Former WWE Universal Champion to turn heel on SmackDown soon? Exploring potential twist

WWE SmackDown has been full of twists and turns lately, with several stars chasing Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship. Solo Sikoa fell short at SummerSlam after Roman Reigns' return, while AJ Styles failed after multiple attempts to dethrone him.

Kevin Owens is next in line to face Cody Rhodes for the title, although he initially didn't want the match. The Prizefighter humbly declined The American Nightmare's offer, but mentioning a potential Reigns rematch quickly changed his mind. He has shown little sign of returning to his villainous ways, but with a world title at stake, this could change at Bash in Berlin on August 31.

The last time Owens was a heel was in August 2022, and he's arguably at his best when a cocky yet ruthless villain. He has conjured up some memorable moments, including winning the WWE Universal Championship, thanks to Triple H.

The 40-year-old SmackDown star didn't care how he got his hands on the world title on that occasion. That could happen again in Berlin if his old 'desperate desire' to be world champion comes to fruition.

Kevin Owens could be tired of waiting to be the main guy in the main event spotlight. He's watched his close friend Cody Rhodes dominate the blue brand since WWE WrestleMania XL.

A heel turn will help KO stay more viable in the main event scene and prolong a potential feud with Rhodes. He might even grow frustrated should he lose in Berlin and take his anger out on the champ on a post-SmackDown show.

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Booker T analyzes a potential Kevin Owens heel turn ahead of the SmackDown star's WWE title match

Kevin Owens has been a brave soldier for Cody Rhodes amid his rivalry with The Bloodline 2.0 and Solo Sikoa. He's stood by the champ for several months, including at WWE Money in the Bank in July in a six-man tag loss against Bloodline.

Rhodes wanted to reward KO's loyalty with a title match, and fans are second-guessing what it's leading to. Could we see the former Universal Champion embrace his heel side?

Booker T seconded that sentiment on the Hall of Fame podcast:

"This might be the beginning of something getting ready to start, or it might just be a cold match where KO is getting a shot at the title. We don’t know if he’s gonna turn on Cody Rhodes or anything like that. Or it could be a match where they go straight up, and they go out and just give us a five-star match at the Bash... If they do go out there, and Kevin Owens happened to flip the script and something happened, and he goes in a different angle, totally changed from Kevin Owens where we’re looking at him right now." [H/T - EWrestlingNews].

Kevin Owens will undoubtedly benefit from a heel turn, given he's somewhat been in and out of the main event picture. He could also be an option to eventually feud with Roman Reigns once The OTC is done feuding with Solo Sikoa. A long rivalry with Cody Rhodes will help the SmackDown world title scene, with only three premium live events left this year.