5 times Vince McMahon and WWE hinted Kevin Owens is the next big thing 

#3 Pushing him as the biggest heel on SmackDown Live in 2017

Owens took the blue brand by storm in 2017

There's no denying that SmackDown Live was unsuccessful in garnering much intrigue while advancing their narrative throughout 2017.

Jinder Mahal's rise to the top of the WWE drastically diminished the blue brand's credibility. However, it was not The Modern Day Maharaja who was pushed to the moon, it was Kevin Owens.

The Prizefighter ascended to the top of SmackDown Live by instantly delivering an incredible feud with AJ Styles for the United States Championship.

The former Universal Champion also took his rivalry with Shane McMahon to the extreme, and was successful in forming a promising alliance with Sami Zayn.

Owens was a headline act on the blue brand, and while Monday Night Raw may be WWE's flagship show, Vince McMahon's willingness to push The Prizefighter on SmackDown worked wonders for Owens.