What's the story?
As broken by The Dirty Sheets Network, via our "DS Breaking News" show, be it at MSG or Battleground, Kevin Owens was always set to lose his US Championship, due to creative opting for a change of direction for his character.
The story was broken via the YouTube video, which we added below:
In case you didn't know...
Whilst US Champion, Owens was playing an anti-American heel who referred to himself as the Face of America.
The heart of the matter
With Rusev returning to TV as an anti-American heel and Jinder Mahal also spouting anti-American rhetoric, SmackDown officials decided that they are too many characters ultimately portraying the same heel gimmick. It was therefore decided that Kevin Owens was the one who needed the gimmick the least of the three.
We outlined why the MSG title change was booked in a previous article, rather than waiting for Battleground. You can read the previous article here.
What's next?
AJ Styles will face Kevin Owens in a US Championship rematch at Battleground on July 23rd at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Author's Take
Dropping the "face of America" certainly proves that Jinder Mahal's push was a last minute decision. The WWE would have never knowingly started the gimmick, knowing they would have three anti-American heels by mid July.
Choosing Owens as the one to drop his character is the correct choice. Mahal is now over for the first time in his career and Rusev has never been anything else. Kevin Owens doesn't need it and never did. He has been a highly entertaining and efficient heel for two years without it.
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
