What’s the story?
The Rock was present at this week’s RAW to shoot a sequence for his production company, Seven Bucks Production's upcoming film 'Fighting With My Family'. Kevin Owens took this opportunity to greet The Great One backstage at the ‘People’s Hood’ (stands for Rock’s dressingroom).
In the following Instagram post, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson shares a cool story about how he had noticed Kevin Owens (then Kevin Steen) as an independent wrestler on YouTube when he was training with Curt Hawkins and Joe Hennig (Curtis Axel) for his in-ring return.
In case you didn’t know...
Kevin Owens wrestled in the independent circuit under his real name Kevin Steen before signing with NXT. He most notably wrestled in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Ring Of Honor and Combat Zone Wrestling. After making the switch to NXT, he changed his name to Kevin Owens as a tribute to his son, Owen (who himself is named after Owen Hart).
Kevin Owens spent more than 14 years working for various independent promotions before finding his way to the pinnacle of sports entertainment. After he signed with WWE, he was asked about the perception that he doesn’t fit the WWE mold, to which he responded:
“I actually didn’t, and that might be hard to believe for a lot of people. I’ve encountered a lot of people in my career that didn’t think I’d ever get to WWE, but I’m actually really proud to be an exception, which is what I’ve been pretty much my entire career, everywhere I’ve went. I’ve never been the norm and I take great pride in that, but I never doubted that I would get here eventually.”
The heart of the matter
As mentioned above, The Rock was on RAW to shoot a scene of the upcoming movie on Paige’s life, ‘Fighting With My Family’. The Rock and his crew recreated Paige’s debut when she won the Divas Championship against AJ Lee on her first night on RAW.
Also read: Rock reveals why he called CM Punk after RAW
Rock even created waved by calling CM Punk on his phone after the fans at the Staples Center chanted for the former WWE star. As Rock was at in attendance, it was only obvious that he would get in touch with the roster and take the opportunity to post photos such as the ones with Owens on Instagram.
What’s Next?
Kevin Owens is at the apex of Monday Night RAW as the WWE Universal Champion. Even though there are rumors that he would be dropping the title at Fastlane, it is safe to say that he is having a decent run with the gold. As a result of this reign, WWE has built a superstar who could easily be the top heel in whichever show he performs.
Kevin Owens is almost certain to face Y2J at this year’s Wrestlemania, most probably for the US Championship. The Rock’s plans for this year’s Wrestlemania are still in question, though he had mentioned in one of the interviews that he would be present in Orlando, Florida on 2nd April.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Kevin Owens is an immensely talented wrestler who is venerated by all the fans alike. We feel that The Rock’s appreciation for The Prizefighter is admirable and apt. Kevin Owens’ passion for the business can be seen in his matches as all of them end up entertaining the WWE Universe.
We look forward to many more years of KO’s unmatched proficiency in the middle of the ropes.
