for fans to see.
He has played the role of a coward but Owens is also capable of beating his opposition so badly that they aren't physically capable of continuing. His character has personality and toughness, and he is capable of making fans love or hate him.
The question is who his opposition will be. Here are five potential feuds that Kevin Owens could potentially participate in after Wrestlemania 33.
#5 Randy Orton
The current WWE Champion can give the United States champion everything he could handle. He is unlikely to lose the title at Payback, but Orton and Owens competing in a title versus title program is a possibility.
Randy was injured while he was last on Raw, and when he recovered he was eventually drafted to Smackdown Live. Owens, on the other hand, was with Raw, so their paths have rarely crossed and a program with one another would be fresh and different.
Fans have seen what both Owens and Orton can do to get into the heads of their opponents. However, we haven't seen what they would do to prevail over the other. Owens' move to Smackdown Live is intended to create new and different matchups, and this one is no different.
To have a feud with a fourteen-time champion is something that could deliver in both the lead-up and the eventual match. Who will reign supreme, the prizefighter or the viper?
#4 Tye Dillinger
They are two men who worked hard to earn their way to WWE, and it is only a matter of time before they feud. As a recent call-up to the Smackdown Live roster, Ty Dillinger has brought an undeniable energy and enthusiasm, which are all captured in one simple word: ten.
His belief is that you are a perfect ten regardless of size, shape or ability if you remain true to yourself and believe. Dillinger recently ended a feud with Eric Young in NXT, where the result was his overcoming the odds to achieve the payoff in front of the friends and fans in attendance.
As part of Smackdown Live, there isn't a bigger heel than United States champion Kevin Owens. These two could tell a great story, perhaps even incorporating how it took Tye so long to make the main roster, while Owens took a fraction of the time.
#3 Luke Harper
Luke Harper is primed to be one of the most important members of Smackdown Live's roster. As part of the Wyatt family, he could be counted on to not only perform well but to elevate the level of performance of his challengers.
Bray Wyatt is no longer in the program leading Harper, so Luke must now walk alone. Now that he is firmly entrenched as a singles competitor and a face, Harper could provide Owens a real challenge.
With Smackdown Live's commitment to giving those on the roster an opportunity, this potential program would certainly provide one for Harper. While he has made modifications to his attire, his intentions remain the same.
Both Owens and Harper can take risks both in and out of the ring, and a feud could lead to some interesting banter between the two, as Harper's very underrated promo ability will have a chance to shine.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura
It is a match that many would be chomping at the bit to see. However, these two men are no strangers to one another. They crossed paths during Owens' time in Ring of Honor when Nakamura was competing for ROH as part of a working agreement with NJPW.
Nakamura was the long time veteran, so when they crossed paths it was Owens who was defeated, in an incredible encounter. There is no question that both men would go all out when facing one another.
Whether it is countless kicks, punches or spots, both men could go all out. What fans could anticipate is a match that has the potential of the same chemistry as Nakamura versus Sami Zayn last year at NXT Takeover: Dallas. However, this time both men will continue to have the same roles they did when they faced one another in ROH.
Owens would continue to be the despised heel, while Nakamura would resume his role as the beloved face.
#1 AJ Styles
These two crossed paths briefly in the 2016 Royal Rumble and even had matches against one another while together on the Raw brand. However, after some time away on separate brands, the likeliness of a match pitting these two against one another would also be interesting.
While it could be somewhat difficult as a fan to choose who to cheer for, it seems like we will be getting this feud sooner than we expected as AJ is now the number one contender to KO’s title. These two are set to light any building they perform in on fire but it looks like we’ll have to wait for Owens to be done with Y2J at Payback, a match that he is unlikely to lose given Jericho’s commitments outside the WWE.
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