Kevin Owens must not win the Money in the Bank Briefcase

Kevin Owens SummerSlam 2018
The LAST thing Raw needs is this again.

Let's face it - Raw is in a disastrous state post-WrestleMania 34. I know it, you know it, and apparently WWE knows it too because Rupert Murdoch of Fox told them that NBC Universal was embarrassed by their product. It's easy to see why.

SummerSlam brings the possibility of a reset in many ways. Most importantly, it offers the possibility of finally concluding the Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns feud which has loomed over WWE for the past four years and has completely strangled the red brand for the past year and a half.

That comes with its risks however, as Vince McMahon and co are reportedly well aware of the reception the fourth Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns match will get in Brooklyn. That apparently didn't stop them from booking the match.

Since Money in the Bank, there appears to be a safety valve. Braun Strowman, one of the most popular superstars in the company, won the men's briefcase. His cashing in on the parade would not only send the fans home happy, but it would be poetic justice because last year's SummerSlam was his star-making moment, where he was the glue that held that fantastic fatal four-way main event together.

But now Braun Strowman needs to defend that briefcase against Kevin Owens, and while this would ordinarily be a filler feud to give him something to do in Brooklyn, there's reason for concern. Strowman has gotten the better of Owens at every turn in their feud and more ominously, matches between the latter and Roman Reigns are being advertised. Cards are subject to change, but advertisements are generally accurate. See the start of AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe.

A fast-rising theory now goes that Kevin Owens will win the briefcase and cash in instead of Braun Strowman. It would indeed send the Brooklyn crowd home happy, but if there were ever a way to make Raw even worse, that would be it. Here's why.


#1 His last two main event runs were awful

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Lest we forget, let's take a trip down memory lane.

Kevin Owens won the Universal Championship after Finn Balor went down to an injury. His run as a cowardly heel champion was made of the same stuff that rendered Seth Rollins' run at the top just the year before the weakest point of his career. Were it not for Chris Jericho holding the act together, it would have been a complete failure. And this time, Y2J wouldn't be there.

Things improved with the Festival of Friendship, but by that point, it was too late. Goldberg would mercifully end the reign weeks afterward, and though it was and still is controversial, it was the right decision.

Afterward, Kevin Owens went to SmackDown where, after a lackluster feud with AJ Styles, he found himself embroiled with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan alongside Sami Zayn. The feud started hot in the first month. Then it dragged on and on, leading SmackDown into a period arguably even worse than when Jinder Mahal was champion. The malaise was only ended by Daniel Bryan's miraculous return to the ring.

Now Owens threatens to make his presence felt in the main event again. It's at that point when I wonder if Brock Lesnar lounging around in the middle of nowhere with the title is such a bad thing.

#2 Roman Reigns on the chase

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Yes, the match at last year's Royal Rumble was very good. The feud wasn't, though. It would be even worse now because Roman Reigns' situation has turned even further south this year, thanks to bizarre booking in his feud with Brock Lesnar.

Roman Reigns is in an even worse position than he was in 2016 and early 17. The thought of him chasing a cowardly heel Kevin Owens around for the Universal Championship should be horrifying for anyone who wants to see good content. In that feud, you'll have yet another cookie cutter coward heel (as if we haven't seen that enough with Alexa Bliss and Carmella), whose last two main event runs were awful, being chased by a radioactive babyface that no crowd wants to actually see win the championship. And it could go on for months.

When thinking of this possibility, I again ask myself, "Am I sure I really want to see Brock Lesnar drop the title?" It's very much a case of heads Vince wins, tails you lose.

#3 Braun Strowman has far better options available

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Aside from Braun Strowman being far more popular than Kevin Owens, with fans long since waiting for him to win the championship, his reign as champion presents far more interesting possibilities.

Obviously, there's Roman Reigns. Their feud was last year's best, and I sure wouldn't mind seeing a new take on it now that they're both babyfaces.

There's Bobby Lashley, who would be a powerhouse for Braun Strowman to do battle with. A heel turn for Lashley would be best advised to make it an even more intriguing possibility.

There's Finn Balor, who could finally get his Universal Championship rematch and who had a series of fun matches with Braun Strowman on Raw earlier this year. If he finally brought back the Demon, things would get even more interesting.

For Survivor Series, a match with either AJ Styles or Samoa Joe would be eagerly awaited, neither of which has happened before, and would present a very interesting contrast of styles, no matter which one of them it is.

Most intriguing of all, there's Drew McIntyre, whose brief exchange with Strowman on Raw a couple of months ago sent the crowd into a frenzy. If there's anyone that could pose a believable, formidable challenge to Braun Strowman on Monday nights, it's McIntyre, and in my eyes, it has the potential to be a legitimate WrestleMania feud.

None of those possibilities are available with Kevin Owens as champion. The cycle with Roman Reigns chasing the Universal Championship would inevitably continue. Raw badly needs to move past that cycle. If the loss of 10% of its audience since just last year is any indication, Raw's viewers agree.

A Braun Strowman title reign offers the possibility of renewal. A Kevin Owens run wouldn't.

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